Travel Nurse RN - Med Surg - $2,383 per week

First Connect Health is seeking a travel nurse RN Med Surg for a travel nursing job in Ottawa, Illinois.

Job Description & Requirements

• Specialty: Med Surg
• Discipline: RN
• Start Date: 10/19/2026
• Duration: 13 weeks
• 36 hours per week
• Shift: 12 hours, nights
• Employment Type: Travel

Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse (RN)

Position: Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse (RN)
Department: SEMC – Med/Surg
Beds: 48
Patient Population: Adult Medical/Surgical with occasional pediatric respiratory patients
Shift: 12-Hour Shifts
Day: 7:00 AM – 7:30 PM
Night: 7:30 PM – 7:00 AM
Weekend: May include 4 weekend shifts in a 6-week schedule
Holiday: Every 3rd Holiday
Orientation: Usually 3 Shifts

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse (RN) to join a 48-bed acute medical-surgical unit. The unit cares for a diverse medical and surgical patient population, including patients with pneumonia, heart failure, sepsis, COPD, urologic conditions, and post-surgical needs.

The ideal candidate will have strong clinical judgment, excellent communication skills, and a collaborative approach to working with Patient Care Technicians (PCTs) and the interdisciplinary team.

Required Certifications

• BLS – Required
• ACLS – Required
• PALS – Preferred

Experience Requirements

• 2+ years of Med/Surg experience preferred
• Previous travel nursing experience preferred
• Strong medical-surgical assessment and patient-care skills
• Excellent teamwork and communication
• Ability to effectively collaborate with PCTs and other members of the care team

Unit Details

Total Beds: 48

Nurse-to-Patient Ratios

• Days: 1:5
• Nights: 1:6
• Nurses generally begin shifts at approximately 1:5

PCT Staffing

• PCT ratio approximately 1:8–10
• RNs are expected to maintain regular communication and oversight with PCTs.
• Unit follows approximately three daily touchpoints with PCTs.
• Touchpoints focus on:
  • Foley care
  • CHG bathing
  • Oral care
  • Overall patient care needs
  • Plan of care communication
• RN is responsible for oversight and collaboration to ensure assigned patient care is completed appropriately.

Common Patient Population

The unit provides care for a variety of acute medical and surgical conditions, including:

• Pneumonia
• Heart failure
• Sepsis
• COPD
• Urologic conditions
• General surgical patients
• Total joint replacement patients
• Other acute medical conditions
• Occasional pediatric respiratory illness

IV Drips

• RNs are not required to titrate drips on this unit.
• No specific titratable or set-rate drips are identified.

Respiratory Support

Patients may require:

• BiPAP – generally stable patients on a home BiPAP regimen who are alert
• High-flow oxygen

RNs should be comfortable monitoring these patients and providing appropriate troubleshooting/support within their scope.

Telemetry

• Telemetry monitoring is utilized on the unit.
• RNs are responsible for monitoring telemetry strips.

Leadership & Support

• Charge Nurse available
• Administrative Supervisor available
• PCTs provide support at approximately a 1:8–10 ratio

Schedule

Day Shift: 7:00 AM – 7:30 PM
Night Shift: 7:30 PM – 7:00 AM

• 12-hour shifts
• Scheduling is managed through API
• Unit Manager schedules based on the greatest staffing needs
• Staff receive a 30-minute uninterrupted break within the first 5 hours of the shift, in accordance with state requirements.

Weekend Requirement

Weekend requirements may include:

• 4 weekend shifts within a 6-week schedule

Holiday Requirement

• Every 3rd holiday

Low Census / Standby

Low-census situations may occur.

• Low census will initially be assigned for 4 hours.
• Census will be re-evaluated every 4 hours based on staffing and patient needs.

Floating Requirements

Travelers may be required to float based on operational needs.

Potential assignments include:

ICU

• May float to ICU for general acute-care overflow patients.

Peru Campus

• May float to the Peru Campus, approximately 25 miles from Ottawa, based on staffing needs.
• Candidates will be notified at least 2 hours before the start of the shift when floating to the Peru Campus.

Dress Code

• Solid-color scrubs
• Tasteful prints/styles are expected
• Generally, no prints

Orientation

• Usually 3 unit-specific orientation shifts
• Orientation will be based on the clinician's experience and unit needs.

OSF Assignment Policies

Local Rate

• Applies to clinicians whose permanent address is within 50 miles.
• Local bill rate is $25 lower than the regular and OT bill rates.

Call-Off Policy

• Equivalent of 12 hours per 13-week assignment
• No penalty or requirement to pay for the missed shift under the stated OSF policy.

Orientation

• 12 hours of orientation are non-billable.
• Guaranteed hours do not apply during orientation.

Submission Requirements

The following information is required for submission:

• Last 4 digits of the clinician's SSN
• Clinician's middle initial
• Requested Time Off (RTO)
• Active Illinois RN license, or confirmation that the license application process has been initiated
• Candidate must understand that OSF is a Drug-Free Campus
• Candidate must successfully produce a negative drug screen for all required panels

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a skilled Med/Surg RN with at least 2 years of experience who demonstrates strong clinical judgment, communication, teamwork, and accountability. Candidates should be comfortable caring for complex medical and surgical patients, collaborating closely with PCTs, monitoring telemetry, and floating to other units or campuses when required.

Akshay #1179630

About First Connect Health

Benefits

• Sick pay
• 401k retirement plan
• Weekly pay
• Referral bonus