<p>A Critical Access Hospital in Grants, New Mexico is recruiting an experienced Director of Surgical Services to lead its perioperative program — encompassing the Operating Room, Post-Anesthesia Care Unit, and Sterile Processing Department. This is a senior nursing leadership role with full operational and strategic ownership of surgical services, offering a competitive salary range of $133,000–$183,821 annually. The position is well-suited to a perioperative nurse leader ready to drive quality, compliance, and departmental performance in a community hospital environment where surgical leadership has direct, visible impact.</p>
<h3>Perks and Benefits</h3> <ul> <li>Salary range: $133,000–$183,821 annually</li> <li>Full-time employed leadership position at a Critical Access Hospital</li> <li>Capital planning and budget management authority — direct influence over departmental resources</li> </ul>
<h3>Practice Highlights</h3> <ul> <li>Full operational oversight of three perioperative departments: Operating Room, Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), and Sterile Processing Department</li> <li>Responsibilities span staffing, recruitment, onboarding, and ongoing staff development across all three departments</li> <li>Surgical scheduling, block time management, and OR resource utilization fall within this role's direct authority</li> <li>Supply chain management including surgical inventory control and cost containment</li> <li>Departmental budget development and capital planning responsibilities</li> <li>Quality improvement, patient safety, infection prevention, and regulatory compliance leadership</li> <li>Readiness oversight for emergency and trauma surgical cases</li> <li>Direct collaboration with the Chief Nursing Officer and executive leadership team on operational strategy</li> <li>Relationship management with surgeons, anesthesia providers, and hospital administration</li> <li>Critical Access Hospital designation — a setting where surgical leadership shapes the full scope of community surgical care</li> </ul>
<h3>Qualifications</h3> <ul> <li>Current RN license in New Mexico or active Compact State license</li> <li>BLS and ACLS required; PALS and CNOR preferred</li> <li>Minimum 3–5 years of recent OR experience with demonstrated competency in both scrubbing and circulating roles</li> <li>Prior leadership or management experience in perioperative or surgical services required</li> <li>Strong working knowledge of sterile processing standards and surgical supply management</li> <li>Demonstrated organizational, communication, and team leadership skills in a hospital surgical environment</li> </ul>
<h3>About the Community</h3> <p>Grants, New Mexico sits in Cibola County along historic Route 66, roughly 80 miles west of Albuquerque, offering easy access to a major metropolitan area while maintaining the character and affordability of a small Western community. The region is surrounded by striking high-desert landscape — including El Malpais and El Morro National Monuments, the Zuni Mountains, and Mount Taylor — making it an appealing base for clinicians who value outdoor recreation, low cost of living, and a genuine sense of community. New Mexico's rich cultural heritage, mild four-season climate, and proximity to Albuquerque's airport, dining, and arts scene round out a lifestyle that is both unhurried and well-connected.</p>