RN Step Down Unit
Evansville, Indiana
Deaconess Hospital

Registered Nurse – Step Down Unit

Location: Evansville, Indiana
Employment Type: Travel
Contract Length: 13 weeks

Job Details

• Shift: 12-hour nights (6:30 PM – 7:00 AM)

• Guaranteed Hours: 36 hours per week (except during holidays when the unit is closed)

• Unit: 19 beds total; blended unit with 8 Step Down beds and 11 Med/Surg/Telemetry beds

• Patient Population:

  • Post-procedure cardiac (catheterizations, stents, pacers, ICDs, ablations)
  • STEMI/NSTEMI care
  • Carotid endarterectomy
  • Sepsis
  • Neurological cases (CVAs, seizures, possible TBI)
  • Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)

• Float Requirements:

  • First to float within skillset
  • Possible float to nearby campuses (8-11 miles away) with 2-hour notice
  • Mid-shift float within same campus; cross-campus mid-shift float unlikely but possible

• Weekend/Holiday Requirements:

  • Work three weekends every six weeks
  • Work every other holiday

• On Call/Call Back: Not required

• Charting System: Recent EPIC experience required (checkoff class required)

• Unit Ratio:

  • Days: 1 RN to 5-6 patients
  • Nights: 1 RN to 4 patients
  • Charge nurse will take patients; Step Down RNs also care for Med/Surg/Telemetry patients

• Additional Info:

  • Teaching hospital; may require precepting students and new hires
  • Scrub color: Navy blue; no competing health system or agency logos allowed
  • Attendance policy: 3 call-ins can result in termination
  • COVID-19 vaccine not required (subject to change)

Required Qualifications

• Experience:

  • Minimum 2 years solid Step Down experience plus 1 prior travel contract, OR
  • 5 years solid Step Down experience if no prior travel experience

• Licenses/Certifications:

  • Current active compact RN license
  • AHA BLS
  • AHA ACLS
  • NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) certification

• Skills:

  • Telemetry and 12-lead EKG interpretation (travelers must pass telemetry tests)
  • Post heart catheterization care (femoral/TR bands)
  • Initiate and titrate drips including Cardizem, Amiodarone, Cardene, Nitro, Insulin, Heparin
  • Strong neuro assessments and NIHSS
  • Sepsis care
  • Chest tube management
  • Peripheral IV insertion
  • Strong assessment and critical thinking skills

Additional Notes

• No local candidates within a 40-mile radius will be considered
• Weekly orientation in July prior to start date (starting 7/6)
• GSA hours not guaranteed during orientation week