Travel Stepdown Nurse Jobs

For jobs available on Vivian as of Tuesday, June 6th 2023, the average weekly salary for a Travel Surgical Stepdown Nurse is $2,193, but can pay up to $4,219 per week.

The agencies on Vivian that currently have the most Travel Surgical Stepdown Nurse jobs are OneStaff Medical (440), TotalMed Staffing (426), and Host Healthcare (412).

A surgical ICU stepdown nurse is a registered nurse who specializes in caring for post-operative patients who don’t require an intensive level of care in the surgical ICU but aren’t stable enough for a general med-surg setting. SICU stepdown nurses provide effective transitional care to a diverse patient population who’ve undergone various surgeries. Patients admitted to a surgical stepdown unit usually require close cardiac monitoring, continuous pulse-oximetry, and more frequent assessments and interventions.

The surgical ICU stepdown unit is a specific type of stepdown unit meant for patients that have had or need surgical treatments. Patients sent to a SICU stepdown unit need consistent monitoring and frequent assessments and interventions, so SICU stepdown nurses typically only care for two to four patients at a time based on the specific needs of each patient. Although duties can vary based on the patients’ needs, some common tasks include:

SICU stepdown nurses primarily work in hospital settings within surgical departments. The surgical departments they work in may specialize in different surgical procedures, such as cardiovascular surgery or neurosurgery. SICU stepdown nurses also may be employed by surgical centers, especially if there’s an ICU at the facility.

Good surgical ICU stepdown nurses possess advanced critical care skills and an effective blend of technical and soft skills. Two especially vital skills are assessment and critical-thinking skills, which allow them to accurately anticipate required interventions and quickly respond to the changing needs of post-surgical patients. They are able to determine when a patient is decompensating and needs a higher level of care in the ICU. Surgical stepdown nurses have excellent verbal and nonverbal communication and interpersonal skills to help them interact with various patient populations and healthcare professionals. They are teamwork-oriented and remain calm under pressure while providing compassionate patient care. Successful SICU stepdown nurses are proficient in electronic hospital management systems and record-keeping. Multitasking, attention to detail, organization, and time management skills are also essential for a good SICU stepdown nurse.

Surgical ICU Stepdown nurses may hold BLS - Basic Life Support or ACLS - Advanced Cardiac Life Support among others.