Nurses of USC

The future of nursing is calling.

Nurses of USC

The future of nursing is calling.

We Are the Nurses of USC

Everyday our staff at USC commit to caring for our patients with outstanding service and world-class clinical care. The exceptional care our nurses deliver lies at the heart of our Trojan spirit. At Keck Hospital of USC and USC Norris Cancer Hospital, we fight on for our patients and our Trojan family every day.

Our network of care is comprised of four nationally recognized hospitals:

  • Keck Hospital of USC
  • USC Norris Cancer Hospital
  • USC Verdugo Hills Hospital
  • USC Arcadia Hospital

Why Choose Us: A Tradition of Excellence, An Opportunity for Greatness

We strive to transform the art and science of nursing.
We stand united with our multidisciplinary colleagues to deliver excellent patient care.

We commit to:

  • Investing our time and talent to discover and share new ways of health and healing.
  • Extending the same high quality of care to our patients as those who have entrusted them to us.
  • Personal excellence and personal responsibility for patient outcomes.

We Need Experienced ICU and OR Nurses

If you’re ready to change the face of nursing, we have a place for you. Learn from the best in a challenging environment where you can make an immediate impact. Working shoulder-to-shoulder with our world-class physicians, you’ll be part of a team that looks at health and healing differently. With competitive compensation and benefits, a wide variety of specialties to choose from, and potential for career advancement, there’s no better time to join the Nurses of USC.

Keck Medicine Locations

Our internationally renowned physicians and scientists provide world-class patient care at Keck Hospital of USC, USC Norris Cancer Hospital, USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, USC Arcadia Hospital and more than 100 unique clinics in Los Angeles, Orange, Kern, Tulare and Ventura counties.

Leadership

Annette Sy, Chief Nursing Executive Officer, Keck Medicine of USC
Annette Sy, DNP, RN, NE-BC
Chief Nursing Executive for Keck Medical Center of USC

Annette Sy, DNP, RN, NE-BC, serves as the chief nursing executive (CNE) for Keck Medical Center of USC, which includes Keck Hospital of USC and USC Norris Cancer Hospital. In this role, Annette is responsible for overseeing and advancing the professional practice of nursing across the organization. Here, she serves as a vital health system resource; guaranteeing the organization adopts strategies to strengthen nursing environments and to recruit and retain the best and brightest nursing talent from across the country.

Prior to becoming CNE, Annette served as chief nursing officer (CNO) for Keck Medical Center from 2012 to 2021. During her tenure, Annette oversaw a number of initiatives that helped to strengthen nursing environments across the organization. Some of these included leading development of the medical center’s shared nursing governance council; overseeing the design of the medical center’s clinical ladder program; leading the development of the organization’s nursing professionalism program; and overseeing Keck Hospital of USC’s Magnet journey and application efforts, which led to Magnet designation in 2018.

Annette holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from the University of Dubuque; a Master of Science degree in Nursing from the University of Dubuque; and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from the California State University DNP Consortium. Annette is also a member of the National Association of Oncology Nurses, and the American Organization of Nurse Executives.

Keck Culture

Service Credo

We are the USC family, working together to serve the lives entrusted to us.

KNOWN Service Standards

    • Kind Greeting
    • Notice Needs
    • Own It
    • Wow Them
    • Next Steps

Our Values

    • I deliver quality health care through uncompromised service excellence.
    • Show compassion while building positive relationships with my colleagues, our patients and their families.
    • I contribute to innovation through collegial collaboration.
    • I am empowered to improve the performance of the organization.
    • I have integrity and I am accountable to the highest professional standards.
    • I demonstrate respect for our environment by my demeanor, actions and personal appearance.
    • I demonstrate vitality by being fully present and engaging others.
    • I am responsible for authentic communication with my colleagues, our patients and their families.
    • I provide a private, safe and secure environment.
    • I commit to personalizing the “KNOWN” Service Standards.

