Travel Registered Nurse (RN) – Cardiac Stepdown / PCU in Kankakee, Illinois

Apply now for a 13-week cardiac stepdown travel nursing job in Kankakee, Illinois, caring for medically complex patients in a collaborative progressive care unit (PCU) setting.

Bring your cardiac nursing expertise to an intermediate care setting as a Travel Registered Nurse (RN). This on-site travel nursing opportunity is ideal for an experienced acute-care nurse who enjoys caring for medically complex patients while working within a collaborative interdisciplinary team. Kankakee offers a welcoming community along the scenic Kankakee River, with convenient access to outdoor recreation, local dining, and the greater Chicago area.

Travel Nursing Job Details

• Location: Kankakee, Illinois
• Specialty: Cardiac Stepdown / Progressive Care Unit (PCU) / Intermediate Care
• Weekly Estimated Pay: $2,020-$2,130
• Schedule: 36 hours per week; 3 shifts per week
• Shift: 12-hour day shifts, approximately 5:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
• Assignment: 13 weeks, starting October 12, 2026
• Weekend Requirement: Every other weekend
• Holiday Requirement: Every other holiday
• Call Requirement: None
• Documentation: EPIC electronic health record (EHR)
• Unit Environment: 22 private beds with a typical nurse-to-patient ratio of 1:5
• Uniform: Caribbean-colored scrubs

Registered Nurse Job Requirements

• Active Registered Nurse (RN) license in Illinois in hand
• At least 1 year of acute-care, cardiac stepdown, progressive care, or intermediate care nursing experience
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certifications
• Recent EPIC charting experience
• Valid driver’s license
• Positive, adaptable attitude and strong clinical judgment
• Travel nursing experience preferred; first-time travel nurses are welcome to apply
• Prior ICU experience is a plus

Cardiac Stepdown RN Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive nursing care to cardiac and medically complex patients in an intermediate care and progressive care setting.
• Monitor patients with conditions and interventions including cardiac catheterization recovery, open-heart recovery, pacemakers, chest tubes, tracheostomies, continuous CPAP/BiPAP, and continuous bladder irrigation.
• Assess cardiac rhythms and respond promptly to changes in patient condition.
• Safely titrate medications such as Cardizem, amiodarone, nitroglycerin for blood pressure management, insulin, heparin, and renal-dose dopamine or dobutamine.
• Collaborate with providers, respiratory therapy, nursing assistants, telemetry staff, and other members of the interdisciplinary care team.
• Provide patient education, document care accurately in EPIC, and support safe transitions across the continuum of care.
• Float as needed to the ICU to care for PCU-level patients or to medical-surgical units to manage a full patient assignment.
• Participate in unit orientation, including one 12-hour orientation shift.

Apply now to join this Illinois travel nursing opportunity and bring your cardiac stepdown expertise to a supportive healthcare team in Kankakee.

Benefits

401K with Matching, Healthcare, Dental and Vision

Equal Opportunity

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity across our organization. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.