Step Down Registered Nurse
Kansas City, Missouri
Saint Luke's Hospital

Travel Registered Nurse (Step Down)

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

Job Summary

Seeking a Registered Nurse for a Step Down unit with a focus on Progressive Care Unit (PCU) patients. The role involves caring for patients primarily post-bariatric surgery, urology, hepatobiliary, colorectal, trauma, and complex wound care cases.

Required Experience

• Minimum 2 years of experience as a Registered Nurse in a relevant specialty (Progressive Care Unit/Step Down).
• First-time travelers not accepted (prior travel experience required).

Work Schedule

• 8 weekend shifts required per 6-week schedule period (Friday, Saturday, Sunday combination).
• Floating between departments, units, and facilities as needed.
• No block scheduling accommodation.
• Must be located at least 75 miles from the facility (locals not accepted).
• Pending license accepted.
• No on-call required.

Required Certifications

• BLS (Basic Life Support)
• NIH Stroke Certification
• ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) may be required depending on unit
• Other certifications may be unit-specific (e.g., PALS, NRP, TNCC, CPI/MAB) – verify with unit requirements.

Required Skills

• Experience with MS/Tele, PCU/DOU/IMC/Stepdown units.
• Interpretation and management of dysrhythmias.
• Use of Rapid Response/Code teams.
• Feeding tube care and management.
• Continuous Bladder Irrigation (CBI).
• Peripheral line care/management, PICC line management.
• Starting and maintaining IVs.
• Epidural analgesia, PCA management.
• Surgical drains and chest tubes (Emerson/PleurEvac).
• Isolation precautions and PPE use.
• Wound care including Wound Vac management.

Patient Population

• Post-operative patients from bariatric, urology, hepatobiliary, colorectal, trauma surgeries.
• Patients with abdominal injuries and necrotizing soft tissue infections requiring serial debridement and wound vac changes.
• Pain control primarily via Epidural, PCA, Ketamine drip, and/or lidocaine infusion.
• Patients with multiple drains (foley, JP, IR drain, NG tube, chest tube, G-Tube, J-Tube, GJ-Tube).

Licensure

• Must hold a valid Registered Nurse license for Missouri.
• Pending licenses accepted.

Compliance and Background Requirements

• Government-issued ID required.
• Criminal background check within 6 months, including statewide and nationwide searches.
• Quarterly EPLS/GSA/SAM and HHS/OIG checks.
• Education verification required prior to start.
• Fingerprinting required for assignments in Illinois long-term care or rehab units.
• Drug testing within 1 year of start, including a comprehensive panel.
• Physical exam within 1 year of start.
• Fit mask (N95) certification and annual renewal required.
• Immunizations and titers required: Tdap, TB testing, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella (with boosters or declinations as applicable).
• Seasonal flu vaccination or approved exemption required during flu season.

Additional Requirements

• Unit-specific competency exams and skills checklists required annually.
• Medication/pharmacology competency exam required.
• Color blindness testing within 12 months of start.
• References: Two professional references required, preferably supervisors within the last year.
• Employment application must be completed and uploaded.
• Compliance with facility-specific policies including HIPAA, latex allergy questionnaire, confidentiality, hand hygiene, fingernail, and dress code policies.
• Completion of orientation and training modules through the facility’s learning platform.

Notes

• Floating between units and facilities is expected within the scope of practice.
• No on-call duties.
• No block scheduling.
• Locals not accepted; must live at least 75 miles away.
• Must complete required background checks, immunizations, and certifications prior to start.

This position is ideal for experienced RNs with prior travel contract experience who are comfortable working in a high-acuity step down environment with complex post-surgical patients.