PCU RN
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center

Registered Nurse - PCU

Location: Winston Salem, North Carolina Employment Type: Travel/Contract Contract Length: 13 weeks Shift: Day, 4x12 hours (6:45 to 19:15) Hours: 12 per day, 48 per week Candidates: First-time travelers accepted; local candidates accepted

Schedule and Assignment Details

• Target ratio: 1:3-4
• Call requirement: None
• Weekends: Every other weekend
• Block scheduling: Not used; the nurse manager creates the schedule
• Float: Required as needed to a sister ICCU unit
• RTO after booking is not allowed, and RTO is not allowed to be worked onsite. Call-offs or additional RTO on the unit could lead to cancellation.
• RTO: 7 days maximum for auto offer
• Orientation: Hospital orientation in week one; traveler must be available for classes each day
• Scrubs: Not provided; navy, white, or a combination of both

Unit and Patient Profile

• Intermediate care unit with higher-acuity patients that may exceed a traditional PCU setting
• ADC of 18 with 20 beds; ICU stepdown
• Patients: post-rapid response team patients, respiratory distress, unstable hemodynamics, withdrawal, GI bleeds, post-op (GYN, GU, GI, thoracotomies, neuro, ortho), and pre/post OB with complications (Pitocin)
• Ages: adolescent, adult, and geriatric
• Only one pressor drip per patient; patients needing more are transferred to ICU
• Drips given on unit: Cardizem, Nitro, Precedex, Cardene, Levophed, Dopamine, Dobutamine, Neo
• Equipment: bedside telemetry monitors with remote backup; A-lines, BiPAP, chest tubes, and trachs; no ventilators on unit
• Unit systems: Pyxis and Epic

Required Qualifications

• Valid RN license in North Carolina
• PCU (Progressive Care Unit) experience of 2 years
• PCU (Progressive Care Unit) experience within the last year
• ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) issued by American Heart Association or American Red Cross
• BLS issued by American Heart Association or American Red Cross
• NIHSS certification
• Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) / Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)
• IV insertion skills
• Experience with conscious or moderate sedation
• Experience with titratable drips
• Experience with the care and management of invasive lines
• Experience with tracheostomy care
• Experience with BiPAP
• Experience with CPAP
• Experience with high flow nasal cannula (HFNC)
• Experience with cardiac dysrhythmia interpretation and management
• Experience with chest tubes (Emerson/Pleur-evac)

Onboarding and Compliance

• Background check within 90 days of start, including local county, federal court, national criminal database, DOJ sex offender search, and education verification for the highest degree in the candidate's profession
• EPLS/GSA/SAM and HHS/OIG checks within 90 days of start
• North Carolina Division of Medical Assistance search and NC Health Care Personnel Registry search, both within 90 days prior to start
• Drug screen: 10-panel negative result within 30 days of start
• Photo for badge (passport style, sent immediately after signing; start may be delayed if late)
• Corp ID setup: complete the password within 24 hours of receiving the email, log into the online learning account within 24 hours of password setup, and upload a screenshot of the home page
• Confidentiality agreement, education roster, tobacco-free campus acknowledgment, hospital policies and acknowledgment form, and bloodborne pathogens review
• Non-Novant Health Worker Clinical Education Checklist (North Carolina travelers only); acute modules take 8-10 hours
• Medication safety module (long version, 35 minutes) with certificate of completion
• Annual compliance training (40 minutes)
• Fit testing required (N95 or completion of the PAPR training)
• Employment application
• Two professional references within three years of start
• Performance evaluation, if the candidate has worked with the agency for over a year

Health Requirements

• Physical within 1 year of start
• TB test (PPD, QuantiFERON, or T-spot) within 1 year of start; a PPD greater than 10mm is positive. Positive results require a follow-up QuantiFERON or T-spot, a clear chest X-ray within 5 years, a physical within 30 days of start, and a TB questionnaire signed by a physician within 30 days of start.
• Rubeola, mumps, rubella, and varicella: titer or 2 vaccines; declinations are not accepted
• Hepatitis B: titer, vaccine series, or the facility Hep B declination (if the titer is negative or equivocal)
• Seasonal flu vaccination for 2026-27 required; intranasal vaccines accepted. Exemptions are reviewed case by case and require a mask at all times on campus.