Progressive Care Unit RN
Rio Rancho, New Mexico
Presbyterian Health Services Inc - Rust Medical Center , 2400 Unser Blvd. SE

Job Opportunity: PCU RN

Location: Rio Rancho, New Mexico
Employment Type: Clinical - Nursing
Contract Length: 13 weeks

Job Summary

Provide direct patient care using the nursing process to an assigned group of patients during a shift. The role requires floating between departments or local locations within 20 miles. Care is provided for a medically complex patient population awaiting community placement in a long-term stay setting. Patients are Med/Surg level in a facility without a direct escalation path to ICU.

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable care.
• Assess, plan, implement, evaluate, and document individual patient needs and responses.
• Collaborate with patients, families, and healthcare teams to coordinate care.
• Administer medications and treatments as prescribed or per protocols.
• Identify and address patient and family learning and discharge needs.
• Supervise LPNs and non-licensed assistive personnel clinically.
• Float between departments or local locations within 20 miles as required.
• Recognize, de-escalate, and respond to deteriorating patient conditions.
• Maintain a nurse-to-patient ratio of 1:7.
• Work weekends as needed and participate in on-call and call-back coverage.

Required Qualifications

Experience

• Minimum 2 years of Progressive Care Unit (PCU) experience, including telemetry experience, with at least some experience within the last year.
• Successful completion of at least one 13-week travel assignment.
• Ability to work as a team player in a fast-paced environment.
• Flexibility to adapt to varying clinical settings and patient needs.
• Must successfully pass a Basic Cardiac Arrhythmia (BCA) test onsite before starting. One retest allowed; failure to pass after retest results in contract cancellation.

Education

• Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) or Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN).

Certifications & Licensure

• Valid Registered Nurse (RN) license in New Mexico.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification issued by the American Heart Association or American Red Cross.
• Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) certification issued by the American Heart Association or American Red Cross.
• National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) certification.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience using Epic EMR.

Additional Notes

• Floating between departments or locations within 20 miles is required.
• The patient population is medically complex and awaiting long-term community placement.
• The nurse-to-patient ratio is 1:7.
• Weekend work and on-call/call-back coverage may be required.