Cardiac ICU (CVICU) Nurse
Phoenix, Arizona
Saint Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center

Coronary Care ICU (T4) - St Josephs Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ

Facility Overview

• 607-bed tertiary care hospital in Phoenix, Arizona
• Nationally recognized for quality care, medical education, and research
• Specialties include lung, liver, and kidney transplant
• Affiliated with Barrow Neuro Institute (#1 neuro institute worldwide)
• Teaching hospital with nursing students present

Unit Details

• Unit: CTICU/CVICU
• Beds: 24
• Patient Ratios: 1:1 to 1:2 (high number of 1:1 assignments)
• Shifts: 12-hour shifts (7am-7pm), including nights
• Weekend Requirement: 3 weekend shifts per 4-week schedule
• Holidays: Included in rotation (2 out of 4 major holidays)
• Charge Nurse Role: Yes, no patient assignment
• Nurse Aides: 2 Patient Care Technicians (days and nights) with high census
• Telemetry: Phillips system, float to Tele units with 4:1 ratio
• Float: Required to float to other ICUs and Westgate campus before permanent staff
• Orientation: 2 days floor-specific orientation

Patient Population and Care

• High acuity cardiac surgery recovery patients
• Common diagnoses/procedures: IABP, CABG, ECMO, CRRT, lung transplant, thoracic surgeries (esophagectomy, lobectomy, pneumonectomy), TAVR, Impellas
• Frequent bedside procedures: bronchoscopy, Swan-Ganz catheter, epidurals
• Requires strong IV skills; no dedicated IV team
• Respiratory Therapy and Pharmacy available 24/7, including transplant patient support
• Intensivist coverage: in-house during day, on-call at night

Requirements & Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years CORE experience in specialty (ICU, CVICU preferred)
• Level I Trauma experience required
• Teaching hospital experience required
• Cerner EMR experience required
• ACLS and BLS certifications required; CCRN preferred
• Prophecy Dysrhythmia Exam required 24-48 hours prior to acceptance (max 2 attempts; failure results in 6-month disqualification in CommonSpirit AZ and Sacramento regions)
• Must pass Day 1 pass/fail SIMs Lab (Foley catheter insertion, central line dressing changes, lifts, restraints, wound care)
• No facial piercings and only natural hair colors allowed
• Male candidates must be clean-shaven for fit testing
• Travel teams must have their own vehicles
• Cannot hold concurrent contracts with Dignity AZ
• Must have been off CommonSpirit permanent staff for 12 months to qualify for travel assignment
• Weekly orientations on Mondays (except holidays)
• Minimum contract length: 13 weeks

Additional Notes

• Parking assigned with shuttle service to facility; night shift parking in garage
• High acuity environment with frequent bedside procedures
• Strong sterile field competency expected; failure in SIMs Lab can result in termination
• Travelers may be expected to precept nursing students
• 50-mile radius rule applies (no local rates)

Contract Length: 13 weeks