Travel Nurse RN - NICU - Neonatal Intensive Care - $3,737 per week

First Connect Health is seeking a travel nurse RN NICU - Neonatal Intensive Care for a travel nursing job in Bakersfield, California.

Job Description & Requirements

• Specialty: NICU - Neonatal Intensive Care
• Discipline: RN
• Start Date: 12/07/2026
• Duration: 13 weeks
• 48 hours per week
• Shift: 12 hours, nights
• Employment Type: Travel

🍼 HIGH-PAYING 48-HOUR OVERTIME CONTRACT: NIGHT NEONATAL ICU (NICU) RN (4X12) – BAKERSFIELD, CA

An immediate 13-week travel contract opening is available for an experienced Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Registered Nurse (RN) in Bakersfield, CA 93301. Operating within an advanced neonatal and special care nursery pavilion at an accredited acute care medical center, this top-tier clinical assignment features an intensive 48-hour overnight schedule (four 12-hour night shifts weekly structured with California daily overtime; 36-hour schedule also considered per facility discretion). EXCEPTIONAL HIGH-PAY PACKAGE ($3,737/WEEK GROSS)! $1,665/WEEK TAX-FREE HOUSING & MEAL STIPEND! $37.00/HR REGULAR & $55.50/HR OT RATES! ZERO MANDATORY ON-CALL & NO FLOATING REQUIRED! STRICT 1:2 CALIFORNIA NEONATAL RATIOS! EPIC EHR! Caring for acutely ill neonates, premature infants, and convalescing grower/feeders, the NICU nursing team coordinates critical neonatal interventions, delivery room resuscitation, advanced thermoregulation, and non-invasive/invasive respiratory support. Core clinical proficiencies include neonatal resuscitation, S.T.A.B.L.E. post-resuscitation pre-transport stabilization, umbilical line monitoring, infant phototherapy, and specialized nutritional care. If you are a specialized neonatal critical care nurse skilled in NRP resuscitation, high-risk newborn stabilization, and acute infant care looking to maximize your earnings at $3,737/week on nights in Central California, this assignment is built for you!

💰 PRE-CALCULATED PAY PACKAGE (48-Hour Week / CA Daily OT Structure)

• Weekly Gross: $3,737.00
• Weekly Tax-Free Stipend: $1,665.00
• Hourly W2 Regular Rate: $37.00/hr (32 regular hours)
• Hourly W2 Daily Overtime Rate: $55.50/hr (16 daily overtime hours included)
• (Travel and local candidates eligible; travel stipend subject to qualifying tax home radius rules).

📅 SHIFT & POSITION DETAILS

• Schedule: Night shifts, 4x12-Hours (12-hour nights; facility also considers a 36-hour schedule option).
• Guaranteed Hours: 48 hours weekly under California daily overtime structure.
• Assignment Duration: 13 Weeks.
• Block Scheduling: Block schedules are not offered.
• On-Call Requirements: NO ON-CALL REQUIRED!
• Floating Scope: NO FLOATING REQUIRED!
• Department Setting & Scope: Acute inpatient Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) managing premature infants, high-risk deliveries, and acute neonatal admissions.
• Nurse-to-Patient Staffing Ratios: Strict California mandated neonatal critical care ratios of 1:2 across all shifts.
• Clinical Scope & Specialty Care:
  • Direct intensive care nursing for premature and critically ill neonates adhering to established clinical pathways.
  • Delivery room attendance for high-risk deliveries and emergent cesarean births; initial newborn assessment and resuscitation adhering to NRP protocols.
  • Post-resuscitation pre-transport stabilization adhering strictly to S.T.A.B.L.E. guidelines (Sugar, Temperature, Airway, Blood pressure, Lab work, Emotional support).
  • Respiratory interventions: management of non-invasive respiratory support (Bubble CPAP, High-Flow Nasal Cannula) and invasive mechanical ventilation.
  • Vascular access and infusion therapies: umbilical line monitoring (UAC/UVC), neonatal peripheral IV insertion/maintenance, and parenteral nutrition (TPN/IL).
  • Nutritional support: breast milk handling/storage, gavage tube feeding, transition to oral feedings, and maternal lactation education.
  • Continuous vital sign monitoring, thermoregulation, radiant warmer management, phototherapy, and neonatal hypoglycemia protocols.
• EMR System: Epic electronic health record.

🚨 REQUISITE QUALIFICATIONS FOR SUBMISSION

• Experience Requirement: Dedicated acute care inpatient NICU RN clinical experience (BSN preferred; acute care hospital background preferred).
• Licensure (Strict Hard Stop): Active California Registered Nurse (RN) License strictly in hand at submittal (pending licenses cannot be submitted).
• Certifications Required at Submittal (Must all be active and attached):
  • Basic Life Support (BLS) / CPR — AHA or ARC approved vendor.
  • Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) — AHA-NRP or ARC-NALS required.
  • S.T.A.B.L.E. Certification — Strictly required at submission.
• EMR Competency (Strict Hard Stop): Hands-on Epic EHR experience is strictly required.

✨ APPLICATION PROCESS Avoid administrative processing delays on broad public job boards. Complete candidate profiles matching all clinical prerequisites receive expedited review and direct submittal consideration. Apply directly to this posting to lock in your file with our specialized neonatal recruitment team!

👉 Click "Apply Now" to complete your screening and secure your contract!

📍 Location Details: Assignment is located in Bakersfield, CA 93301. ⏱️ Assignment Schedule & Hours: 13-week contract (48 hours weekly on 12-hour Nights; 32 regular hours + 16 daily OT hours under CA overtime rules; 36-hour option also considered). 💵 High-Pay Package: $3,737/week gross ($37/hr W2 base, $55.50/hr daily OT rate, $1,665/wk tax-free stipend). 📞 No Standby Call: Zero standby on-call obligations. 🔄 No Floating: Floating is not required. 👶 Unit Acuity & Ratios: Acute Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; cares for premature infants, high-risk delivery resuscitation, CPAP, High-Flow, and S.T.A.B.L.E. protocols; strict California 1:2 neonatal ratios. 📋 Mandatory Experience & Clinical Hard Stops: Dedicated acute care inpatient NICU RN experience required (BSN preferred). Strict Hard Stop: Hands-on Epic EHR experience is strictly required. Strict Hard Stop: Must hold active S.T.A.B.L.E. Certification in hand at submittal. 📜 Certification Mandate (Strict Hard Stop): Active California RN license strictly in hand at submittal (no pending licenses accepted). Active AHA BLS (or approved vendor CPR), AHA-NRP (or ARC-NALS), and S.T.A.B.L.E. certificates strictly required at submittal. 🖥️ EMR System: Epic electronic health record (mandatory). 📜 Mandatory Submittal Details: Active CA RN license, BLS, NRP, and STABLE cards attached. Comprehensive resume documenting acute NICU experience, delivery attendance, and neonatal clinical competencies. Completed Cover Sheet (AH Cover Sheet 2.0). Full legal name, physical address, email, full Date of Birth (DOB), and full SSN. All Requested Time Off (RTO) must be submitted upfront at time of submittal. 📅 Time Off: All RTO must be submitted upfront on submission (Facility Rule: Holiday RTO will not be approved).

About First Connect Health

Benefits

• Sick pay
• 401k retirement plan
• Weekly pay
• Referral bonus