Registered Nurse Med-Surg/Telemetry
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette General Medical Center

Registered Nurse (MS/Telemetry) - Travel/Contract

Location: Lafayette, Louisiana
Shift: Day (3 shifts per week, 12 hours each; 6:45 AM – 7:15 PM)
Contract Length: 8 weeks

Unit & Patient Population

• Unit accepts nurses with a minimum of 2 years of experience (suitable for first-time travelers with this experience).
• Patient diagnoses include: chest pain, coronary artery disease (CAD), peripheral vascular disease (PVD), arrhythmias, diabetes mellitus (DM), COPD exacerbation, pneumonia (PNA), hypertension (HTN), myocardial infarction (MI), renal failure, pulmonary embolism (PE), congestive heart failure (CHF), gastrointestinal (GI) bleed, syncope.
• Potential for med-surg overflow patients such as GI bleed, sepsis, cerebrovascular accident (CVA), and COVID-19 positive cases.

Unit Details & Responsibilities

• Care for patients pre/post cardiac catheterization, pacemaker/automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator (PPM/AICD), ablations, and vascular surgeries (carotid endarterectomies, femoral-popliteal bypasses).
• Titration of cardiac and vasoactive drips including Cardizem, Amiodarone, Dobutamine, Nitroglycerin, Dopamine, and heparin.
• Sheath removal at bedside.
• May be assigned to an Emergency Team during events, requiring staying onsite until event resolution or serving as relief staff.
• May be floated to other inpatient units; scheduling requests (e.g., block scheduling) cannot be guaranteed.
• Work every other holiday.

Special Equipment

• Telemetry monitoring
• Chest tubes
• Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pumps
• Epidurals
• Wound vacuums

Requirements / Qualifications

• Valid Registered Nurse (RN) license in Louisiana
• Minimum 2 years of Med Surg / Telemetry nursing experience, with at least some experience within the last year
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification issued by the American Heart Association
• Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) or Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)

Required Licenses & Verifications

• License verification must be current and renewed if expiring within 30 days of start
• NURSYS verification required within 30 days of start

Required Background & Compliance Checks

• 7-year criminal background check within 90 days of start, updated annually
• EPLS/GSA/SAM and HHS/OIG checks required within 30 days of start and updated monthly
• Sex offender search within 30 days of start, updated monthly
• Education verification of highest level completed (transcript/diploma acceptable if verification unavailable)
• Employment application and skills checklist updated annually
• Resume/application with 7 years employment history and explanation for gaps

Health & Immunization Requirements

• Physical exam within 12 months indicating good health
• Negative TB test (PPD, Qgold, or Tspot) within 12 months, updated annually; if positive, chest X-ray and symptom-free questionnaire required
• Immunity or vaccination documentation for:

  • Rubeola (Measles)
  • Mumps
  • Rubella
  • Hepatitis B
  • Varicella
• Tdap vaccination required for specific units (not specified here)
• Seasonal flu vaccination, declination, or medical/religious exemption required during flu season (Oct 1 – Mar 31)
• Negative 10-panel drug screen within 60 days of start, updated annually

Additional Requirements

• Color passport-style photo (plain background, no obstructions) within 24 hours of booking
• Fit mask testing (N95) within one year of start; onsite fit testing available if needed
• Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) certification required unless working in ICU
• Competency exam specific to specialty, completed within 1 year prior to start, minimum 80% score, updated annually

Important Notes

• Nurses must be comfortable with potential emergency team assignments requiring extended onsite presence during emergency events.
• The unit may pull staff to other inpatient units as needed.
• Scheduling flexibility is limited; specific scheduling requests cannot be guaranteed.

Experience Requirement

• Minimum 2 years of nursing experience required for this unit.

Prior Travel Experience

• Not explicitly required.

This summary provides the key information relevant to healthcare recruiters and nurses considering this travel nursing assignment.