Progressive Care RN - Heart/Vascular Unit
Rapid City, SD
American Traveler
4x12 hrs, Nights

Assignment Overview

• Shift: Nights, 4x12hrs
• Hours: 48 hrs/wk
• Start Date: Jun 15, 2026
• Length: 13 weeks
• Openings: 1

Description

American Traveler is seeking an experienced RN for a Progressive Care Unit (PCU/HVU) position in Rapid City, SD, requiring at least 1 year of PCU-specific experience and proficiency with cardiac procedural recovery and titratable drips.

Details

• Hospital-based Heart/Vascular Unit (HVU), a 44-bed mixed acuity unit encompassing Intermediate Care, Telemetry, and Med/Surg levels of care
• Patient population includes direct admits, ED admits, post-Cath Lab, MI/NSTEMI/STEMI, CHF, dysrhythmia management, pacemaker malfunction, epicardial pacers, stroke backup, and medical overflow
• Step-down level experience expected with post-cardiac/vascular, post-cardiac cath, post-open heart surgery, post-TAVR, post-EP studies, and post-pacemaker insertion patients
• Nurse-to-patient ratio is typically 1:4, but may be 1:3 depending on acuity
• 12-hour night shifts, 48 hours per week
• Every-other-weekend rotation required
• No on-call responsibilities
• Holiday coverage required on a rotating every-other basis
• Floating primarily to the sister General PCU unit, with potential float to MS/Tele or ICU for PCU-level patients, within scope of practice
• Charting via Epic; Alaris pumps and Omnicell medication dispensing used on the unit

Requirements

• Active RN license — South Dakota (SD) state or Compact license required
• Current certifications: BLS, ACLS, and NIHSS
• Minimum 1.5 years of general nursing experience, with at least 1 year specific to PCU
• Completion of a board-of-nursing-approved nursing education program
• Experience with cardiac procedural recovery (CABG, TAVR, post-cardiac cath) required
• Proficiency with MI pharmacology and titratable cardiac/vasoactive drips (Cardizem, Amiodarone, Nitro, Levo, Dopamine) and Heparin drips required
• Cardiac rhythm interpretation and chest tube management skills required
• TNK administration experience preferred
• Epic EMR experience preferred; candidates without Epic experience may require manager approval
• Must reside at least 100 miles from any facility in the health system
• Two professional references dated within the past year required for consideration
• DOB and SSN required for consideration

Additional Information

• Unit support includes CNAs (ratio 1:5–8 depending on shift), an unassigned charge nurse, phlebotomy for peripheral blood draws, RT available 24/7, and a hospitalist in-facility 24/7
• Telemetry tech oversees cardiac monitoring; RN confirms rhythm strips at 6 AM and 6 PM
• Resource nurse support available occasionally; no IV/VAT team on unit
• Orientation consists of 2 partial days of education followed by 3 supervised 12-hour shifts on the unit
• RTO of up to 7 days allowed; a full week off requires contract extension; no time off approved during the first 3 weeks of August (Sturgis Bike Rally period)
• Travelers may occasionally be expected to precept nursing students
• Navy blue scrubs required
• Free parking available on-site
• First-time travelers are considered with 2 or more years of total nursing experience
• Former permanent staff must wait 1 full year before returning to the facility as a traveler