Operating Room RN Job in Des Moines, IA

UnityPoint – Iowa Methodist Medical Center is seeking a Registered Nurse for the Operating Room in Des Moines, IA. This is a 91-day travel assignment with a start date of September 14, 2026.

Role Details

You will work in a 16-suite operating room with 12–14 suites running routinely, handling an average caseload of 35–50 cases per day. Patient ratio is 1:1, with turnovers expected in less than 20 minutes. The shift is 4×10 rotating days. On-call includes one overnight per week and three weekends per 13-week contract, with weekend call running from end of shift Friday through 6:30 AM Monday. You may be required to work 1–2 of the 3 summer holidays (Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day) unless the unit is closed, and you will float across multiple campuses as needed.

Service Lines & Equipment

You will support cardiac/peripheral vascular, neuro, orthopedic (primarily trauma), robotics, gynecology, urology, general, pediatrics, and transplants, with small volumes of ENT and plastics. Special equipment includes 3 Da Vinci robots, Stealth technology for neuro navigation, and Synthes or Stryker ortho trauma systems. Scrubs are provided.

Required Qualifications

• 24 months of current operating room experience
• Circulating and scrub experience required; scrubbing in orthopedics mandatory
• Experience in general, Da Vinci robotics, pediatrics, and trauma cases required
• EPIC electronic medical systems experience within the previous 3 years
• Trauma Level II experience required; Trauma Level I highly preferred
• Completed a travel assignment within the previous 15 months (no first-time travelers)
• Skills checklist specific to Operating Room Nurse required
• Active Iowa license or compact/multistate license
• BLS (AHA) certification
• Driver's license required
• Must reside at least 50 miles from the facility based on driver's license

Preferred Qualifications

• Both scrubbing and circulating experience
• Experience in neurology, orthopedics, gynecology, urology, transplants, plastics, ENT, and vascular
• Professional reference from a charge nurse, supervisor, nurse manager, director, CNO, or COO within the past 24 months

Compensation

Weekly pay: $2,937.60