Surgical Cardiac Telemetry Nurse
Seattle, Washington
Swedish Medical Center - Cherry Hill Campus

Job Opportunity: Telemetry Nurse (Travel/Contract)

Location: Seattle, Washington
Contract Length: 13 weeks
Shift: Night (3 shifts per week, 12 hours each, 7:00 PM – 7:30 AM)
Hours per Week: 36

Unit & Patient Population

• Surgical Cardiac Telemetry Unit
• Care for patients with myocardial infarction, rule out MI, primary arrhythmias
• Pre/post open-heart surgery and vascular surgery patients
• Coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke patients with cardiac involvement
• Specialized structural heart support including VAD and TAVR
• Pre/post cath lab patients with or without interventions

Job Responsibilities & Skills

• Telemetry interpretation and dysrhythmia management
• Cardioversion and defibrillation
• Epicardial pacer management
• LVAD care, including open heart post-op (24-28 hours)
• Breathing treatments, chest tube setup and care, CPAP/BiPAP, trach care
• Blood and blood products administration
• Floating to like units required; flexibility to float is mandatory
• Every other weekend work required

Required Experience and Qualifications

• Valid Registered Nurse (RN) license in Washington
• Minimum 2 years telemetry experience, including telemetry experience within the last year
• One completed travel nursing assignment
• Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) or Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)
• Experience with open heart surgery
• Vascular experience including groin band and radial band management
• Proficient IV skills
• ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) certification issued by the American Heart Association
• BLS (Basic Life Support) certification issued by the American Heart Association
• NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) Certification

License Requirements

• Active Registered Nurse (RN) license valid in Washington or compact license honored by Washington state

Additional Requirements

• Must be flexible to float to other similar units within reasonable distance
• Background check within 90 days covering all locations lived/worked in past 7 years
• Drug screening (9 panel) within 12 months of start
• Physical exam within 1 year of start, signed by MD, NP, PA, or DO
• Immunizations and health screenings including:

  • TB test or chest X-ray within 12 months
  • Tdap vaccine within 10 years (declination accepted)
  • MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccination or positive titer
  • Hepatitis B vaccination or signed declination
  • Varicella vaccination or positive titer
  • Seasonal flu vaccine during flu season (declination accepted)
  • COVID-19 vaccination record preferred (declinations not required)
• Respirator fit testing required annually for travel nurses
• Completion of annual regulatory and specialty-specific training modules via LMS
• Minimum of 2 professional references covering at least 1 year of relevant employment within the last 3 years
• Employment application covering at least last 5 years of work history

Important Notes

• Nurse-to-patient ratio is 1:4 during the day, can be 1:5 at midnight
• Candidates must have prior travel experience; first-time travelers are not accepted
• Travel contract eligibility requires separation of at least 3 months from other facilities (non-Swedish)
• Active compact license holders are honored at Swedish facilities
• Badge photo required for identification
• Background and credentialing requirements are strictly enforced and must be current

This position is ideal for experienced telemetry nurses with strong cardiac surgical and vascular care skills who are comfortable working night shifts and floating within similar units.