Travel Telemetry Nurse Jobs

The salary of a registered nurse can vary significantly depending on the experience of the nurse as well as the experience, certifications, and location they are working in. The median salary for a registered nurse was $ 80,010 per year or $36.22 per hour in 2020 with most earning between $61,630 and $93,590 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Entry-level registered nurse jobs or those with the lowest 10% salary earned around $53,410, while the highest 10% earned more than $116,230. Typically, a travel telemetry nurse job will provide higher hourly and weekly pay than permanent positions in the same location, especially for critical care units nursing positions.

Telemetry Registered Nurses - or Telemetry RNs - are typically responsible for patients coming out of the ICU or those who have chronic health concerns requiring continuous monitoring of heart rhythms and heart and breathing rates. Telemetry nurses use different types of technology to monitor patients’ blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation, breathing patterns, and heart activity, among other things. They also record and interpret the data from the monitors and use it to assess a patient’s rate of recovery. They also record and interpret the data from the monitors and use it to assess a patient’s rate of recovery.

Typical Telemetry RN Responsibilities:

• Perform diagnostic tests including EKGs, blood gas analysis, and electrocardiograms; a primary difference from other RNs

• Identify arrhythmias, cardiac baseline changes, and abnormalities and respond to irregularities in cardiac activity

• Perform stress tests or exercise tests to evaluate patient heart activity and blood pressure

• Administer treatment plan and patient medication

• Maintain accurate and complete records of daily activities and patient progress.

• Perform emergency treatment as necessary.

• Coordinates patient care with other departments, including physicians, therapists, and dietitians

• Provides patient education about their condition and medications prescribed

Patient Ratio

• 1:4-5

Floating can float to Med Surg Units

Typical Certifications

• BLS, ACLS, PALS, TNCC, ENCP, NIHSS, SANE

Nursing Subsets

• Trauma Level 1 to IV, ER Holding/Fast Track

Education & License Requirements

In order to work as a travel telemetry nurse, Registered Nurses must complete their associate's or bachelor's degree in nursing and take the National Council Licensure Exam NCLEX -RN Exam, which is a requirement to practice as an RN in the United States. Once the NCLEX exam is passed and you meet the board of nursing license requirements in your state, then all that is left is to do is gain the necessary experience in your specialty and explore additional certifications.

Certifications

Common certifications that could be required for a telemetry nurse include Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), and Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course (ENPC) certifications. Nurses interested in or currently working in the emergency room can also pursue additional certifications including the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Certified Cardiographic Technician Assessment (CCT), and the Certified Rhythm Analysis Technician (CRAT).

Registered nurses who specialize in telemetry will generally work in a hospital setting in a telemetry and stepdown unit. Aside from this, telemetry nurses can also find employment in clinics and certain outpatient facilities, and sometimes provide in-home care for patients that need to be monitored around the clock for clinical studies or other diagnostic reasons. They can also work for insurance companies or pharmaceutical companies.

While compensation offers can vary greatly depending on the contract or agency offering, pay packages for telemetry travel nurses typically have four major components: hourly taxable wages, meals and incidentals, housing, and travel.

Hourly Pay

Full-time nurses working at healthcare facilities receive a salary, but most travel nurse employers offer hourly wages. Every pay package must include a taxable hourly wage, and the amount can vary depending on the shift, location, and specialty required of the assignment.

Housing

Housing payments can be included in a payment from a staffing agency. This is typically offered in two ways. Either the company is providing housing, or the traveler is taking the housing stipend. It is more beneficial for the traveler to take the housing stipend for two primary reasons. First, they will have a choice in where they stay. Everyone’s definitions of comfortable and acceptable are different. The second reason the housing stipend is more beneficial for them is that it can be given as a nontaxable amount.

Meals and Incidentals

Also known as per diems, meal and incidental stipends provide a daily budget for daily living expenses. These standards vary depending on the cost of living in cities and states across the country.

Travel Expenses

Travel is the last portion of the pay package. While a travel stipend can be used to cover the cost of a flight for the traveler, it is often used to subsidize the traveler’s expenses to and from an assignment. Travel expenses can be offered as a reimbursement rate per mile, though many agencies will opt to offer a flat rate to and from an assignment.

Many travel nurses find work through recruitment agencies and marketplaces, which means you have better access to job boards to choose your schedule, location, and salary. When you begin browsing for jobs, be sure to consider the housing options, the benefits, the guaranteed hours policy, and the recruiting company’s overall reputation.

The good news is that Fusion Marketplace has everything you need when it comes to finding the perfect traveling nursing jobs. Here, you have the freedom to explore careers, compare benefits, packages, and staffing agencies—all in one place. So find your next job today.