Neuro ICU Travel Nurse
Phoenix, Arizona
Saint Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center

Neuro ICU Travel Nurse Opportunity

Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Facility: St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center

Facility Overview

• 607-bed tertiary care hospital
• Nationally recognized for quality care, medical education, and research
• Specialties include lung, liver, and kidney transplants
• Affiliated with Barrow Neurological Institute, the world’s #1 neuro institute

Unit Details

• Unit: Neuro ICU
• Beds: 32
• Patient Ratios: 1:2
• EMR: Cerner
• Charge Nurse: Yes (does not take patients)
• Monitoring: Phillips monitors
• Ventilators: Yes
• Respiratory Therapy: 24/7 coverage
• Pharmacy: 24/7 coverage
• Shifts: 12-hour shifts (7am-7pm or 7pm-7am)
• Orientation: 2 shifts on the floor
• Floating: Required to float between all ICU floors and Tele units; tele patient load 4:1
• Holidays: Work into core staff rotation; 4 weekend shifts per 4 weeks; 2 out of 4 major holidays required

Patient Population & Care

• Critical care patients with neurological diagnoses
• Procedures include craniotomies, brain tumor removals, ablations, brain biopsies, complex spine surgeries, and scoliosis repair
• Strong neuro assessment skills and ICP monitoring experience required

Requirements & Qualifications

• Experience:

  • Minimum 2 years ICU experience in a large hospital (450+ beds)
  • Level 1 Trauma experience required
  • 3-6 months previous travel experience required
  • Previous travel experience in ED or Neuro ICU required
• Certifications: BLS, ACLS required
• EMR: Cerner experience required for ED; Neuro ICU uses Cerner
• Other:

  • Must have EVD (External Ventricular Drain) experience
  • No first-time travelers accepted
  • Must have natural hair color and no facial piercings
  • Men must be clean-shaven for fit testing
  • Must pass Prophecy Dysrhythmia Exam within 24-48 hours prior to acceptance (max 2 attempts)
  • Must pass Day 1 pass/fail exam during orientation
  • SIMs Lab completion required (Foley catheter insertion & central line dressing changes) with strict sterile field adherence
  • Able to float to Medical-Surgical Telemetry floors if needed
  • Must have own vehicle if traveling as part of a travel team
  • Cannot hold concurrent contracts with Dignity AZ or CommonSpirit within 12 months of permanent employment
  • No facial piercings and only natural hair colors allowed

Contract Details

• Minimum contract length: 13 weeks
• Weekly orientations on Mondays (except holiday weeks)
• Onboarding paperwork must be completed by 1pm CST Wednesday before start date or start will be delayed
• Travel radius: 50 miles from facility (driver’s license is source of truth)

Additional Notes

• Teaching hospital with nursing students present
• Candidates must include unit size, hospital size, trauma level, and EMR experience in profiles
• Facility enforces strict sterile technique and competency in Foley catheter and central line care
• Floating includes all ICU and Telemetry units with varying patient ratios
• Night shift parking in assigned garage; day shift parking in assigned lot with shuttle to facility

This position is ideal for experienced Neuro ICU nurses with strong critical care skills, trauma experience, and prior travel assignments who are comfortable with a teaching hospital environment and floating between units.