Palliative Care RN
Columbus, Ohio
Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital

Registered Nurse – Palliative Care (Travel/Contract)

Location: Columbus, Ohio
Contract Length: 16 weeks

Job Overview

• Work on a new palliative care unit focused on symptom management for patients undergoing treatment (e.g., uncontrolled pain, severe nausea/vomiting, fatigue).
• Opportunity to enhance palliative care skills and float to other high-acuity medical-surgical units.
• Unit opens 7/8; travelers starting before this date will float to inpatient units during training.
• Rotating 12-hour shifts (day and night), scheduled in 3 shifts per week (36 hours/week). Shift assignments reviewed every 4 weeks but may change based on staffing needs.

Required Qualifications

• Valid Registered Nurse (RN) license in Ohio
• Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) or Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)
• Minimum 2 years of Med Surg/Telemetry experience, including experience within the last year
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification issued by the American Heart Association
• Experience with Epic electronic health record system

Certifications & Exams

• BLS (AHA Instructor/Provider or RQI acceptable; letter of completion not accepted).
• Unit-specific competency exams required.
• Medication/Pharmacology competency exam required prior to start.
• Dysrhythmia/EKG competency exam required within 1 year of start and updated annually (minimum passing score 76%).
• Additional certifications may be required depending on unit assignment (e.g., ACLS for certain units starting 11/13/25).

Background & Credentialing Requirements

• 7-year criminal background check within 90 days of start, including FBI and BCI fingerprinting (Ohio-specific code 3701.881).
• Education verification from an accredited nursing program (CCNE, ACEN, or NLN CNEA).
• NURSYS license verification required.
• Employment application and skills checklist required.
• Two professional references required (at least one from a manager or formal leadership).

Health & Immunization Requirements

• Physical exam within 1 year of start confirming good health and freedom from contagious disease.
• Negative TB test (PPD, QGold, or TSPOT) within 1 year or chest x-ray if positive. TB questionnaire required annually in lieu of TB test.
• Immunizations or positive titers required for:

  • Measles (Rubeola)
  • Mumps
  • Rubella
  • Varicella (or documented medical exemption)
  • Hepatitis B (titer or 3-dose series; declination acceptable)
  • Tetanus/Diphtheria/Tdap (adult dose after age 11/12; Tdap required, no exemptions if working with infants or pregnant patients)
• Seasonal flu vaccination or declination required during flu season (10/1–3/31); mask required if declining.
• Negative 10-panel drug screen within 3 months of start (new travelers cannot start with pending drug screen).
• Annual fit mask test required for inpatient/patient-facing roles starting 7/13/26 and beyond (specific mask types accepted).

Additional Compliance & Training

• Fraud, Waste, and Abuse training certificate required prior to start and updated annually.
• Confidential Fraud Waste Abuse and Compliance Reporting Mechanism form required.
• Dress code and hand hygiene policy acknowledgment required.
• Orientation safety manual acknowledgment required annually.
• NIH Stroke Certification may be required depending on unit assignment (must be obtained within 1 year of start and renewed every 2 years).

Work Schedule

• 12-hour shifts, 3 shifts per week (36 hours total).
• Day shift: 7:00 AM – 7:30 PM
• Night shift: 7:00 PM – 7:30 AM
• Rotating schedule with possible days, nights, or combination depending on department needs.

Notes

• Candidates starting before the new unit opens will float to other inpatient units for training.
• Floating to units with equivalent or lower acuity is required.
• Prior travel nursing experience is preferred but not mandatory.

This position offers a valuable opportunity for med-surg nurses to develop palliative care expertise while gaining exposure to diverse patient populations in a high-acuity setting.