PCU RN
Winston Salem, North Carolina
Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center

Registered Nurse – PCU

Location: Winston Salem, North Carolina Employment type: Travel/Contract Contract length: 13 weeks or more, through 2/27/27 Schedule: 3x12-hour days, 06:45–19:15 (36 hours per week can be offered) Scheduling: Block scheduling can be accommodated when unit needs are met Locals: Local candidates accepted

Required Qualifications

• Valid RN license in North Carolina
• PCU - Progressive Care Unit (2 years of experience)
• PCU - Progressive Care Unit experience within the last year
• One completed travel assignment
• ACLS - Advanced Cardiac Life Support issued by American Heart Association or American Red Cross
• BLS issued by American Heart Association or American Red Cross
• Associate of Science in Nursing / Associate Degree in Nursing
• IV insertion skills
• Experience with mechanical ventilation
• Experience with BiPAP
• Experience with CPAP
• Interpretation and management of dysrhythmias

Unit & Patient Profile

• Mixed-acuity unit with PCU and MS/Tele patients, 48 beds total
• Target ratio 1:4–5; in extreme situations, 1:6
• Acuity is on the higher end of med-surg
• Patient population includes COPD, pneumonia, respiratory distress, COVID-19 (including patients who tested positive), influenza, and PEs
• Most patients have COPD exacerbations, pneumonia, acute respiratory failure, chest tubes, CPAP/BiPAP, and telemetry monitoring, often with comorbidities
• Team lead present in a 3:1 ratio who rounds the whole unit
• Two respiratory therapists rounding
• Assistant nurse manager on shift, including weekends
• Ventilators are for chronic trach/vent patients only; no nurse carries more than one vent patient at a time
• CNA ratio of 9–10:1
• Unit resources: admission/discharge nurse, assistant nurse manager, vascular access team, RRT, code team, behavioral health team

Equipment: Chest tubes; dopamine, Cardizem, and heparin drips; ventilators, trachs, BiPAPs/CPAPs

Unit systems: Pyxis, EPIC, SBAR

Schedule & Expectations

• Float required to similar units
• Weekends: every other weekend
• Return-to-office (RTO) after booking is not allowed and cannot be worked out onsite. RTO is limited to 7 days max for auto offer. Call-offs or additional RTO on the unit could result in cancellation and DNR.
• Unit orientation: 24 hours
• Scrubs not provided; white or navy blue required

Onboarding Requirements

• Annual compliance training (40 minutes)
• Education roster (2 hours 45 minutes) and confidentiality agreement
• Tobacco-free campus acknowledgment
• Medication safety certificate (35-minute long version for clinical candidates who prepare, dispense, and administer medications)
• Non-facility-worker clinical education checklist (required for North Carolina travel candidates); modules take 8–10 hours for acute candidates
• Hospital policies acknowledgment
• Bloodborne pathogens review via DocuSign
• Employee ID and online learning account setup, with proof of login required
• Photo for badge, submitted immediately after signing
• Unit orientation: 24 hours