Travel Neuro ICU Nurse Jobs

For jobs available on Vivian as of Saturday, February 4th 2023, the average weekly salary for a Travel Neuro ICU Nurse is $2,553, but can pay up to $4,012 per week.

The agencies on Vivian that currently have the most Travel Neuro ICU Nurse jobs are Jackson Nurse Professionals (13), Amare Medical Network (12), and MedPro Healthcare Staffing (12).

Neuro ICU nurses, also called neurocritical care nurses, are registered nurses who specialize in treating patients with life-threatening neurological problems. Patients are closely monitored, receive around the clock care, and may suffer from stroke, post-operative brain tumor, traumatic brain injuries, or various neurological illnesses, such as encephalitis, meningitis, or Parkinson’s disease. To ensure undivided attention to the most critical patients, some facilities limit the number of patients a neuro ICU nurse cares for each shift.

Some neuro ICU duties are similar to those of other critical care nursing positions, but there are also tasks specific to caring for patients with serious neurological issues. Adverse vital sign changes aren’t always evident when neuro patients, so neuro ICU nurses rely on specific neuro assessments for conscious and unconscious patients. These assessments are performed frequently, often hourly, or more frequently depending on the patient’s needs.

Neuro ICU nurses generally work at hospitals large enough to have a neuro intensive care unit, which often are large academic hospitals. They work with patients with all types of neurological issues, including brain tumors, hemorrhages, strokes, epilepsy, head or spinal trauma, and central nervous system infections. Neuro nurses may also work in a combination trauma/neuro ICU for patients with traumatic brain injuries.

Neuro intensive care nurses have advanced critical care training, knowledge, and skills. They’re skilled at learning new concepts quickly and are continually seeking advanced education in basic neuroanatomy, neuro assessment, neurophysiology, and emergency neuro resuscitation. They also possess specialized knowledge of neurological tools, such as electroencephalography, and specific body mechanics, such as intracranial pressure. Neuro ICU nurses have superior verbal and nonverbal communication skills to communicate with patients who may have lost the ability to speak. They have excellent teamwork skills to work with a diverse set of healthcare professionals staffing the neuro ICU. Good neuro ICU nurses also possess healthy doses of compassion, empathy, and patience.

Neuro ICU travel nurses must be registered nurses, which requires education from an accredited nursing program. While the minimum requirement is an associate degree, some facilities prefer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Graduates must also pass the NCLEX-RN exam and complete all licensing requirements to become an RN. Neuro ICU nurses must also complete Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support certifications.

Neuro intensive care nurses nurses commonly hold Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC) or Certification in Acute/Critical Care Nursing (CCRN) among others.