Professional Practice ModelPractice Model

The Professional Practice Model of the Nurses of USC is foundational to nursing practice at Keck Medical Center of USC. It provides the framework for providing and evaluating our patient and family-centered care and drives the Care Delivery Model/System for all interprofessionals across the various disciplines. It reflects the value placed on collaborative decision-making, delivering evidence-based health care, and professional development. The Professional Practice Model speaks of our desire to transform the art and science of nursing through personal excellence, teamwork commitment, and a passion to be Known for our uncompromising service standards.

The Nurses of USC are leaders in patient care who role model best clinical practice and influence others to achieve desired goals. Nurses of USC are engaged in shared governance activities and other collaborati​ve projects that enhance their professional development and support the goals of their unit/department and overall organization.

The Nurses of USC provide holistic, culturally-sensitive, and respectful care to both patient and family across all clinical settings. Care provided by the Nurses of USC is individualized and focused on exceeding expectations and improving outcomes through strong advocacy, effective decision-making, and collaborative, interprofessional partnerships.

The Nurses of USC deliver compassionate care which is patient and family-centered, empathetic, and caring. It is expressed through active listening and giving voice to patient’s and family’s needs and desires, providing timely knowledge and support, being invested in others and committing to the development of positive nurse-patient-family relationships.

The Nurses of USC achieve common goals through respectful, cooperative partnerships and teamwork, sharing knowledge and abilities with others to improve or support patients’ health status through collaborative problem solving and identification of best strategies for desired outcomes.

The Nurses of USC assume accountability and responsibility for their own decisions, actions, and outcomes of care. As trustworthy and honest clinicians, the Nurses of USC are committed to the provision of care that exceeds national benchmarks every day, with every patient, in every setting – a commitment that achieves personal and professional satisfaction.

The Nurses of USC ensure their decision-making is evidence-based through the use of best available research and validated findings when making clinical decisions, monitoring their individual practice for appropriate responses to interventions, and being open to sharing best practices with others.

The Nurses of USC use clinical judgment rooted in critical thinking and sound reasoning, empirical knowledge and experience to draw valid conclusions and develop effective action plans. The Nurses of USC‘s clinical judgment depends on continual growth and development of their assessment skills, knowledge base, and ability to manage complex patient situations.

The excellent care delivered by The Nurses of USC produces exemplary outcomes. Such quality reflects efficiency, responsiveness to care needs, and an ownership of our practice based on putting the patient and family first.

The Nurses of USC have the authority to make clinical decisions and independently act on them based on their professional knowledge base and skill acquisition, the ANA scope and standards of practice, the California Nurse Practice Act, Code of Ethics, regulatory agencies, professional organizations, AACN Healthy Work Environment, and our organization’s core values and commitment to excellence in healthcare delivery.​

The Nurses of USC support the advancement of nursing science through the development and integration of new clinical knowledge applied to patient care in all settings across the health-illness continuum.

Frequently Asked Questions

Everyday our staff at Keck Medical Center commits to caring for our patients with outstanding service and world-class clinical care. The exceptional care our nurses deliver lies at the heart of our Trojan spirit. By working for a leading research center, Nurses of USC are part of a network devoted to providing patients with the best quality care as well as the latest in innovative treatments and services.

The Nurses of USC serve two highly regarded hospitals – Keck Hospital of USC and USC Norris Cancer Hospital and several outpatient clinics throughout the Los Angeles area. Both hospitals are located less than 5 miles northeast of vibrant downtown Los Angeles. Click here for a full list of our sites and locations.

If you’re ready to change the face of nursing, we have a place for you. If you’re an experienced nurse, click here to fill out the contact form and one of our nurse recruitment specialists will contact you.

If you’re a new nurse, click here for information on our residency training programs, as well as how to apply.

All experienced RNs must have a current California RN license and Basic Life Support (BLS) certification. Additional requirements vary among specialties. Click here for a full list of specialties and respective required qualifications.

