Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse
Rio Rancho, New Mexico
UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center

Medical Surgical Registered Nurse Travel/Contract Job – Rio Rancho, New Mexico

Position Details

• Specialty: Registered Nurse – Medical Surgical
• Employment Type: Travel/Contract
• Shift: Day shift, 4 shifts per week, 12 hours each (7:00 AM – 7:30 PM)
• Contract Length: 13 weeks (minimum 10 weeks for new contracts and extensions)
• Staffing Ratios: 1 nurse to 5 patients
• Facility Type: Community-based hospital with 60 staffed beds
• Charting System: Cerner
• Parking: Free

Required Qualifications

• Valid RN license in New Mexico
• Minimum 1 year of Medical Surgical nursing experience within the last year
• ACLS certification
• BLS certification issued by American Red Cross or American Heart Association
• Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) or Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)

Job Requirements & Responsibilities

• Patient Care Skills:

  • Colostomy care
  • Feeding tube care and management
  • Pre/Post Hemodialysis management
  • Renal failure care
  • Accessing ports and blood product administration
  • Central line blood draws, peripheral line care/management, phlebotomy, PICC line management
  • Starting IVs, administering Heparin, Insulin, PCA
  • Managing surgical drains, chest tubes (Emerson/Pleur-evac)
  • High Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC) use
  • Interpretation of ABGs
  • Nasal cannula, non-invasive airway management, oral suctioning, oxygen face masks, portable oxygen tanks
  • Pre/Post thoracic surgery care
  • Tracheostomy management
  • Isolation precautions
  • Wound care including Wound Vac management
• Unit Patient Diagnoses: Telemetry patients, diabetes mellitus, congestive heart failure, alcohol withdrawal, wound infections, hypertension, altered mental status, COVID, influenza/RSV, cellulitis, COPD exacerbation, abdominal pain
• Equipment: NG tubes, wound vacs, kangaroo pumps
• Floating: Floating within scope of practice to meet facility needs is required
• Weekend Requirement: Possible, depending on census and staff availability
• On-Call: Not required
• Scheduling: Block scheduling not accommodated
• Locals: Candidates living within 100 miles are not accepted
• Return to Office (RTO) Restrictions: Absences longer than 7 days require approval
• Overtime: OT applies after 48 hours worked per week on contracts signed on or after 10/30/2025

Additional Notes

• First-time travel nurses are accepted for this position
• A 6-month break is required after completing 4 consecutive assignments or reaching one year of travel work, whichever comes first
• Facility-specific orientation and training materials must be reviewed and acknowledged prior to start
• Fit mask testing required within 1 year of start (N95 or equivalent)
• Various facility-specific documents and presentations are mandatory for review, including patient restraints, suicide precautions, blood transfusions, and COVID exemption forms

This summary includes all relevant information for healthcare recruiters and workers considering this Medical Surgical RN travel contract opportunity in New Mexico.