Travel Nurse RN - Med Surg - $2,419 per week

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

Job Description & Requirements

• Specialty: Med Surg
• Discipline: RN
• Start Date: 10/26/2026
• Duration: 13 weeks
• 36 hours per week
• Shift: 12 hours, nights
• Employment Type: Travel

Surgical Acute Care Registered Nurse (RN)

Department: Surgical Acute Care
Unit Size: 63 beds — 49 private rooms and 9 observation beds
Shift: 12-hour shifts
Day Shift: 7:00 AM–7:30 PM
Night Shift: 7:30 PM–7:30 AM
Weekend Requirement: Every other weekend
Holiday Requirement: Every other holiday
Call/Standby: None

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Surgical Acute Care Registered Nurse (RN) to provide high-quality care to post-operative surgical, trauma, and medical overflow patients. The ideal candidate will have strong post-operative nursing experience, sound clinical judgment, excellent bedside manner, and the ability to work collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team.

The unit has 63 beds, including 49 private beds and 9 observation beds.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive nursing care to surgical and acute-care patients.
• Care for post-operative and trauma patients throughout their recovery.
• Assess patients and identify changes in condition requiring intervention.
• Perform wound care, dressing changes, and drain management.
• Manage IV therapy and administer medications and treatments.
• Care for patients with NG tubes, central lines, and TPN.
• Provide effective pain management and monitor patient response.
• Collaborate with physicians, PCTs, respiratory therapists, and other members of the healthcare team.
• Maintain accurate and timely patient documentation.
• Demonstrate sound clinical judgment and critical-thinking skills.
• Ask for assistance when needed and contribute positively to a team-oriented environment.
• Provide compassionate, professional bedside care to patients and families.

Required Qualifications

• Current Registered Nurse (RN) license or eligibility as required by the facility.
• Current BLS certification.
• Experience caring for post-operative surgical patients.
• Strong clinical assessment and critical-thinking skills.
• Ability to manage multiple patients in a fast-paced acute-care environment.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills.
• Excellent bedside manner.

Common Patient Types & Clinical Skills

The Surgical Acute Care unit commonly manages:

• Post-operative surgical patients
• Trauma patients
• Medical overflow patients
• Wound care and dressing changes
• IV therapy
• Pain management
• Drain management
• NG tubes
• Central lines
• TPN

Medication & Drip Management

• RNs are not routinely required to titrate drips.
• Heparin is the primary drip managed on the unit.

Patient Ratios

• Days: Typically 1 RN to 4–5 patients.
• Nights: Typically 1 RN to 5–6 patients.
• Ratios may increase to 1:6 on days and 1:7 on nights when necessary.

Unit Staffing & Support

• Charge Nurses: Two pre-assigned Charge RNs on each shift.
• Charge nurses do not take patient assignments.
• House Supervisor: Available 24/7.
• PCTs:
  • Days: Approximately 1 PCT for 7–10 patients.
  • Nights: Approximately 1 PCT for 10–15 patients.
• PCT responsibilities include:
  • Vital signs
  • Accu-checks
  • Activities of daily living
  • Turning/repositioning
  • Ambulation

Respiratory Support

The unit does not utilize mechanical ventilators.

Available respiratory support includes:

• CPAP
• High-flow oxygen

Respiratory Therapists manage nebulizer treatments. RNs administer inhalers and may place patients on CPAP as appropriate.

Telemetry

• Some patients are monitored on telemetry.
• Philips telemetry equipment is used.
• A central monitoring station is staffed by Monitor Technicians.
• Bedside RNs are not responsible for independently reading telemetry strips.

Schedule & Scheduling

• Days: 7:00 AM–7:30 PM
• Nights: 7:30 PM–7:30 AM
• Travelers do not self-schedule.
• Block scheduling may be considered and must be approved at the time of contract.

Weekend Requirement

• Every other weekend.
• Weekend shifts are Saturday and Sunday.

Holiday Requirement

• Rotate every other holiday.

Call Requirement

• No call or standby requirement.

Floating Requirements

Travelers are generally first to float when staffing needs require it.

• Travelers may float to units requiring a similar level of experience.
• If an ICU RN is floated to a general unit, the RN will take a team of approximately 3 patients.

Dress Code

• Any scrub color is acceptable.

Orientation

Department-specific orientation includes:

• 2 shifts with a preceptor
• 1 additional 12-hour shift covering Epic, professional orientation, and unit-specific education with the unit educator

Submission Requirements

Candidates submitted for consideration must provide:

• Last four (4) digits of Social Security Number
• Middle initial
• Requested time off
• Active Illinois license or confirmation that the license application process has been initiated
• Confirmation that the candidate understands OSF's Drug-Free Campus policy and will successfully complete the required negative drug screen for all panels

OSF Important Notes

Local Rate: Applies to clinicians whose permanent address is within 50 miles. A $25 reduction applies to regular and overtime bill rates.

Call-Off Policy: Clinicians may call off the equivalent of 12 hours every 13 weeks without penalty or the requirement to pay for the shift.

Orientation:12 hours of orientation are non-billable, and guaranteed hours do not apply during orientation.

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About First Connect Health

Benefits

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