Travel Nurse RN - CVICU
Austin, TX
First Connect Health
4x12 hrs, Nights
Referral Bonus

Registered Nurse – Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (RN CVICU)

Order ID: ASC-48929 

Contract Duration: 13 Weeks (11/03/2026 – 02/01/2027)

Shift Matrix: Night Shift | 18:45 – 07:15 (3x12-Hour Shifts)

• Work Schedule: 36 guaranteed hours per week (3x12-Hour Night Shifts).
• On-Call Requirement: No call required.
• Guaranteed Hours: 36 Hours Per Week

🚫 Absolute Minimum Qualifications & Departmental Hardstops:

• Licensure Mandate: Active, unencumbered Texas State RN License or Compact RN License held in hand at submission.
• Experience Baseline: Minimum 2+ years of recent, dedicated CVICU RN experience in a high-volume tertiary cardiovascular surgical center.
• Mandatory Certifications:
  • Active AHA BLS
  • Active AHA ACLS
• EHR Proficiency: Mandatory Cerner / COMPASS EMR experience.
• Advanced Mechanical Circulatory & Hemodynamic Hardstops:
  • Direct clinical operational proficiency recovering Open Heart Surgery patients.
  • Preferred / Required Experience with Cardiac Advanced Device Therapy Management: IABP (Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump), Impella, Swan-Ganz (PA Catheter) / Continuous Cardiac Output (CCO) monitoring.
  • Advanced CVICU device competencies expected/preferred: ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation), LVAD Implants, Heart Transplants, and CRRT (Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy).
• Floating Expectations: Must be willing to float PRN to MICU, SICU, or Medical/Cardiac Stepdown units.

Job Summary & Clinical Scope

A Medical Center in Austin, TX is seeking a highly skilled Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit Registered Nurse (RN CVICU) for a 13-week night contract on the Critical Care - Cardiovascular ICU 001 (Department 20150). Operating within a 28-bed high-acuity CVICU (80% Cardiac Surgery / 20% Advanced Heart Failure), the RN will direct immediate post-operative open-heart recovery, advanced mechanical circulatory support, continuous hemodynamic monitoring, and acute heart failure stabilization.

• Immediate Post-Operative Open-Heart Recovery: Direct Phase I ICU recovery for complex cardiac surgical procedures, including CABG, valve replacements, TAVR, aortic root repairs, and heart transplants.
• Mechanical Circulatory & Advanced Device Management: Operate and troubleshoot advanced mechanical circulatory support devices (IABP, Impella, ECMO, LVAD) and run Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT).
• Hemodynamic & Pulmonary Artery Catheter Care: Continuously monitor, interpret, and calibrate Swan-Ganz PA catheters, central venous pressures (CVP), and Continuous Cardiac Output (CCO) parameters; titrate high-risk vasoactive continuous drips accordingly.
• Advanced Heart Failure & Transplant Care: Manage critically ill end-stage renal and heart failure patients, pre-transplant mechanical bridge therapy, and post-transplant immunosuppressive/hemodynamic protocols.

Department & Facility Details

• Department Setting: Critical Care - Cardiovascular ICU 001 (Department 20150) — 28 CVICU Beds.
• Facility Footprint: Major regional teaching facility and tertiary cardiac referral center.
• Attire / Scrub Color: Navy Blue.
• EHR System: Cerner / COMPASS.