Mother Baby Registered Nurse
Boise, Idaho
St. Luke's Boise Medical Center

Registered Nurse (Mother Baby Unit) - Travel Assignment

Location: Boise, Idaho
Contract Length: 13 weeks
Shift: Nights (7:00 PM – 7:30 AM)
Hours per Week: 36 hours (12-hour shifts)

Unit Overview

• Mother/Baby unit with 32 maternal beds and room for 32 babies (couplet care)
• Approximately 350-400 births per month
• Staffing ratio goal: 3 couplets per nurse (1:6 ratio), with magnesium patients at 1:4 ratio
• Occasional variations in ratios due to discharges or twins
• Locked unit with CNAs and unit clerk/health unit coordinator support
• Lactation consultants available; use of ABM (Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up Model)
• Contracted staff handle hearing screens, photography, car seat safety, newborn screenings, and lab metabolic screenings

Patient Population & Care

• Postpartum mothers, well babies, some higher-risk maternal patients
• Common cases: magnesium drips, twins, c-sections (no major GYN surgeries beyond tubals), circumcision, frenectomy
• Neonatologist available 24/7 in NICU for emergencies
• Newbornist/APP available 24/7 during the day
• Obstetrics hospitalist and anesthesia in-house 24/7
• Occasional oxygen support for mothers; babies needing more than supplemental oxygen transferred to NICU
• Rare telemetry patients, mostly moms with cardiac history

Required Certifications

• BLS (Basic Life Support)
• NRP (Neonatal Resuscitation Program)
• STABLE certification

Experience & Skills

• Must have experience in a similar Mother/Baby setting if only 1 year of RN experience
• Preferred: 2 years of experience and familiarity with magnesium drip management
• RNs are required to titrate drips such as magnesium and Pitocin per postpartum protocols

Scheduling & Work Environment

• 12-hour night shifts, scheduled by managers to fill gaps
• Weekend requirement: Every other weekend or as needed
• Holiday work expected as needed
• No formal call or standby requirement, but occasional pick-up shifts possible
• Floating required to nearby hospitals (Meridian, Nampa) for similar patient assignments and occasional patient sitters on other floors
• Dress code: Clean, respectable scrubs of any solid or print color; closed-toed and heeled shoes (no crocs)

Orientation

• 2-3 shifts of orientation including night shifts and weekends as needed
• Initial orientation includes floating to nearby hospitals

Documentation & Equipment

• Charting system: Epic
• Telemetry monitoring is rare; RNs may need to read their own strips occasionally

Summary

This is a 13-week travel RN assignment on a Mother/Baby unit requiring BLS, NRP, and STABLE certifications. The role involves caring for postpartum mothers and well babies, managing magnesium and Pitocin drips, and working 12-hour night shifts with floating responsibilities. Prior experience in a similar setting is required if the nurse has only 1 year of experience; 2 years preferred. The unit supports a high-acuity patient population with 24/7 in-house specialists and uses Epic for documentation.