Care Career is seeking a travel nurse RN PCU - Progressive Care Unit for a travel nursing job in Des Moines, Iowa, Iowa.
Job Description & Requirements
- Specialty: PCU - Progressive Care Unit
- Discipline: RN
- Start Date: 11/02/2026
- Duration: 13 weeks
- 36 hours per week
- Shift: 12 hours, days
- Employment Type: Travel
Schedule & Assignment Details
- Shift: Night Shift
- Schedule: 4×12-hour shifts | 48 hours/week
- Flexible Schedule: 3×12-hour shifts may be accommodated
- Contract Duration: 13 weeks
- Call: No call
- Weekend Rotation: Usually every other weekend or every third weekend, including holiday rotation
- EMR: Epic
- Holiday Requirement: Must work 1–2 of the next 3 winter holidays unless the unit is closed
- Local Radius Rule: Candidates must live at least 50 miles from the facility, based on driver's license address
- Floating: Must float across all campuses — Iowa Methodist Medical Center and Iowa Lutheran Hospital — and potentially other Med-Surg units
Responsibilities & Patient Population
- Provide care for post-TNK patients, orthopedic patients, neurosurgery patients, laminectomies, and polytrauma patients.
- Manage patients requiring neurological and medical-surgical monitoring.
- Administer and monitor heparin drips, PCA pumps, and 3% sodium solutions.
- Monitor telemetry, chest tubes, and Airvo equipment.
- Utilize patient lift equipment for safe patient handling.
- Maintain a patient ratio of 1:5–6.
- Work on a 25-bed unit.
Required Experience
- 24 months of recent Stepdown, Progressive Care, or Medical-Surgical experience in a hospital or medical center.
- Neuro/neurology care experience.
- Orthopedic care experience.
- Epic EMR experience.
- At least one completed travel contract within the past 12 months; first-time travelers are not accepted.
- Experience with lift equipment, telemetry, chest tubes, and Airvo.
- Experience administering heparin drips and PCA pumps.
- Trauma experience: Highly preferred.
- 3% sodium administration: Preferred.
- ACLS: Nice to have.
Required Licenses & Certifications
- Active Iowa RN license or compact/multistate RN license at submission.
- AHA or American Red Cross BLS.
- NIHSS — required; may be obtained during onboarding.
Submission Documents
- Updated resume showing at least 24 months of current, relevant experience.
- Skills checklist specific to Medical-Surgical or Medical-Surgical/Telemetry.
- Active Iowa or compact/multistate license documentation.
- Driver's license to verify the 50-mile radius requirement.
- Current BLS certification.
- Professional reference or performance evaluation from a charge nurse, supervisor, nurse manager, director, CNO, or COO within the last 24 months is preferred.
Pay Multipliers & Additional Rates
- OT/Holiday: 1.15× multiplier.
- Call-back: 1.5× multiplier, with a 2-hour minimum.
- On-call rate: $9/hour, although the assignment states no call.
- Charge/Preceptor differential: $6/hour.
- NBO: 16 hours.
Important Submission Notes - Candidates are being interviewed quickly; expect a phone call or text from a 405 area code. - Previous UPH employees who worked as FTEs or PRN in the UPH float pool within the past 12 months are ineligible for travel assignments in another market. Former UPH travelers are exempt from this separation policy. - The listed OT billing information is inconsistent regarding the 36–40, 40, and 48-hour thresholds. Confirm the applicable overtime rules before submission.
About Care Career
Care Career brings together a portfolio of leading healthcare staffing organizations, each delivering specialized talent solutions across the industry. Wherever you want to go, We Make It Happen.
With travel nursing jobs across the country, you can discover the possibilities that create the lifestyle and financial position that you have dreamed of.
Care Career is a modern, transparent staffing firm creating the ultimate community of US.
Benefits
- Referral bonus
- Weekly pay
- Medical benefits
- Continuing Education
- Dental benefits
- Vision benefits