Palliative Care RN
Columbus, Ohio
Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital

Registered Nurse – Palliative Care (Travel/Contract)

Location: Columbus, Ohio
Contract Length: 16 weeks

Job Overview

• Work primarily on a palliative care unit focused on symptom management for patients undergoing treatment (e.g., uncontrolled pain, severe nausea/vomiting, fatigue).
• Opportunity to enhance palliative care skills and float to other high-acuity medical-surgical units.
• Rotating 12-hour shifts (day and night), scheduled in 3 shifts per week (36 hours/week). Shift assignments reviewed every 4 weeks but may change based on staffing needs.

Required Qualifications

• Valid Registered Nurse (RN) license in Ohio.
• Minimum 2 years of telemetry nursing experience, with telemetry experience within the last year.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification issued by the American Heart Association.
• Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) or Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN).
• Experience with Epic electronic health record system.

Certifications & Competencies

• BLS (AHA Instructor/Provider or RQI acceptable; letter of completion not accepted).
• Unit-specific competency exams required, including:

  • Medication/Pharmacology competency exam (required prior to start).
  • Dysrhythmia/EKG competency exam within 1 year of start (with remediation process if needed).

Background & Credentialing Requirements

• 7-year criminal background check within 90 days of start, including SS trace, counties lived/worked, nationwide search, sex offender registry, and motor vehicle record if driving is required.
• FBI and BCI fingerprinting required within 1 year of start using specific Ohio codes; new fingerprinting required if break in service exceeds 90 days or results are older than 1 year.
• Education verification from an accredited nursing program (CCNE, ACEN, or NLN CNEA).
• License verification within 30 days of start.
• Employment application and skills checklist required.
• Two professional references required, including at least one from a manager or formal leadership.

Health & Immunization Requirements

• Physical exam within 1 year of start confirming good health and freedom from contagious disease.
• Negative TB test (PPD, QGold, or TSPOT) within 1 year or annual TB questionnaire.
• Immunizations or positive titers required for:

  • Measles (Rubeola) – 2 MMR vaccines or positive titer.
  • Mumps – 2 MMR vaccines or positive titer.
  • Rubella – 2 MMR vaccines or positive titer.
  • Varicella – 2 vaccines or positive titer (medical exemptions require documentation).
  • Hepatitis B – Titer or 3-vaccine series (declination acceptable).
  • Tdap – Adult dose required (not acceptable: TD vaccine, DTaP, or declination if working with infants or pregnant patients).
• Negative 10-panel drug screen within 3 months of start (includes amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cannabinoids, cocaine, methadone, methaqualone, opiates, PCP, propoxyphene).
• Seasonal flu vaccination or declination required during flu season (10/1–3/31); decliners must wear a mask.
• Fit mask test required annually for inpatient/patient-facing roles starting 7/13/2026 and beyond; onsite fit testing available if needed.
• COVID-19 vaccination not required but strongly recommended.

Shift Details

• 12-hour shifts, 3 shifts per week (36 hours/week).
• Day shift: 7:00 AM – 7:30 PM
• Night shift: 7:00 PM – 7:30 AM
• Rotating schedule with possible day, night, or combination shifts.

Additional Notes

• Candidates must be willing to comply with dress code and hand hygiene policies.
• Fraud, waste, and abuse training certificate required prior to start and updated annually.
• Annual review and acknowledgment of ethics and compliance policies required.
• Background check and fingerprinting results must be clear prior to start; pending fingerprint attestations accepted under specific conditions.
• Parking permits available for purchase but not included with assignment.

This position is ideal for medical-surgical nurses seeking to develop palliative care expertise in a high-acuity environment with travel flexibility.