PACU Registered Nurse
St. Louis, Missouri
Barnes-Jewish Hospital

Job Opportunity: PACU Registered Nurse

Location: Saint Louis, Missouri
Employment Type: Travel/Contract
Contract Length: 13 weeks

Work Schedule

• 4x10 hour shifts, Monday through Friday (5:30 AM - 4:00 PM)
• No weekends or on-call required
• Rotating start times as needed
• No block scheduling accommodation
• Floating within scope allowed only to PACU or PreOp units

Unit & Patient Population

• Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) in a Level I Trauma Center
• Unit open 24/7 with 38 patient bays
• Average daily census: 70-90 patients
• Patient population includes adults, occasional adolescents, and geriatrics
• Surgical patients include neurosurgery, ENT, plastics, orthopedics, thoracic, vascular, trauma, general, colorectal, gynecology, urology, electrophysiology, interventional radiology, and transplant
• Does not recover open heart surgeries or liver transplants
• Unit has its own Patient Care Technician (PCT) and transport team

Required Qualifications

• Valid Registered Nurse (RN) license in Missouri
• Minimum 2 years of Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) nursing experience, with at least some experience within the last year
• Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) or Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification issued by the American Heart Association
• Proficient in dysrhythmia recognition and management
• Experience with blood product administration
• Phlebotomy skills
• Administration of IV vasopressors
• Intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring experience
• Care of ventilated patients
• Experience with Epic electronic health record system

Experience & Travel Requirements

• First-time travelers accepted
• No prior travel experience required
• Local candidates not accepted; home address must be at least 75 miles from facility

Compliance & Documentation Requirements

• Government-issued ID required
• Criminal background check within 6 months, including statewide and nationwide searches
• Quarterly EPLS/GSA/SAM and HHS/OIG checks required
• Education verification of highest nursing degree required
• Professional license primary source verification (NURSYS for Missouri) required
• Physical exam within 1 year of start
• Drug testing within 1 year of start, including specific drug panels, must remain valid throughout assignment
• Fit mask testing required and must be renewed annually
• Immunizations and health screenings required:

  • Negative TB test or chest X-ray within 1 year
  • Tdap vaccine or declination
  • Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella immunity or vaccination/declination as applicable
  • Seasonal flu vaccination or approved exemption required during flu season
• Facility-specific documents including HIPAA acknowledgement, confidentiality form, latex allergy questionnaire, hand hygiene policy, fingernail policy, dress code policy, and orientation modules must be completed and signed prior to start
• Two professional references required (supervisors preferred)

Additional Information

• No weekend or on-call shifts required
• Guaranteed minimum of 3 shifts per 13 weeks
• Return-to-office restrictions: no more than 7 days
• Parking available at $15/day or $70/month (for local reference)
• Scrub color: Navy Blue

This position offers an opportunity to work in a high-acuity PACU environment within a Level I Trauma Center, requiring strong critical care skills and the ability to manage complex post-operative patients. The role supports a structured weekday schedule with no weekend or call responsibilities.