Click here to schedule a visit with us.

The Versant® RN Residency Program is an 18 to 20-week, evidence-based, comprehensive educational and training residency designed to transition newly graduated nurses from student to safe, confident and competent professional practitioners. As a RN resident, you are hired into the facility as a full­time employee. Upon successful completion of this paid residency, you will be prepared to work as a full­time, independent professional RN on your unit.

We also offer an O.R. Training Program that is available to both new graduates and experienced nurses who have not worked in the perioperative area.

The residency programs are offered twice a year with one cohort beginning in March and a second in August.

You must have a current California RN License and a Basic Life Support (BLS) certification. A bachelor’s degree is preferred or a commitment to obtain one within five years. For a full list of qualifications, click here.

No more than two pages.

Los Angeles has an average 292 sunny or partly sunny days per year with an average high temperature of 75 degrees and an average low temperature of 57 degrees. Los Angeles is made up of diverse neighborhoods each with exciting opportunities to explore.

Los Angeles is a hub for entertainment, recreation and adventure.

  • You’ll have the opportunity to surf, hike and snowboard all at a moments notice. Los Angeles is home to countless hiking trails, some even featuring waterfalls. The Los Angeles County coastline extends 75 miles from Long Beach to Malibu. Santa Monica Pier and Beach is a short 20-minute drive from Keck Medical Center. The closest ski resorts are two hours away.
  • Disneyland is a 45-minute drive away and is only one of many of Southern California’s exciting theme parks.
  • Los Angeles is also home to a variety of sports teams including the Lakers, Clippers, Kings, Sparks, Dodgers and Galaxy. Four L.A. teams – the Lakers, Clippers, Kings, and Sparks – play at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, just five miles south of Keck Medical Center. The L.A. Dodgers play just four miles west of Keck Medical Center.

A comprehensive system of trains and buses connects downtown Los Angeles with many of its surrounding neighborhoods. For information, visit metro.net. The University also offers a number of trams daily, which includes transportation to Keck Medical Center of USC from downtown Los Angeles. For more information, go to USC’s transit page.

Residency Training Program – Keck Medicine of USC

Spring Residency application currently closed

The program will begin April 7, 2026. 

Please apply to any “RN Staff” job titles in Telemetry, Stepdown and ICU departments with availability.

Why is the Residency Program at Keck Medical Center of USC Right for You?

    • One-­to-­One Preceptors
    • Classroom and Skills Lab Education
    • Caring and Committed Mentors
    • Designed for New Graduate Nurses Individualized Rotation and Orientation
    • Self-­care / Support Groups
    • Excellent Teamwork
    • Gradual Novice to Expert Transition

Become part of a nursing community that wants to help each other succeed!

As a RN Resident, you are hired into the facility as a full-­time employee. Upon successful completion of this paid residency, you will be prepared to work as a full-­time, independent professional RN on your unit.

About Our Residency Program

Highly Supportive Program That Utilizes and Provides:

    • Married State Preceptor Concept
        • Allows the resident to gain confidence, develop time management and prioritization skills through:
            • Working side-by-side the entire shift

            • Performing tasks together

            • Open communication/shared dialogue

            • Tackling problems/changes in real time

    • Mentor Sessions
        • Promote professional growth and development through reassurance in a supportive and confidential relationship

    • Debriefing Sessions
        • A confidential discussion that provides support to the resident with coping mechanisms, self-care techniques, dealing with work-related challenges (e.g. conflict resolution, communication with physicians, stress, etc.).

