Cardiac Stepdown RN
Seattle, Washington
Swedish Medical Center - Cherry Hill Campus

Stepdown Cardiac: Cardiac PCU RN

Location: Seattle, Washington Employment Type: Travel/Contract Contract Length: 13 weeks Shift: Night (3x12 hours), 19:00 to 07:30 Hours: 12 hours per day, 36 hours per week

Unit Overview

• Cardiac PCU (progressive care) unit
• Nurse-to-patient ratio is 1:4 across the board (can be 1:5 at midnight)
• Does not require Open Heart post-op experience
• Unit does not accept first-time travelers
• Every other weekend required
• Floating required to similar units; travelers must be flexible to floating
• Honors active compact license
• Float policy acknowledgement required; traveler may be required to float to another facility within a reasonable distance

Patient Population

• Myocardial infarction, rule out MI, primary arrhythmias
• Pre- and post-open-heart surgery patients
• Vascular surgery patients
• Coronary artery disease and heart failure
• Pre- and post-cath lab patients, with or without interventions
• Stroke patients with cardiac involvement
• Specialized structural heart support (VAD, TVAR, etc.)
• Chest tubes and sternal precautions

Clinical Duties

• Breathing treatments, chest tube setup and care, CPAP/BiPAP, trach care, sternal precautions
• Blood and blood product administration
• Cardioversion and defibrillation, epicardial pacer management
• LVAD care, open heart patients 24-28 hours post-op
• Tele interpretation: dysrhythmia interpretation and management

Required Qualifications

• Valid RN license in Washington
• 1 year of Cardiac Stepdown experience, completed within the last year
• One completed travel assignment
• 3 years of telemetry experience
• Experience with vascular checks
• Radial band management (groin)
• IV insertion skills
• ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) issued by American Heart Association or Canadian Heart & Stroke Foundation
• BLS issued by American Heart Association or Canadian Heart & Stroke Foundation
• NIHSS
• Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) / Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)
• Experience with Epic

Onboarding Requirements

• Background and identity: Background check within 90 days of start covering the past 7 years, updated annually; education verification; EPLS/GSA/SAM and HHS/OIG checks within 30 days of start; Washington State Patrol (WATCH) search within 90 days of start; driver's license or state ID; Social Security card; E-Verify attestation
• Licensure: NURSYS verification; Washington multi-state license demographic attestation for out-of-state compact license holders
• Health: Physical exam within 1 year, signed by MD, NP, PA, or DO; TB test (IGRA, QuantiFERON, or 2 PPDs) within 12 months; 9-panel drug screen within 12 months; TDAP within 10 years (declination accepted); MMR, hepatitis B, and varicella immunity documentation or declination; flu vaccine or declination during flu season; COVID vaccination record or declination
• Respiratory: Respirator fit test (travel); RespSafety clearance, updated annually
• History: Employment application covering the last 5 years; 2 references covering 1 year of employment within the last 3 years; skills checklist for the applicable unit
• Training: Annual regulatory modules (about 3.5 hours); badge photo, passport style with neutral background