Travel Nurse RN - NICU - Neonatal Intensive Care - $1,897 per week

American Traveler is seeking a travel nurse RN NICU - Neonatal Intensive Care for a travel nursing job in Mission Viejo, California.

Job Description & Requirements

• Specialty: NICU - Neonatal Intensive Care
• Discipline: RN
• Start Date: 11/09/2026
• Duration: 13 weeks
• 36 hours per week
• Shift: 12 hours, days
• Employment Type: Travel

Assignment Overview

• Shift: Days, 3x12hrs
• Hours: 36 hrs/wk
• Start Date: Nov 9, 2026
• Length: 13 weeks
• Openings: 1

Description

American Traveler is hiring an experienced RN for a NICU position requiring 5 years of combined NICU/PICU/Peds experience and float coverage across critical care units.

Details

• NICU serves as home unit within a 22-bed Level III NICU caring for preterm infants as young as 22+ weeks gestation
• NICU patient conditions include respiratory distress, hyperbilirubinemia, IDM/poor feeders, failure to thrive, and hypoglycemia
• Care approach emphasizes quiet developmental support for each infant
• Float requirement to PICU (8-bed Level II) and Pediatrics (24-bed general med/surg with Eating Disorder Stabilization and long-term EEG programs)
• PICU patient population includes trauma, respiratory diagnoses, ingestions, and occasional surgical cases
• Day shift schedule with 3x12-hour shifts (7:00 AM-7:00 PM)
• 6 weekend shifts required per 6-week schedule, including major holiday blocks
• Patient ratio of 1:2
• Epic EMR experience required

Requirements

• Active California RN license required in hand at time of consideration
• Required certifications: BLS, NRP, PALS
• Preferred certifications: RNC-NIC, CCRN
• 5 years of experience required, combining NICU, PICU, and/or Peds background with a strong NICU foundation
• Prior travel nursing experience required
• Teaching hospital, community hospital, and Trauma Level I experience preferred
• Experience with ventilator management, ETT/NT suctioning, tracheostomy care, and ABG interpretation
• Experience with central line care, PICC line management, and IV therapy
• Experience with pediatric dosage calculations and emergency medication administration
• Bubble CPAP and infant-driven feeds experience
• Two supervisor-level references required from the applicable unit, dated within 1 year of start or from most recent employer

Additional Information

• Position functions as a Peds Critical Care Float role with NICU as the home unit
• Travelers float first, with priority given to float assignments across NICU, PICU, and Pediatrics
• Up to 16 hours of orientation modules may be required, varying by specialty
• Maximum of 7 days RTO permitted, with no RTO allowed during the first week of the assignment or over major holidays
• Candidates living within 50 miles of the facility are not accepted as local
• Former staff must be separated from the facility for at least 1 year before reapplying
• Rehire eligibility is subject to review given the merger between Rady Children's and Children's Hospital of Orange County
• First-time travelers may be considered given required experience level

American Traveler Job ID #P-761944. Pay package is based on 12 hour shifts and 36.0 hours per week (subject to confirmation) with tax-free stipend amount to be determined. Posted job title: Travel RN - Neonatal ICU

About American Traveler