Progressive Care Unit (PCU) Registered Nurse (RN) General Information This position is for a Progressive Care Unit (PCU) Registered Nurse (RN) with a focus on cardiac and vascular patients. The unit has a total of 44 beds and operates a mixed acuity model, which includes Intermediate Care, Telemetry, and Medical-Surgical patients. Patient Types • Direct admits, Emergency Department admits, and Post Cath Lab patients. • Cardiac conditions including Myocardial Infarction (MI), NSTEMI, STEMI, Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), and Dysrhythmias. • Post-cardiac procedures such as catheters, open-heart surgeries, TAVR, and pacemaker insertions. • Backup Stroke unit and Medical Overflow. Patient Ratios RN-to-patient ratio is typically 1:4, with the possibility of 1:3 depending on patient acuity levels. Required Certifications • BLS (Basic Life Support) • ACLS (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support) • NIHSS (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale) Required Education Completion of a nursing education program approved by a board of nursing; Registered Nurse (RN) licensure from the appropriate state board. Skills Required • Experience as a PCU level RN. • Proficient in cardiac procedural recovery including CABG, TAVR, and cardiac catheterization. • Knowledge of myocardial infarction pharmacology and titratable cardiac/vasoactive drips such as Cardizem, Amiodarone, Nitro, Levo, and Dopamine. • Ability to manage heparin drips and interpret cardiac rhythms. • Experience in chest tube management and TNK administration (preferred). Support on the Unit • CNA support with a ratio of 1:5-8, depending on the shift. • Charge nurse is unassigned. • Phlebotomy services available for peripheral blood draws. • 24/7 Respiratory Therapy support. • Hospitalist on-site 24/7, though not dedicated to the unit. Charting System/Equipment • Epic (traveler must have experience; if not, manager approval is necessary). • Alaris infusion pumps. • Omnicell for medication management. Floating Travelers may float primarily to the General PCU as needed and may also be assigned to Medical-Surgical/Telemetry or ICU units that accommodate PCU level patients, according to scope of practice. Orientation • Two partial days of education followed by three 12-hour shifts on the unit for orientation. Scheduling • Weekend rotation: every other weekend. • No on-call duty. • Holiday expectations: every other holiday. • Time off requests: Up to 7 days off allowable; requests for a full week off should be extended. Note: No time off will be granted during the first three weeks of August. Additional Notes • Opportunities to precept nursing students are available. • Scrub color is navy blue. • Free parking is provided for all staff.