Stepdown/PCU Registered Nurse
Columbus, Ohio
Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Job Opportunity: Registered Nurse - Stepdown/PCU Unit

Location: Columbus, Ohio
Employment Type: Travel/Contract
Contract Length: 13 weeks

Unit Overview

• Stepdown/Progressive Care Unit (PCU) caring for adult and geriatric patients with general chronic medical conditions.
• Mixed-acuity environment.
• Floating within the organization as needed.
• In-house provider support available 24/7.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years of recent RN experience.
• Minimum 2 years of Progressive Care Unit (PCU) experience, with PCU experience within the last year required.
• Valid Ohio RN license required.
• ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) certification issued by the American Heart Association required.
• BLS (Basic Life Support) certification issued by the American Heart Association required.
• Electronic Fetal Monitoring (EFM) certification required.
• NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) certification required.
• Orientation Safety Manual Acknowledgement required.

Job Details

• Floating between units required.
• Call required.
• Documentation system: Epic.
• Medication systems: Pyxis, Accudose, Omnicell.
• Communication method: SBAR.

Background and Compliance Requirements

• 7-year criminal background check within 90 days of start, including FBI and BCI fingerprinting.
• Education accreditation verification required for nursing degree (accredited by CCNE, ACEN, or NLN CNEA).
• Monthly EPLS/GSA/SAM and HHS/OIG monitoring.
• Drug screening: Negative 10-panel drug screen within 3 months of start (new travelers cannot start with pending drug screen).
• Physical exam within 1 year of start confirming good health and free of contagious disease.
• Immunizations and health documents required:

  • Tdap vaccine (adult dose after age 11/12).
  • Negative TB test or chest X-ray within 1 year.
  • TB questionnaire.
  • MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccination or positive titer.
  • Hepatitis B titer or 3-vaccine series (declination acceptable).
  • Varicella vaccination or positive titer (medical exemptions require documentation).
  • Seasonal flu vaccine or declination during flu season (10/1 - 3/31).
• COVID-19 vaccination not required but strongly recommended.

Competency and Testing Requirements

• Medication Test/Pharmacology Competency Exam required prior to start.
• Unit-specific competency exam required.
• Dysrhythmia/EKG competency exam required within 1 year of start and updated annually (with remediation process if failed).

References and Documentation

• Two professional references required; at least one must be from a manager/director or formal leadership.
• Employment application required, including education verification.
• Skills checklist required.

Additional Notes

• Parking permits available for purchase (details not included here).
• Fingerprinting must be completed using specific state codes and within 1 year of start; new fingerprinting required if break in service exceeds 90 days.
• Orientation safety manual acknowledgment required annually.
• Various facility-specific compliance and ethics policies must be reviewed and signed.

This position is suitable for RNs comfortable working in a progressive care environment with mixed acuity patients and who are willing to float as needed. First-time travel nurses are welcome to apply.