Med Surg RN
Council Bluffs, Iowa
CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs

Med Surg Ortho RN

Location: Council Bluffs, Iowa Contract Length: 13 weeks

Required Qualifications

• Iowa or compact nursing license
• BLS certification
• 1 year of unit experience

Schedule

• Nights, 12-hour shifts (0630-1900 or 1830-0700)
• 36 hours guaranteed
• Self-scheduling
• Every third weekend required; for nights, Friday and Saturday are considered the weekend

Unit Details

• Department: Med Surg / Ortho
• Beds: 28 plus 22 overflow
• Nurse-to-patient ratio: 1:5
• Charge nurse: Present on each shift, and takes an assignment
• Nurse aides/patient care techs: Present on the unit, ratio 1:10
• Monitoring: Monitor techs in ICU; telemetry monitors at the main nurses station
• RN drip titration: Not required
• Common titratable or set-rate drips: Heparin, IV antibiotics, antithrombotics, narcotics
• Common diagnoses: Total knee and hip replacements, COPD, diabetes, wounds, IV infusions, dementia, oncology, hip and ankle fractures, sepsis, pneumonia, cholelithiasis, ambulatory dysfunction, appendicitis, acute respiratory distress, CHF, ETOH/drug abuse
• Patient population notes: Includes patients who are homeless and have mental health and/or addiction histories
• Floating: First to float within scope
• Focus: Hourly rounding and bedside shift report

Orientation

• First week is classroom orientation, followed by one 12-hour shift on the unit
• Pass/fail open-book exam on skills on Friday during orientation; a score of 90% is required to pass, or the contract will be terminated

Policies and Requirements

• Radius rule: Must live within 50 miles and may not work full time, part time, or PRN with any facility in the same health system within the past year
• Driver's license: Required at submittal to determine distance from the facility
• Fingernails: Artificial nails are prohibited in all patient care departments; refusal to remove them will lead to contract termination
• Scrubs: Navy blue
• RTO: Needed upfront; additional RTO requests will not be approved, including after submission

Additional Notes

• Looking for candidates who enjoy change and want to learn
• Travelers need to be flexible and self-directed