Travel Nurse RN - PICU - Pediatric Intensive Care
Saint Louis, MA
Care Career
3x12 hrs, Rotating
Referral Bonus

Job Breakdown – Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) RN

Facility: St. Louis Children's Hospital
Specialty: PICU RN
Start Date: 11/16/2026
Contract Duration: Confirm actual assignment length; posting lists 70 weeks
Shift: Rotating days and nights

• Days: 7:00 AM – 7:30 PM
• Nights: 7:00 PM – 7:30 AM

Schedule Options:

• 3×12 hours = 36 guaranteed hours/week
• 4×12 hours = 48 guaranteed hours/week

Patient Ratio: 1:2
Unit Beds: 40
Facility Beds: 455
Charting: Epic
Orientation: 36 hours
First-Time Travelers: Accepted

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 18–24 months of PICU experience.
• Current BLS and PALS certifications.
• Epic experience is required.
• Strong pediatric critical care experience.
• Ability to manage ventilated patients and acute airway care.
• Experience with IV starts, central lines, PICC lines, chest tubes, gastric/NG tubes, and suctioning.
• Telemetry monitoring and interpretation.
• Ability to manage high-acuity pediatric patients.

Preferred experience: Level I Trauma, ECMO, CRRT, postoperative care, liver transplants, sepsis, and post-bone marrow transplant (BMT) care.

Patient Population & Clinical Skills

Patients include neonates, infants, children, and adolescents.

Common diagnoses and care needs:

• Respiratory failure and ventilator management.
• Postoperative critical care.
• Sepsis and complex transplant patients.
• Increased intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring.
• Cardiac and respiratory monitoring.
• COVID-19 patients.

Important: The unit does not provide burn care beyond stabilization and does not manage heart-related cases or bedside surgeries/procedures as described in the posting.

Floating Requirements

Floating is mandatory and may include:

• NICU.
• CVICU / Heart Center.
• Stepdown.
• PICU overflow and lower-acuity medical-surgical floors.
• RN assistant duties, including 1:1 observation for patient safety or behavioral health needs.

Candidates must be comfortable floating within their scope of practice.

Weekend & Scheduling Requirements

• Six weekend shifts per schedule period.
• No on-call requirement listed.
• Block scheduling is not accommodated.
• Confirm whether the candidate prefers 3×12 or 4×12 shifts.
• No local candidates within a 75-mile radius.
• Parking is paid; daily garage rates range up to $15 for 6–24 hours.

Time-Off Policy — Strict

• Maximum 7 days of RTO without manager approval.
• RTO exceeding 7 days and holiday RTO require manager approval.
• All RTO must be finalized at submission.
• No new RTO or schedule requests after submission, offer, or start.
• No RTO during the first week.

License & Compliance

• Missouri license: Submission without the license may be accepted, but an MO or eligible compact license is required before issuance.
• Compact license must match the candidate's permanent residence; otherwise, an update and ETA are required.
• Confirm the required state license based on the facility and candidate's eligibility.
• Labs must be completed within 48–72 hours of signing.
• Compliance documents are due by 3:00 PM CST on the Monday before the week of the start date.
• Fit testing is required; facial hair must permit a proper fit test, or the traveler must shave.
• No modules required.
• Returning staff generally require 18 months of tenure with a 3-month break in service; former permanent employees across BJC/St. Luke's must wait 1 year before returning as travelers.

Vaccination Requirements

• COVID-19 vaccine: Not required.
• Flu vaccine: Required; medical or religious exemptions accepted.

Best Candidate Profile

A PICU RN with at least 18–24 months of pediatric critical care experience, current BLS/PALS, Epic proficiency, and strong ventilator, airway, line, and critical-care management skills. The candidate must be comfortable with a 1:2 ratio, rotating day/night shifts, and floating to NICU, CVICU, Stepdown, and overflow units.

Confirm Before Submission

1. Exact contract duration and end date.
2. Whether the candidate prefers 36 or 48 hours per week.
3. Required state license based on the facility's location and compact eligibility.
4. Candidate's ability to float to NICU, CVICU, Stepdown, and 1:1 observation assignments.
5. RTO and holiday availability.
6. Weekly pay and facility-specific details.