Travel Nurse RN - ED - Emergency Department
Santa Barbara, California
Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital

Registered Nurse – ER

Location: Santa Barbara, California Employment Type: Travel/Contract Contract Length: 13 weeks Shift: Night, 3x12 hours (19:00–07:00) Hours: 12 per day, 36 per week

Important Note

• High cost of living. Research the area before submitting.

Unit Details

• Department: Emergency Department (ED)
• Setting: College and retirement town serving students and elderly patients. Not a stroke, semi-trauma, or trauma center. No labor and delivery. Does not admit pediatrics.
• Team: 1 MD, 1 PA, nurses, ED techs, and a unit clerk
• Patient Population: Neonates to geriatrics
• Procedures: Performs a fair amount of procedural sedations
• Call: Required
• Weekend Coverage: Every other weekend (number of weekend shifts per contract varies)
• Start Times: Travelers are typically needed for 15:00 and 19:00 starts.
• Flexing: The unit flexes on occasion. A charge nurse may ask a traveler scheduled for 15:00 to flex for an hour or two if the unit is slow. Travelers can refuse.

Required Qualifications

• Certifications: ACLS, BCLS, PALS, and TNCC. All AHA certifications must be from an AHA instructor or provider.
• Experience: Minimum 2 years of experience. First-time travelers are allowed.
• Required ED experience: General ED (combined adult/pediatrics) and non-trauma ED experience
• Required clinical experience:

  • Isolation precautions and triage
  • Cardiac monitoring, including interpretation and management of dysrhythmias
  • IV therapy and phlebotomy, including blood product administration, central line care, phlebotomy, and starting IVs
  • Medications: continuous sedation, IV vasopressors, and procedural sedation administration
  • Neurological/psychiatric: CVA, neuro-trauma, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury
  • Orthopedics: ortho-trauma
  • Pediatrics: head injury, near drowning, spinal cord injury
  • Respiratory/thoracic: CPAP/BiPAP, ABG interpretation, ventilated patients
  • Shock/trauma: gunshot wounds, traumatic amputation
• Licensure and verification: State license verification and NURSYS verification (RN) before start

Preferred Qualifications

• Certifications: NIH and NRP
• Experience: Surgical pediatric experience and previous charge experience

Onboarding Requirements

• Background: Background check within 30 days of start covering the past 7 years, updated annually. Also includes EPLS/GSA/SAM and HHS/OIG checks before start.
• Identity and work eligibility: I-9, E-Verify, and unexpired government-issued photo ID
• Health:

  • Physical within the last 12 months
  • TB test (2-step PPD, QuantiFERON, or T-SPOT) within 1 year of start, or chest X-ray if PPD is positive
  • Measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, and varicella immunity documentation
  • Flu vaccine or declination during flu season (September–April)
  • COVID-19 vaccination is listed as required in the posting, but supporting documentation states it is no longer required for employment. Vaccination records are still requested for reporting.
  • 10-panel drug screen including marijuana within 30 days of start
• Respiratory protection: Respirator clearance from a virtual questionnaire reviewed by a licensed healthcare professional, in-person medical evaluation if required, and fit test (completed onsite if needed)
• Training and documentation:

  • Harassment prevention training certificate (required for California)
  • Skills checklist, completed annually
  • Two professional references within 2 years of start (not needed for agency flips)
  • Facility-specific job description and acceptable use policy
  • Badge photo (shoulders up, plain light background, no filters) and badge form
  • Orientation and safety manual acknowledgment, updated annually
• Return to work: Return-to-work timing must be included on the initial submittal and limited to 3–4 days.