ICU Registered Nurse
Saint Louis, MO
Access Healthcare
3x12 hrs, Nights

Job Opportunity: ICU Registered Nurse (Travel/Contract)

Location: Saint Louis, Missouri
Employment Type: Travel/Contract
Contract Length: 13 weeks

Job Summary

Seeking an experienced ICU Registered Nurse for a travel contract position in a short-term acute care, Magnet & Teaching hospital with a Level I Trauma Center designation. The role involves providing critical care in medical and surgical intensive care units with a 1:2 nurse-to-patient ratio.

Required Experience

• Minimum 2 years of ICU nursing experience (higher requirement confirmed)
• First-time travelers not accepted
• Prior travel experience not explicitly required

Work Schedule & Requirements

• Weekend shifts required every other weekend
• Guaranteed 3 shifts per 13 weeks
• Floating within ICU service line units as needed
• No block scheduling accommodations
• Must live at least 75 miles from the facility (locals not accepted)
• Return to work restrictions: no more than 7 days off between shifts

Certifications Required

• Basic Life Support (BLS) - AHA only
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) - AHA only
• National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIH Stroke Certification) - annual update required
• Other certifications may be required depending on unit (e.g., Trauma Nursing Core Course for Burn ICU after 9 months)

Skills & Competencies

• Medical and Surgical ICU experience
• Interpretation and management of dysrhythmias
• Management of multisystem organ dysfunction/failure
• Central venous pressure and pulmonary artery line monitoring
• Arterial line management
• Blood product administration
• Central line and PICC line care/management
• IV insertion and maintenance, continuous IV sedation
• Emergency medication administration and titration of cardiac and vasoactive drips
• Stroke and acute cardiac event management
• Ventilator and BiPAP management, respiratory failure care
• Interpretation of arterial blood gases (ABGs)
• Infection prevention and isolation precautions
• Phlebotomy and surgical wound care including wound vacs

Patient Diagnoses Commonly Encountered

• Respiratory failure/ARDS
• Acute chest pain, cardiac arrhythmias, cardiac arrest
• Stroke and CVA management
• Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)
• Multi-organ failure and sepsis
• Pre- and post-operative care for cardiac, thoracic, abdominal surgeries
• Medicine and neuro-medicine overflow
• Pre- and post-transplant care
• End-of-life and organ donation support

Equipment Used

• IV pumps and titration devices
• Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT)/dialysis machines
• Ventilators and BiPAP machines
• Hemodynamic and invasive monitoring equipment
• Defibrillators and crash carts

Licensure

• Must hold an active Registered Nurse (RN) license valid in Missouri
• Pending licenses accepted

Compliance & Background Requirements

• Government-issued ID required
• Criminal background check within 6 months, including statewide and nationwide searches
• Quarterly EPLS/GSA/SAM and HHS/OIG checks
• Education verification of highest nursing degree required
• Fingerprinting required for assignments involving long-term care or rehab units in Illinois
• Drug testing within 1 year of start, including a comprehensive panel
• Physical exam within 1 year of start
• Fit mask testing annually (N95 respirators)
• Immunizations and titers required: Tdap, TB screening, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella (with specific unit exemptions noted)
• Seasonal flu vaccination or approved exemption required during flu season
• Various facility-specific compliance documents including HIPAA, confidentiality, hand hygiene, dress code, and regulatory education must be completed and signed prior to start

Additional Requirements

• Unit-specific competency exams including dysrhythmia/EKG competency exam (annual update)
• Medication/pharmacology competency exam as applicable
• Skills checklist within 1 year of start, including oncology skills if applicable
• Two professional references required (supervisors preferred)
• Employment application must be submitted and approved

Requirements/Qualifications

• Valid Registered Nurse (RN) license in Missouri
• Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) or Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)
• Minimum 2 years of ICU (Intensive Care Unit) nursing experience, including experience within the last year
• Completion of at least one travel nursing assignment
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification issued by the American Heart Association
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification issued by the American Heart Association
• National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) certification
• Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) certification
• Proficient in management of patients with multisystem organ dysfunction/failure
• Skilled in Central Venous Pressure (CVP) monitoring
• Experienced in Pulmonary Artery Line (Swan Ganz) monitoring
• Competent in arterial line management
• Proficient in PICC line management
• Ability to provide continuous IV sedation
• Skilled in titrating cardiac drips
• Experience in management of cerebrovascular accident (CVA)/acute stroke patients
• Ability to assist with BiPAP management
• Proficient in ventilator management

Notes

• Floating within ICU service line units is expected
• No on-call duties required
• Badge photo and facility-specific orientation modules required
• Parking passes available for purchase

This position offers an opportunity to work in a high-acuity ICU environment with a supportive teaching hospital setting, requiring strong critical care skills and certifications.