Step-Down RN
Saint Louis, MO
Care Career
3x12 hrs, Nights
Referral Bonus

Registered Nurse (RN) – DOU / Step-Down / PCU Travel Contract

Facility: Barnes-Jewish Hospital
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Specialty: DOU / Step-Down / Progressive Care Unit (PCU)
Shift: Nights, 7:00 PM – 7:30 AM
Schedule: 3 × 12-hour shifts per week
Experience Required: Minimum 2 years
First-Time Travelers: Accepted
Charting System: Epic
Facility Type: Short-Term Acute Care
Facility Designation: Magnet and Teaching Hospital; Level I Trauma Center
Total Staffed Beds: 1,266
Unit Beds: 24
Patient Population: Adults and Geriatrics
Scrub Color: Navy Blue
COVID-19 Vaccine
Flu Vaccine: Required; medical/religious exemptions only
 

Position Overview

Barnes-Jewish Hospital is seeking an experienced Registered Nurse for its DOU/Step-Down/PCU service line. Nurses may be assigned to either the PCU or floor side of the unit and must be comfortable caring for patients requiring cardiac monitoring, cardiac drip management, and chest tube management.

The patient population includes patients recovering from lung transplants and thoracic procedures, including lobectomy, lung mass removal, wedge resection, bronchial sleeve procedures, esophagectomy, and hiatal hernia repair.
 

Schedule & Requirements

• Night shift: 7:00 PM – 7:30 AM
• Three 12-hour shifts per week
• Every other weekend required
• No on-call requirement
• Floating within the service line is required
• Block scheduling is not available
• Guaranteed hours: Yes; confirm the exact weekly guarantee
• Start date: Approximately 3–4 weeks after compliance clearance
• Maximum 7 days of RTO per 13-week contract; requests exceeding 7 days and holiday RTO require manager approval
• All RTO must be finalized at submission
• No RTO during the first week of the assignment
• No additional RTO or schedule requests after submission, offer, or start

Qualifications & Certifications

• Minimum 2 years of RN experience
• Active Missouri RN license or eligible Compact license required
• Pending license accepted for submission, subject to facility requirements
• ACLS and BLS required
• First-time travelers accepted
• Must be comfortable working on both the PCU and floor sides of the unit
• Must pass the required facility screening for clinical skills

Required Clinical Skills

• Cardiac telemetry monitoring
• Interpretation of cardiac dysrhythmias
• Management of cardiac dysrhythmias
• Cardiac drip management and titration
• Chest tube management, including Emerson/PleurEvac systems
• Pre- and post-cardiac catheterization care
• Pre- and post-cardiac surgery care
• Care of adult and geriatric patients

Important: Candidates missing any required clinical skill should not be submitted. The skills checklist specifically identifies dysrhythmia interpretation and management, telemetry, cardiac drip titration, and chest tube management.

Unit Details

• PCU patient ratio: Approximately 1:2–3
• Floor patient ratio: Usually 1:4; may increase to 1:5
• Unit beds: 24
• Patient population: Adults and geriatrics
• Interdisciplinary support: IV Team, Physical Therapy, Respiratory Services, Interpretation Services, Radiology, Social Services, Rapid Response Teams, Pharmacy, and Transportation

Equipment & Patient Care

• Telemetry monitoring equipment
• Cardiac IV drips
• Chest tubes and drainage systems
• Epidural equipment on the PCU
• G/J tubes and tube feeding equipment

License & Local Restrictions

• Missouri license: Submission without an active license may be permitted, subject to eligibility and issuance requirements.
• Compact license: Must match the candidate's permanent residence; otherwise, an update and confirmed ETA are required.
• Illinois license: Must be in hand at submission.
• Local restriction: Candidates must reside at least 75 miles from the facility.
• No local travelers are accepted within the restricted radius, except for specified allied health roles.
• Former permanent employees of BJC and/or Saint Luke's must wait one year before returning to a BJC facility as a traveler.

Compliance Requirements

• Compliance deadline: 3:00 PM CST on the Monday before the initial start date.
• Fit testing is mandatory; facial hair must permit proper respirator fit testing, or shaving will be required.
• Labs must be completed within 48–72 hours of signing.
• Modules are completed through WorkRamp before the start date.
• Modules are billable up to 16 hours at $20/hour.
• Modules should begin within one week of signing and must be completed two Fridays before the start date.
• ACLS must be completed by the compliance hard-document deadline for Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

Parking Information

Parking passes may be available through Public Safety. Rates and availability may change.

• North Surface Lot: Approximately $73/month
• Clayton Avenue Building Southeast Lot: Approximately $63/month
• Clayton/Taylor Garage: Approximately $73/month
• Orientation parking at Laclede Garage: $15, non-reimbursable
• Straight night-shift employees: Free employee parking, subject to facility instructions
• Day/night rotation: Approximately $70/month for a parking pass

Parking contact:
 

Facility Policies

• Contract length is firm.
• Contractors are expected to complete their signed contracts.
• Cancellation to accept another BJC assignment is not permitted under facility policy.
• Marketing submissions are not accepted unless an approved exception applies.
• Returning travelers are subject to the 18-month tenure limit and a three-month break in service, subject to facility policy.