Appropriately Paced Learning Experience:

    • The Versant RN Residency is the start of a Journey from Knowledge to Knowing®, moving towards competent performance at the bedside, “One Nurse at a Time™”.
    • 12 – 16 week program
    • Week 1 – 7:
    • Two 8-hour days in a classroom setting
    • Two 12-hour days in a clinical setting with your preceptor
    • Week 8 – 12 (16):
    • Classroom days reduce or begin focusing on specialty content
    • Clinical days increase
    • Utilizing Dr. Patricia Benner’s “Novice to Expert” Model, you will be paired with different-level nurse preceptors over the course of the residency to allow a natural progression of knowledge and comfort.

Requirements to Qualify for the New Graduate Nurses Program:

    • Less than one year of acute care hospital-based experience as a licensed RN prior to start
    • A 3.0 nursing GPA or above
    • A 2-year commitment
    • Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing required at the time of application.
    • A current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification for healthcare provider from the American Heart Association
    • An Advanced Cardiac Life Support requirement
    • A Fire and Safety card must be presented upon hire or must be obtained at our facility within the first 30 days of hire, and maintained by renewing before the expiration date.

A complete application will include:

    1. An online application
    2. A resume – Upload your resume only under the first screen “Quick Apply”Please read the instructions carefully because you will only have one opportunity to upload all of the required documents. Scan and convert to a PDF all documents outlined in numbers 3 through 5 into one single file not to exceed a maximum data of 5 megabytes. You will upload the documents in the “My Experience” section of the application under “Resume/CV”. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
    3. A cover letter
      1. Upload cover letter attachment – Please indicate your first and second choices in unit within your cover letter.
    4. The personal statement should bring out your personality. Tell us what being a nurse means to you, and what you will bring to the profession and to USC. Please also indicate your unit(s) of interest. You may select up to two units. The personal statement should not exceed two pages.
    5. Unofficial transcripts (upload as other document)
    6. Two (2) letters of recommendation on school letterhead (Experienced nurses should obtain letters of recommendation from work colleague(s) and/or manager(s).)
      • Upload as letters of reference
      • Must be from your clinical instructors at your school of instruction from which you received your nursing degree.
      • The letters may be submitted directly from the clinical instructor or uploaded online by one (1) of the following methods:
        1. In a sealed envelope to Human Resources Department, c/o Nurse Recruitment, 2011 N. Soto St., Suite 1100, Los Angeles, CA 90032
        2. Emailed to Human Resources at jobs@med.usc.edu
        3. Uploaded with your online application. You may submit additional letters if you choose, however, additional letters are not required.

The University of Southern California values diversity, and is committed to equal opportunity in employment.

Our hospitals are committed to supporting the success and quality of each individual nurse.

Benefits

The Nurses of USC are offered a wide range of employment benefits including healthcare, retirement, education and quality of life benefits. Nurses may choose from various medical, dental and vision plans.

For a full list of nurses benefits and additional information, click here.

Are You In?

We Need Experienced ICU and OR Nurses

Learn from the best in a challenging environment where you can make an immediate impact. Working shoulder-to-shoulder with our world-class physicians, you’ll be part of a team that looks at health and healing differently.

With competitive compensation and benefits, a wide variety of specialties to choose from, and potential for career advancement, there’s no better time to join The Nurses of USC.

The Nurses of USC Mission Statement:

    • We declare the possibility of being the leaders who transform the art and science of nursing.

    • We commit to invest our time and talents to discover and share new ways of health and healing.

    • We stand united with our physician colleagues to deliver excellent patient care.

    • We commit to extend the same high quality of care to our patients as those who have entrusted them to us.

    • We commit to personal excellence and personal responsibility for patient outcomes.

We’re looking for the best. If that’s you, give us your information and we’ll have one of our Nurse Recruitment Specialists contact you. We’re looking forward to hearing from you.

Are You in?

Recruitment Office

Our nurse recruiters are always ready to talk with experienced nurses about career opportunities at our hospitals.

For current job openings, please visit https://usccareers.usc.edu/ or call (323) 442-8628.

Nurse Recruitment at USC
Office of Human Resources
2011 N. Soto St., SST-1100
Los Angeles, California 90032

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