Progressive Care Unit Registered Nurse
Tucson, Arizona
Carondelet Saint Mary's Hospital

PCU Nurse Opportunity - Tucson, Arizona

Employment Type: Long Term
Shift: 12-hour nights (7:00 PM - 7:30 AM)
Start Date: ASAP, weekly starts
Weekend Requirement: Yes
Float Requirement: Within skillset if needed (may float to NSO, ON, and Tele units)
Length of Assignment: 13 weeks

Unit Details

• 21-bed Progressive Care Unit (PCU)
• Nurse-to-patient ratio: 1:4
• Patient Age Groups: Adults and Geriatric

Common Diagnoses and Procedures

• Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
• Atrial Fibrillation with Rapid Ventricular Response (Afib w/RVR)
• Hypoxia / Shortness of Breath (SOB)
• Status Post (S/P) Cardiac Catheterization Lab Visit (CCLV)
• S/P Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) / Valve surgery with chest tube and epicardial wires
• S/P Endarterectomy
• Use of BiPAP or CPAP
• Vapotherm (high flow oxygen therapy)
• Stable airway/tracheostomy (not requiring frequent suctioning)
• Arterial lines (A-lines)
• S/P Pacemaker (PPM) / Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) insertion
• S/P Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) / Thoracotomy

Special Procedures and Monitoring

• Arterial sheath removal
• Invasive hemodynamic monitoring
• Thrombolytic administration
• Assessment and therapeutic interventions every 2-4 hours
• CHEETAH monitoring

Common Equipment

• Vapotherm (high flow oxygen)
• Arterial lines (A-lines)
• TR bands
• IV pumps
• Wound vacs
• Chest tubes
• Epicardial wires with pacer box
• Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA)
• Epidural

Medication and Drip Management

• Titrate vasoactive drips including:

  • Nicardipine
  • Nitroglycerin (up to 100 mcg)
  • Amiodarone bolus and drip
  • Dopamine
  • Dobutamine and Milrinone at set rates

Additional Information

• Navy blue scrubs required