PCU Cardiac Stepdown RN
Yuma, Arizona
Yuma Regional Medical Center

PCU Cardiac/Intermediate Care RN

Overview

• Role: RN (Registered Nurse)
• Unit: PCU Cardiac/Intermediate Care, 36 beds (described in the posting as a Med Surg/Telemetry unit)
• Location: Yuma, Arizona
• Contract length: 13 weeks
• Shift: Days, 12 hours per day, 36 hours per week
• Start date: Not flexible
• Radius rule: 100 miles

Required Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience
• Active BLS
• Required certifications: BLS, ACLS, NIHSS (AHA or APEX)
• Must have PCU, Stepdown, or Telemetry experience on this unit
• Prior travel experience required: no first-time travelers; must have completed one successful travel assignment
• Travelers must have experience with all of the following drips: amiodarone, cardizem, dobutamine, dopamine, heparin, start nitro, insulin

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with TAVR and CABG (core staff usually take these patients)

Patient Population

• Common diagnoses: CHF, NSTEMI, MI, heart block, pacer, TAVR, CABG day 2, cath patients after sheath removal, Watchman, bradycardia, VT, and general PCU overflow (respiratory failure, low BPs, low hemoglobin, sepsis, post-surgical, etc.)
• Cardiac focus: The unit has a cardiac focus.
• Equipment: BiPAP, high flow, and stable trach patients. RNs do not perform tasks beyond troubleshooting.
• Telemetry: Travelers must read telemetry. A dedicated monitor tech is also on the unit.

Staffing and Ratios

• Nurse-to-patient ratios: Days 1:4, Nights 1:5. Mixed MS and PCU patients may be 1:4–5, and all MS patients are 1:5.
• Charge nurse: Free of assignment and avoids giving assignments (may take a couple of patients on very rare occasions).
• Nurse aides/patient care techs: PCA ratio of 8–12 patients per person, potentially less.
• Float scope: May float to ICU (within patient population) and MS floors.

Schedule

• Weekends: 4 weekend days per month (Saturday and Sunday days; Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights)
• Holidays: 3 of 5
• Call/standby: Low census for a full or partial day
• Scheduling: Charge nurse creates the schedule to balance unit needs and considers traveler requests (6:45–7:15a)

Orientation and Attire

• Orientation: 3 shifts, 7a–7p: 1 clinical education shift, 1 day on the floor, and 1 additional orientation shift
• Scrub color: Navy blue