Medical-Surgical RN – Level 1 Trauma
Phoenix, Arizona
Saint Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center

MedSurg 4W Nurse Position - Phoenix, Arizona

Contract Length

• 13 weeks

Unit Details

• 22 private rooms
• Nurse-to-patient ratio: 1:4-5
• Navy blue scrubs required
• New unit with a unified, committed team; some learning and growing still occurring
• Floating required to other med/surg/tele units; travelers are first to float
• ICU RNs have a ratio of 1:3 when floated

Patient Population

• Common diagnoses: post-op, sepsis, pneumonia, COPD, diabetes, infection

Required Experience & Skills

• Must have recent med/surg experience
• Preferred: charge nurse experience and telemetry experience (for potential float)
• No first-time travelers accepted
• Must have Level 1 trauma experience
• Must be competent in Foley catheter insertion and central line dressing changes (SIMs Lab pass/fail)
• Competency in sterile field maintenance is critical
• Must pass a day 1 orientation exam (details provided during orientation)
• Must pass DYS exam prior to acceptance (2 attempts allowed; failure results in 6-month disqualification)
• Travel teams must have their own vehicles
• Natural hair color and no facial piercings required
• Men must be clean-shaven for fit testing

Certifications

• BLS required

Clinical Skills & Responsibilities

• Heparin drip titration only; no cardiac gtts
• No telemetry on this unit, but telemetry skills preferred due to floating
• RT (Respiratory Therapist) assigned to the unit; nurses not expected to manage respiratory equipment directly
• No CNAs or PCTs; a resource RN is utilized in addition to charge RN
• Nurses expected to complete SIMs Lab for Foley catheter insertion and central line dressing changes (except some exceptions in ICU and ED)

Orientation & Scheduling

• 2 shifts of unit-specific orientation with a preceptor
• Schedule made 4 weeks in advance; self-scheduling available
• Weekend requirement: 3 weekend days per pay period (Saturday/Sunday)
• Holiday shifts included in rotation
• No call or standby requirement

Supervision & Support

• Charge nurse out of count on unit
• Manager available Monday-Friday
• House supervisor available 24/7

This position is ideal for experienced MedSurg nurses with trauma experience who are comfortable with floating and maintaining sterile technique in a fast-paced, evolving unit.