Surgical ICU (SICU) Nurse

Who you'd be caring for

Post-operative surgical and trauma patients, complex wound and drain management, frequent returns to theatre.

What the shift actually looks like

Post-operative surgical and trauma patients who can deteriorate quickly and often return to theatre. Wound, drain and abdominal management take more of the shift than in a medical ICU, and surgical teams round on their own schedule rather than a unified one.

What you need to hold

Typically required

BLS, ACLS; CCRN preferred; TNCC valued in trauma centres

Typical ratio

Typically 1:2

What to ask before you accept

Trauma level, how often patients go back to theatre, and whether the unit manages open abdomens.

We put those questions to the facility at intake so you get a straight answer before you commit, not after your first shift.

Why this role is in demand

Trauma centre experience is not interchangeable with community SICU experience. State the level designation at intake. For you, that is leverage — the narrower the skill set, the smaller the pool you are competing against and the better the assignments you get offered.

Travel, per diem or permanent?

Travel pays the most and moves you every 8–26 weeks. Local contract gets you contract rates without relocating. Per diem lets you pick up shifts around your own schedule. Permanent when you want to settle, build seniority and stop packing.

Working with us

We tell you the rate, the unit and the shift pattern before you commit, and we ask permission before every single submittal — you will never find out you were put forward somewhere after the fact. One recruiter handles you from the first call through to your last shift.

Placement is always free to you. Our fee is paid by the facility. Join the network and we will only call you when something genuinely fits.