Travel Nurse RN - ICU - Intensive Care Unit
Tacoma, WA
Care Career
4x12 hrs, Days
Referral Bonus

Travel ICU Registered Nurse (RN)

Specialty: Intensive Care Unit (ICU) / Critical Care
Shift: Days | 12-hour shifts
Guaranteed Hours: 48 hours per week
Contract Length: 13 weeks
Selection Process: Clinical Interview + Manager Final Approval
Charting System: Epic — Required

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 1 year of ICU experience.
• Current BLS certification.
• Current ACLS certification.
• Current NIHSS certification.
• Epic charting experience required.
• Strong critical care nursing skills.
• Must pass the required telemetry competency assessment before starting.
• First-time travelers accepted if they have strong ICU experience and previous float-pool experience.
• Must be willing to float across multiple critical care and other inpatient units.

 Patient Ratios

• ICU: 1:2
• PCU / ACC / CCU: 1:4
• ER Holding: Based on the patient's level of care.

3. Patient Population & Clinical Experience

Candidates should be comfortable caring for patients with:

• COVID-19
• Neurological and trauma conditions
• Sepsis and pneumonia
• DKA and delirium tremens (DTs)
• Multisystem organ failure
• Spinal injuries
• Post-cardiac catheterization patients (radial approach)
• General surgery patients
• Respiratory compromise
• CHF and COPD
• Gunshot wounds and stab wounds
• Motor vehicle accident injuries
• Stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Various back surgeries

CVICU & Cardiovascular Experience

The unit manages patients requiring care following:

• CABG surgery
• Esophagectomy
• Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
• Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair
• Thoracic and vascular surgeries
• Cardiac arrest

Important: Travelers are not expected to care for fresh CABG/TAVR patients, patients with external ventricular drains (EVDs), post-tPA patients, or patients requiring ECMO, IABP, Impella, or hypothermia protocols.
 

Required Clinical Skills

• Cardiac rhythm interpretation
• Mechanical ventilator management
• BiPAP management
• Invasive line management
• IV medication administration and titration
• Ostomy care
• General drain management
• Tracheostomy care
• Chest tube management
• Lumbar drain management
• Critical care assessment and monitoring

Floating Requirements

Travelers must be willing to float to the following units based on staffing needs:

• Neuro ICU
• Trauma ICU
• Medical ICU
• Cardiac ICU
• CCU / Cardiac Stepdown
• PCU / ACC
• Emergency Department holding
• Medical-Surgical units
• Open surge areas supporting the above units

Travelers may also float to Allenmore Hospital, approximately 2.5 miles away. This is uncommon, and advance notification is expected.
 

 Schedule & Orientation

• Day shift: 12-hour shifts.
• Schedule is typically released approximately 7–10 days in advance for a three-week period.
• Every other weekend required; back-to-back weekends may occasionally occur.
• No self-scheduling.
• A patterned schedule is not guaranteed.
• Time off exceeding five days requires manager approval.

Orientation:

• One day of general hospital orientation.
• One 12-hour shift of ICU orientation.
• One 12-hour shift on a comparable unit.

Required Certifications & Competency

• BLS
• ACLS
• NIHSS
• Epic experience
• Telemetry competency assessment — must be completed and passed before starting.

 Workplace Requirements

• Scrubs: Any color, professional appearance.
• Parking: Free in designated areas.
• Complete unit whiteboards.
• Perform and document hourly rounding.
• Provide bedside shift reports.
• Saline flushes are considered medications and must not be left at the bedside or in scrub pockets.
• Medications must not be left in unlocked carts.
• Waste medications with the required two-nurse verification.
• Document pain assessments before and after medication administration:
  • IV medication: Reassess after 30 minutes.
  • Oral medication: Reassess after 1 hour.
• Breaks are required.

Quick Screening Checklist

• Minimum 1 year of ICU experience.
• Strong critical care background.
• Previous float-pool experience preferred for first-time travelers.
• Epic experience confirmed.
• BLS, ACLS, and NIHSS current.
• Ventilator and BiPAP management experience.
• Cardiac rhythm interpretation skills.
• Invasive line and IV medication titration experience.
• Willingness to float across ICU, PCU, CCU, ED holding, and Med-Surg.
• Willingness to work every other weekend.
• Able to pass the telemetry competency assessment.
• Comfortable with a schedule released approximately 7–10 days in advance.