A Comprehensive Guide on Highest-Paying PICU Nurse Travel Jobs

There's something noble about pursuing a travel nursing career where you're taking care of the sickest yet youngest patients in the facility. These registered nurses provide not only high-quality healthcare to patients but also emotional support to patients and their loved ones. Pediatric Intensive care nurses are vital members of our healthcare system, and pursuing a career as a PICU travel nurse can be lucrative. Health Carousel Nursing & Allied Health is dedicated to helping you better understand the travel nursing landscape and helping you grow your travel nursing career.

Overview of PICU Travel Nurses

Pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) nurse travel jobs provide registered nurses the opportunity to work in PICUs across the country on a temporary basis. Travel PICU nurses typically work 13-week contracts when working with Health Carousel Nursing & Allied Health.

Pediatric ICU nurses specialize in two separate fields: pediatrics and intensive care. Healthcare employers hire these individuals to work with some of the sickest pediatric patients in the hospital until they're ready to transfer to another unit or go home.

The Role of a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Nurse

PICU nurses work in intensive care units that specialize in caring for critically ill infants, children, and teenagers. The duties for travel PICU nurse jobs vary from hospital to hospital, but the general role and responsibilities are the same across the board. Some of the responsibilities for travel pediatric ICU nurses are:

• Providing around-the-clock care and monitoring of pediatric patients
• Administering medications, fluids, and nutrition
• Operating complex medical equipment like ventilators and IV infusion pumps
• Communicating with families to explain treatment plans and provide support

PICU nurses must have strong critical thinking, communication, and emotional resilience to manage high-stress situations with vulnerable pediatric patients. In addition to these responsibilities and qualities, as a travel nurse, you must be willing to be away from loved ones for extended periods of time and adaptable to changes.

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Responsibilities for Travel Pediatric ICU Nurses

There's a lot of responsibility associated with a travel pediatric intensive care unit nurse. Depending on the patients you're currently treating, the responsibilities you'll have as a pediatric intensive care nurse change. Generally, here are some of the responsibilities you'll have as a pediatric intensive care nurse:

• Administering IV Fluids and Medications: Titrating drips like vasopressors to maintain adequate perfusion.
• Managing Ventilators: Adjusting settings, suctioning airways, managing ventilation tubes
• Providing Pain Management: Giving medications, assessing pain levels, utilizing non-pharm interventions.
• Performing Wound Care: Changing dressings, cleaning graft and surgery sites, utilizing vacuum-assisted closure therapy.
• Drawing Labs: Obtaining blood for analysis and monitoring electrolyte levels.

Pediatric intensive care nurses also closely track intake and output, respond quickly to alarms, communicate with families, and collaborate on goals of care with other healthcare professionals on their patient's care team.

PICU Nurse's Role in Rapid Response

Working in an intensive care unit means PICU nurses have to be ready at a second's notice when the rapid response system goes off. As a pediatric registered nurse, you'll play a central role in rapid response teams that urgently assess and stabilize deteriorating patients. Your role within rapid response as a pediatric intensive care nurse includes:

• Bringing critical care expertise to the bedside quickly
• Evaluating ABGs, vitals, labs, and symptoms
• Initiating breathing treatments, IV access, oxygen, etc.
• Deciding if transferring the patient to the ICU is warranted
• Updating patient nurse and provider with recommendations

Rapid response involvement allows PICU RNs to utilize their skills and potentially prevent codes outside the PICU when necessary.

Education & Certifications for a Travel PICU Nurse

A current, unencumbered RN license is required for PICU nurse jobs. Requirements include:

• Graduating from an accredited nursing program
• Passing the NCLEX-RN national exam
• Holding an active RN license without restrictions or disciplinary history
• Maintaining licensure through renewal and CE requirements

Many travel nurses obtain licenses in multiple states for flexibility. Nurses should know the requirements for every state they plan to work in.

Certifications for Pediatric Intensive Care Nurses

Like other nursing specialties, travel PICU nurse jobs have required certifications as well as recommended ones that can help make you more appealing to employers and even boost your earning potential. Certifications that traveling pediatric intensive care nurses can pursue include:

• Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
• Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN)
• Critical Care Registered Nurse - Pediatrics (CCRN-Peds)

Factors That Influence PICU RN Salaries

As a travel pediatric intensive care unit nurse, your salary will vary on several factors. Your travel assignment might not be the same every time. Some of the factors that will influence how much travel PICU nurse jobs will pay include:

• Geographic Location: Areas with a higher cost of living generally pay more than suburban and low-cost living areas.
• Experience: The more experience you have, the more you might get paid.
• Healthcare Facility: Larger corporations can generally pay more than smaller clinics and community hospitals.

Achieve Your Dream Career as a Travel PICU Nurse With Health Carousel Nursing & Allied Health

At Health Carousel Nursing & Allied Health, we focus on not just finding you travel PICU nurse jobs but careers. As a nurse-nominated top 10 travel nurse agency, we have caring recruiters who understand the healthcare landscape and will work with you to find you the right position.

Partnering with us offers you benefits that will help propel your pediatric intensive care nurse career forward. Some of the benefits we offer include:

• Tailored job postings that align with your education, experience, and aspirations
• A Full Circle of Support
• Support from a QIN-Led Team
• Career Coaching
• Comprehensive health and wellness plans
• Clinical Ladder and Work Study programs

Check out On Demand, our powerful web app, where you can search and apply for PICU travel nurse jobs nationwide.

FAQs

Are PICU nurses in high demand?

Yes, PICU nurses are in high demand. The specialized care required for critically ill or injured children necessitates a high level of expertise, dedication, and emotional resilience, making qualified candidates scarce. The increasing complexities of pediatric care and the need for round-the-clock, intensive patient care contribute to the ongoing demand for skilled PICU nurses.

What do PICU travel nurses do?

PICU travel nurses are specialized nursing professionals who work in the pediatric intensive care unit temporarily, moving between healthcare facilities as needed. They provide critical care to children with severe medical conditions or who are recovering from major surgeries, ensuring these young patients receive the dedicated support and treatment they require during their most vulnerable moments.