ICU Registered Nurse
Merced, California
Mercy Medical Center Merced

ICU RN Travel Job - California (Merced)

Job Overview

• Position: ICU Registered Nurse (RN)
• Location: Merced, California
• Contract Length: 13 weeks
• Unit: ICU (20 beds)
• Shifts: 7 AM and 7 PM (12-hour shifts)
• Weekend Requirement: 2 weekends per 4 weeks
• Holidays: Every other major holiday
• Floating: Yes, to telemetry, med-surg floors; travelers take 4-5 patients when floating
• Nurse Aides: Not available
• EMR System: Cerner
• Nurse Charge Role: Present each shift, serves as resource, does not take patients
• Ventilator Management: Respiratory Therapist (RT) in-house 24/7 manages vents
• Hospitalist/Intensivist: Internal medicine 24/7; pulmonologists act as intensivists but not 24/7
• IV Team: Strong IV skills required
• Telemetry: GE system; nurses must read and interpret their own strips
• Patient Types: Sepsis, DKA/hyperglycemia, parenteral nutrition (PN), COPD, PCI cardiac services (not STEMI center), CVA, post-surgical ICU patients, GI bleeds
• Clinical Skills: Comfortable with ABCDE bundle, ventilators, versed, Propofol, norepinephrine
• Orientation: 2 shifts in ICU plus 1 shift on a floor unit

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years of ICU nursing experience
• Active California RN license
• Certifications: BLS, ACLS, NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS)
• Preferred: CCRN certification and basic critical care course
• Strong IV skills required

Additional Information

• ICU nurses may be deployed to the Emergency Department to care for boarded ICU patients or work in ICU if on standby
• Response time if on standby: 30 minutes
• No block scheduling or schedule accommodations for second jobs; travel assignment must be priority
• Nurse scrub color: Navy
• Patient ratio: 1 nurse to 2 patients
• Floating includes telemetry and med-surg floors; travelers are first to float
• Must be comfortable taking a full patient load while floating
• Location highlights: Central to Yosemite and other outdoor recreational areas; affordable housing options available

Prior Travel Experience

• No explicit requirement for prior travel experience mentioned

This position is ideal for experienced ICU RNs comfortable with floating and managing complex critical care patients in a fast-paced hospital environment.