CVICU Registered Nurse
Sacramento, California
Mercy General Hospital

Job Opportunity: CVICU Registered Nurse (RN)

Location: Sacramento, California
Specialty: Cardiovascular Surgical Intensive Care Unit (CVICU)
Contract Length: 13 weeks

Job Description

Seeking experienced CVICU nurses for a travel contract. Candidates will care for patients in a 20-bed Cardiovascular Surgical ICU with a focus on pre- and fresh post-op CABG, LVADs, Impellas, IABP, TAVRs, CRRT, critical drips, and Swan monitoring. The unit uses Cerner EMR and maintains a 1:1 to 1:2 nurse-to-patient ratio.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years of CVICU nursing experience
• Active California RN license
• Current BLS, ACLS, and NIHSS certifications
• Ability to read and interpret EKG strips
• Must pass a Dys exam (Relias or UNA) prior to acceptance (pass/fail with 2 attempts allowed)

Additional Requirements & Information

• Candidates may not have been employed (full-time, part-time, or PRN) by any facility associated with CommonSpirit (including CHI or Dignity) within the past year; PRN employment through outside firms is acceptable
• Two supervisory references required (one within 12 months, one within 3 years)
• Travelers will work 2 of the 3 major holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's) on a rotating basis with core staff; holiday time off is considered but not guaranteed
• Weekend shifts required every other weekend
• 12-hour shifts starting at 6:45 AM; self-scheduling available but finalized by management
• Overtime and extra shifts available; schedules released 4 weeks in advance
• Charge nurse duties included (generally does not take patients but provides break relief)
• Nurse aides available as census and staffing dictate
• Floating to other Sacramento facilities possible; mid-shift float is rare
• Floor-specific orientation: 1-2 days with preceptor
• Scrub color: Navy (under shirts must be navy, white, or black; scrub jackets optional but must be navy)
• Telemetry monitoring and ventilator management required
• Hospitalist or Intensivist present in-house
• Respiratory therapy and pharmacy available 24/7
• Travelers will not care for LVAD patients; core staff validate skills for CABG recovery, IABP, and CRRT
• IABP patients are not assigned 1:1

Patient Population & Common Diagnoses

• Pre- and fresh post-op CABG (goal extubation within 6 hours)
• LVADs, Impellas, IABP, TAVRs
• Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT)
• Critical drips and Swan monitoring
• Use of multiple pathway protocols

Prior Travel Experience

Not explicitly required.

This position is ideal for CVICU nurses with solid critical care experience looking for a structured travel contract in a high-acuity cardiovascular surgical ICU setting.