ICU Registered Nurse
Freeport, Illinois
Mercyhealth FHN Hospital

ICU Registered Nurse (RN) - Travel Assignment

Location: Freeport, Illinois
Contract Length: 13 weeks
Shift: 12-hour shifts (0700-1930 or 1900-0730), primarily nights
Weekend Requirement: Every other weekend
Holiday Requirement: Holiday rotation

Unit and Patient Care Details

• ICU unit with 8 beds
• Nurse-to-patient ratio: 1:2-3 (some patients lower acuity)
• Common patient diagnoses: Sepsis, General Medical, General Surgical, Stroke (TNK), DKA, Pneumonia, Alcohol withdrawal, Post catheterization recovery (radial/femoral sites)
• No CVOR or abdominal surgical patients; rare balloon pump cases handled by core staff
• ICU nurses expected to run Code Blue events; Code Blue Command RN experience is a plus
• Telemetry attached to the unit; RNs responsible for cardiac strips (no monitor tech)
• Respiratory therapy equipment available
• Hospitalist coverage 24/7 (in-house during the day)
• Floating required to MedSurg, Telemetry, and ER with full patient load

Required Certifications and Licenses

• Illinois RN license required
• BLS (Basic Life Support) certification
• ACLS (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support) certification
• NIHSS (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale) certification

Experience Requirements

• Minimum 2 years ICU nursing experience required (higher value from data)
• Code Blue Command RN and phlebotomy skills are a plus
• Prior travel experience highly preferred (not explicitly required)
• Experience with Meditech electronic health record system is a plus

Clinical Responsibilities

• Titration of drips required (Levo, Neo, Propofol, Fentanyl, Precedex, Insulin, TNK, etc.)
• Medication mixing involved
• Primary care nursing model
• Charge nurse role includes assignment and nursing supervision (patient-free)
• Support staff includes CNA/unit secretary when acuity warrants

Orientation and Scheduling

• Department-specific orientation: 2 shifts of 12 hours each
• Staffing is census-based; at least one nurse on staff even without patients (rare)
• ER nurse may be used as backup
• Scrub color: Any professional color

Additional Notes

• ICU nurses run codes and are expected to manage critical situations independently
• Previous employment at any related facility must be disclosed for background checks
• No call or standby requirement for agency nurses; call applies only to core staff

Requirements/Qualifications

• Valid RN license in Illinois
• Associate of Science in Nursing / Associate Degree in Nursing
• Minimum 2 years of ICU (Intensive Care Unit) nursing experience
• ICU nursing experience within the last year
• ACLS (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support) certification
• BLS (Basic Life Support) certification
• NIHSS (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale) certification