Profession: Registered Nurse

Specialty: PCU

Location: Metairie, LA

Facility: Short Term Acute Care - 407 beds

Job Type: Per Diem (PRN)

Hourly Rate: $42 to $46, based on shift and experience

Shift: Days and Nights (7:00am to 7:30pm, 7:00pm to 7:30am)

Duration: 12 hours

Experience: 2 years of consecutive acute care experience in last 5 years

License: Active Louisiana RN License or compact

Certifications: ACLS, BLS

Charting Experience: Epic required

Job Duties & Responsibilities:

Organize, prioritize, and coordinate progressive care for high-acuity patients, including managing complex central/peripheral lines, arterial lines, chest tubes, or specialized drains, while administering advanced pain management and maintaining optimal patient positioning.
Continuous Telemetry & Hemodynamic Monitoring: Constantly monitor, interpret, and intervene based on cardiac telemetry, vital signs, and lab values, quickly identifying early signs of hemodynamic instability or arrhythmias.
Perform rigorous clinical documentation and frequent, detailed head-to-toe or focused assessments required for intermediate-care patients.
Monitor patients for acute changes in condition, potential complications (such as respiratory distress, sepsis, or stroke metrics), and surgical/procedural sites for optimal healing, strictly adhering to Joint Commission infection control standards.
Titrate and manage specialized IV medications and vasoactive drips according to facility protocols, and rapidly intervene during acute clinical declines.
Perform advanced life support measures, including CPR and ACLS protocols, if emergencies or code events arise.
Collaborate dynamically with the multidisciplinary care team (including Intensivists, Cardiologists, and Case Managers) to coordinate care plans, escalating concerns immediately when patient safety or acuity exceeds standard PCU thresholds.
Maintain and advocate for a safe environment for everyone, utilizing fall precautions, skin integrity protocols, and safe handling techniques for high-risk patients.
Ensure seamless continuity of care and efficient throughput, facilitating smooth transitions for patients upgrading from the ICU or downgrading to Med-Surg floors.
Educate and prepare complex patients and their families regarding continuous home care, medication adherence (especially anticoagulants or cardiac meds), and lifestyle modifications before discharge.

RN - PCU - Progressive Care Unit jobs in Metairie

Registered Nurse - PCU - Per Diem (PRN) - Metairie, LA