Travel Stepdown Nurse Jobs

The agencies on Vivian that currently have the most Travel Surgical Stepdown Nurse jobs are Vibra Travels (449), TotalMed Staffing (357), and RNnetwork (333).

As of Thursday, April 25th 2024, Vivian has 203 Staff Nursing jobs listed. These jobs pay $44 per hour on average, with the highest-paying job listed up to $66 per hour.

As of Thursday, April 25th 2024, Vivian has 43 listings for local contract Nursing jobs. These jobs pay $56 per hour on average, and up to $72 per hour for the top-paying job listed.

Take a look at Vivian's Travel Surgical Stepdown Nurse Career Guide for more information, including required education, responsibilities, pros and cons and more.

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.

The first step towards a career as a SICU stepdown travel nurse is completing the registered nurse licensing process, which starts with education. The minimum educational requirement to become an RN is an associate degree but some facilities prefer a bachelor’s degree from an accredited nursing program. Graduates must pass the NCLEX-RN exam and fulfill any other licensing requirements in the state of practice or the prospective nurse’s home state if they’re pursuing a multistate license through the Nurse Licensure Compact.

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