Travel Nurse RN - ICU - Intensive Care Unit
Bakersfield, CA
Nationwide Therapy Group
3x12 hrs, Nights
Referral Bonus

RN – ICU (Critical Care)

Shift: 12-hour Nights
Schedule: Nights • First to Float • Every Other Weekend
Guaranteed Hours: 36/week
Contract Length: 91 weeks
BSN Required: No
License to Submit: Yes

Unit Overview

• Unit: ICU & ICU-CV Recovery
• Beds: 24 (expandable to 32)
• Patient Ratios: 1:1 or 1:2
• Intensivist Coverage: On-unit 7a–5p; on-call after hours
• No first-time travelers

Required Certifications

• BLS
• ACLS
• NIHSS

Preferred but NOT required:

• IABP, CRRT, ICP experience

System & Equipment

• EMR: Cerner (required)
• Telemetry: Spacelabs Monitoring (24/7 monitor techs; nurses read their own strips)
• Ventilators: Yes (managed by RT)
• Additional Equipment: Pagers linked to call light system; internal spectra link phones

Orientation

• Unit Orientation: 2 shifts
• Floating Orientation: East Tower (4E, 5E, 6E) & West Tower (4W, 5W)
• Testing:
  • Basic EKG interpretation test (orientation)
  • Critical care nurses (ED/ICU/PICU) take higher-level interpretation tests (STEMI curriculum, procedural sedation, etc.)

Staffing & Support

• Charge Nurse: Yes (rarely takes patients; responds to rapid responses)
• Free Resource Nurse: May take patients if staffing requires
• Nurse Aides: None
• RT: 24/7
• Pharmacy: 24/7, including dedicated unit pharmacist (12 hrs M–F; 6 hrs weekends)
• No IV Team

Patient Population

Common cases include:

• Respiratory failure
• Sepsis
• AMI
• ARDS
• GI bleed
• Post-CABG (fresh hearts handled by trained staff)
• TAVR
• Impella
• Vascular surgery
• Neuro surgeries
• CVA/stroke
• Neuro exposure is a plus (Neuro ICU expansion in progress)

Nurses participate in daily multidisciplinary rounds.

Medications & Skills

• All cardiac & vasoactive drips
• Conscious sedation
• Familiarity with advanced cardiac therapies preferred

Floating Requirements

• Travelers float first
• Must float to all Med-Surg/Tele units:
  • 4E, 4W, 5E, 5W, 6E
• If the need is for a general ICU nurse, assignments remain on the general ICU side.
• Specific CV-ICU needs will be communicated.

Cancellation Policy

• Hospital may cancel:
  • Up to 4 shifts per 13-week assignment
  • 3 shifts for assignments <13 weeks
• Hospital may choose to pay full hours instead of canceling

Shift Details

• Hours: 12-hour nights
• Breaks:
  • 30-minute clock-out meal break
  • Three 15-minute breaks (per CA law)
• Every Other Weekend (or 4 weekend shifts per 4-week schedule)

Dress Code

• Navy blue scrubs only
• Jackets must also be navy
• Undershirts may be navy, white, or black