**Job Title:** Registered Nurse
**Job Specialty:** Step Down Cardiac Care
**Job Duration:** 13 weeks
**Shift:** Night 3x12-Hour (18:45 - 07:15)
**Guaranteed Hours:** Not specified
**Experience:** Minimum of 2 years required. Unit will accept first-time travelers with the required experience.
**License:** NC or Compact license required at the time of start.
**Certifications:** ACLS, BCLS
**Must-Have:**
- Telemetry skills
- Interpretation and management of dysrhythmias
- Arterial Line Management (self-rating of 2 to 3)
- Titratable Cardiac and Vasoactive Drips (self-rating of at least 3)
**Job Description:**
- Nurse to patient ratios vary from 1:3-6 depending on patient acuity, with a maximum of 4 patients for the Intermediate Care Cardiac Unit.
- Float requirement; required to float within scope as needed.
- Weekend requirement: must work 4-5 weekend shifts every 6 weeks.
- Patient population consists mostly of post-operative cardiothoracic surgery and structural heart patients, including open-heart surgery and thoracotomy patients POD 1, TAVR and VATS surgeries, and esophagogastrostomy patients.
- Nurses must maintain a-lines, titratable gtts, BIPAP, trachs, heated high flow, epidurals & PCAs, temporary epicardial pacemakers, blake drains, chest tubes, etc.
- Patients typically downgrade to cardiac telemetry during their post-op recovery and stay until discharge home; includes overflow cardiac and medical intermediate patients.
- High-level critical thinking skills and cardiac knowledge required to confidently care for patients in a fast-paced environment.
- Special equipment includes bedside monitors in all rooms.
- Unit systems include PYXSIS, Dimensions/Epic, SBAR.
- Scheduling type is self-scheduling.
- Orientation includes 24 hours of unit orientation and 8 hours on modules (non-billable).
- Must pass EKG testing prior to start for this specialty.
- Must complete required modules pre-start and annually, with hours varying by specialty.
Candidates should be comfortable floating to other units based on skill sets and census and be open to working on different units if they are part of a travel pair.