ICU RN
Rapid City, SD
Thrive Staffing
4x12 hrs, Days

General Information

This role involves working in a mixed Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with a total of 39 beds. The unit is divided into various pods catering to different specialties including Medical ICU (MICU), Surgical ICU (SICU), Cardiac ICU (CICU), and Trauma ICU (TICU). Floating to the Cardiac Surgical ICU is restricted to nurses with specific experience in that specialty.

Minimum Experience Requirements

• A minimum of 2 years of ICU experience is preferred (excluding travel experience).
• For candidates with 1.5 years of ICU experience and significant nursing experience outside of ICU, please seek approval from management.

Traveler Qualifications

• First-time travelers are not accepted; candidates must have completed at least one prior travel assignment.
• Travelers must reside at least 100 miles away from any health facility.
• Permanently employed staff members must wait one year before returning as travelers.

Patient Types

The ICU cares for a diverse range of complex patients, including:

• Surgical, medical, cardiac (preferred), neuro, and trauma patients.
• Conditions such as ARDS, myocardial infarctions, cerebrovascular accidents (CVA/TIA), COVID-19, post-cardiac catheterization, post-surgical patients, and multiple-system trauma cases.

Patient Ratios

The typical nurse-to-patient ratios are as follows:

• 1:1 (most common)
• 1:2
• 1:3 (rare, based on acuity)

Required Certifications

• BLS (Basic Life Support)
• ACLS (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support)
• NIHSS (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale)
• TNCC (Trauma Nursing Core Course) - this certification is mandatory prior to arrival.

Required Education

The candidate must have completed a nursing education program approved by the Board of Nursing and hold a Registered Nurse (RN) license.

Skills and Experience

• Experience with the Epic charting system is required.
• Comfortable working a 48-hour/week contract.
• Experience with critically ill patients and IV medications (vasopressors, sedation, paralytics).
• Familiarity with hemodynamic monitoring, ventilator management, telemetry, and a strong background in critical thinking and assessment skills.
• Experience with Impella, IABP, and CRRT is strongly preferred.
• Ability to provide specific examples of meeting or exceeding leadership expectations.

Support on the Unit

• CNA support: 1-2 Nurse Aides per unit, plus a mobility float aide.
• Charge Nurse: 2 Clinical Registered Nurses overseeing the ICUs.
• Phlebotomy services available for peripheral blood draws.
• IV/VAT Team: ICU CRNs are responsible for placing all midlines.
• Resource Nurse available depending on staffing levels.
• Respiratory Therapy: Available 24/7.
• Physicians: 3 Intensivists on days, 2 on nights, plus Advanced Practice Providers (APP) on nights.

Orientation

Orientation consists of hospital orientation followed by (1) 12-hour shift and (1) 8-hour shift in the ICU.

Scheduling

• Weekend rotation aims for every other weekend, though this is not guaranteed.
• No requests for time off during holidays.
• Time off approval is up to 7 days, but any leave must extend to accommodate a full 13-week contract. No time off is permitted during the Sturgis Bike Rally (the first three weeks of August each year).

Additional Information

• Travelers may be expected to