Travel Nurse RN - Med/Surg / Telemetry in Bakersfield, CA

Care for a diverse patient population including acute and chronic medical conditions, post-surgical patients (including total joints), urology, GYN, podiatry, general surgery, and potential stroke patients. Key Responsibilities Provide direct patient care on a 27-bed Med-Surg/Telemetry unit at nurse-to-patient ratios of 1:4 for telemetry patients and 1:5 for Med-Surg patients (mixed teams maintain a 1:4 ratio).

Job Title

Registered Nurse (RN) – Medical Surgical / Telemetry

Location

Bakersfield, CA | Acute Care

Schedule / Job Type

Contract | Night Shift | 12-hour shifts (7:00 PM – 7:30 AM) | Expected 4 weekend shifts per 4-week schedule | Holiday requirement applies

Key Responsibilities

• Provide direct patient care on a 27-bed Med-Surg/Telemetry unit at nurse-to-patient ratios of 1:4 for telemetry patients and 1:5 for Med-Surg patients (mixed teams maintain a 1:4 ratio)
• Care for a diverse patient population including acute and chronic medical conditions, post-surgical patients (including total joints), urology, GYN, podiatry, general surgery, and potential stroke patients
• Read, interpret, and co-sign telemetry strips transmitted from remote Philips monitoring system; monitor tech provides initial sign-off, but RN sign-off is also required
• Manage set-rate drips including Heparin; no cardiac drips or ventilators on this unit (CPAP/BiPAP administered per RT and MD order)
• Participate in shift huddles at 0700 and 1900; collaborate with house supervisors, nurse shift managers, charge nurses, and break nurses
• Adhere to floating requirements as a traveler, including potential float to other Med-Surg Telemetry units, ICU (for Med-Surg Tele patients), or ER (for Med-Surg Tele holds)

Required Qualifications

• Active RN license valid in California
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification required
• Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) certification required
• NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) certification required
• Minimum 2 years of RN experience in a Med-Surg and/or Telemetry setting
• Comfort and experience working with post-surgical populations, including total joint patients

Preferred Experience / Skills

• Experience with Cerner electronic health records system
• Familiarity with remote telemetry monitoring and strip interpretation
• Prior experience floating across Med-Surg, Telemetry, ICU, or ER environments

Why Join Us

• Structured unit with 24/7 house supervisor coverage, dedicated charge and break nurses each shift, and CNA support based on census — providing a strong team environment for traveling clinicians
• Streamlined onboarding with a 1–2 shift preceptor orientation to help you acclimate quickly and confidently