PCU Registered Nurse
Kansas City, Missouri
Saint Luke's Hospital

Registered Nurse - PCU

Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Employment Type: Travel/Contract
Contract Length: 13 weeks

Job Overview

• Unit: Progressive Care Unit (PCU), 24-bed intermediate unit
• Patient Ratio: Typically 1:5; may flex to 1:6 occasionally
• Patient Types: Intermediate medical patients and surgery overflow (e.g., TURPS, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, appendectomy, hernia, eye surgery, oral surgery, diabetic teaching, wound care)
• Fast-paced environment supporting throughput from Emergency Department and Operating Room
• Floating: Regular floating within scope to other departments, units, and facilities may be required
• Weekend Requirement: 8 weekend shifts in a 6-week schedule period (Friday/Saturday/Sunday combination)
• Holiday shifts and Charge RN assignments as needed
• Locals accepted within local radius
• No pending licenses accepted
• Return to Office (RTO) restrictions: No more than 7 days off
• Guaranteed Hours: Minimum 3 shifts per 13 weeks

Required Experience & Skills

• Experience: 2 years of Telemetry experience required (higher value between 1-2 years)
• First-timers: Not accepted (must have prior travel experience)
• Telemetry Skills: Cardiac monitoring, interpretation and management of dysrhythmias, use of rapid response teams
• Clinical Skills:

  • IV insulin protocols
  • Feeding tube care and management
  • Continuous bladder irrigation management
  • IV therapy including accessing ports, blood product administration, central line, peripheral line, and PICC line care/management, starting IVs
  • Medication protocols including Heparin and PCA
  • Neurological care including CVA management
  • Respiratory care including nasal cannula, oxygen masks, portable oxygen tanks
  • Wound care and wound vac management
  • Isolation precautions
• Preferred Skills:

  • Insulin drip titration
  • Renal failure management
  • Orthopedic trauma and total joint replacements
  • Surgical drains
  • Tracheostomy management
  • Eye surgery care

Certifications Required

• BLS (Basic Life Support)
• NIHSS (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale)

Work Settings

• Medical-Surgical/Telemetry
• Cardiac Telemetry
• ER Holding
• Neuro Stepdown
• PCU/DOU/IMC/Stepdown

Additional Information

• On-call: Not required
• Block scheduling: Not accommodated
• Charting system: Epic
• Scrub color: Navy
• Parking: Free

Required Qualifications

• Valid Registered Nurse (RN) license in Missouri
• Minimum 1 year of Progressive Care Unit (PCU) experience within the last year
• Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) or Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification issued by the American Heart Association
• Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) certification
• National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) certification
• Minimum 1 year telemetry experience with telemetry monitoring on the unit
• Experience using Rapid Response Teams
• Proficiency with IV insulin protocols
• Experience with Continuous Bladder Irrigation (CBI) and IV therapy
• Phlebotomy skills
• Blood product administration experience
• Central line care and management
• PICC line management
• Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA) management
• Care related to cerebrovascular accident (CVA/stroke) management