Travel ICU Nurse Jobs Pennsylvania 2026

UPMC Presbyterian — Pittsburgh (Level I Trauma)

UPMC Heart & Vascular Institute CVICU operates one of the highest heart and lung transplant volumes in the United States. The CVICU is the flagship of UPMC's cardiac surgery program and a destination assignment for elite cardiovascular ICU travel nurses with ECMO and LVAD experience.

• CVICU — Heart and lung transplant, LVAD (HeartMate 3), ECMO (VA & VV), TAVR, IABP, Impella management
• CTICU — Cardiac surgery ICU, post-CABG, valve replacement, aortic surgery recovery
• MICU — Medical critical care, sepsis, respiratory failure, complex medicine
• SICU — Surgical ICU, trauma, thoracic surgery, transplant surgery recovery
• Burn ICU — UPMC Mercy Burn Center, largest burn center in Pennsylvania

Penn Medicine — Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (Level I Trauma)

Penn Heart & Vascular at HUP is one of the top-5 US cardiac transplant programs. Philadelphia's flagship academic medical center runs simultaneous CVICU, MICU, SICU, trauma ICU, and oncology ICU (Abramson Cancer Center) travel contracts — the broadest ICU contract variety in the Pennsylvania market.

• CVICU — cardiac transplant post-operative management, ECMO, LVAD, structural heart
• MICU — complex medical critical care for a full academic service line
• SICU — surgical ICU, general surgery, thoracic, liver and kidney transplant
• Penn Trauma ICU — Level I trauma, penetrating and blunt trauma for Philadelphia
• Oncology ICU — Abramson Cancer Center; BMT, hematology-oncology critical care

Jefferson Health — Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (Level I Trauma)

Jefferson Health's TJU Hospital is a Level I trauma center and major Philadelphia academic medical center. CVICU, cardiac surgery ICU, MICU, and trauma SICU carry consistent travel RN contracts. Jefferson's Cardiac Surgery program serves as a major Philadelphia referral destination for structural heart disease and complex cardiac surgery.

• CVICU — cardiac surgery, structural heart, advanced heart failure interventions
• Cardiac Surgery ICU — post-operative cardiac surgery, CABG, valve replacement
• MICU — medical critical care with Jefferson's complex academic medicine service
• Trauma SICU — Level I trauma for central Philadelphia

Temple University Hospital — Philadelphia (Level I Trauma)

Temple University Hospital carries the highest trauma volume of any Level I trauma center in Philadelphia. Safety-net Level I serving North Philadelphia's underserved population. Temple Burn Center is one of Pennsylvania's major burn ICUs. Consistent travel ICU RN demand across MICU, trauma SICU, and burn ICU.

• MICU — medical critical care with highest-volume Philadelphia academic census
• Trauma SICU — highest trauma volume Level I in Philadelphia; penetrating and blunt
• Burn ICU — Temple Burn Center; escharotomy, fluid resuscitation, skin grafting
• Neuro ICU — stroke, TBI, subarachnoid hemorrhage for North Philadelphia region

Geisinger Medical Center — Danville (Level I Trauma)

Geisinger Medical Center in Danville serves one of the largest rural catchment areas of any health system in Pennsylvania. Level I trauma, cardiac surgery, and CVICU contracts carry a geographic rural premium. Geisinger system contracts often extend to 26 weeks due to the structural central PA nursing shortage.

• CVICU — cardiac surgery, structural heart disease, TAVR program
• MICU — complex medical critical care for rural central PA referrals
• SICU — surgical ICU, Level I trauma SICU for north-central Pennsylvania
• Rural premium — $2,400–$2,900/wk with extended contract length

Penn State Hershey Medical Center — Hershey (Level I Trauma)

Penn State Hershey is the Level I trauma and academic medical referral center for central Pennsylvania. CVICU, MICU, SICU, and neuro ICU all carry travel contracts. Central PA location provides geographic premium and consistent demand driven by limited regional nursing pipeline.

• CVICU — cardiac surgery, advanced heart failure, structural heart
• MICU — academic medical center complex medicine and pulmonary critical care
• SICU — surgical ICU, Level I trauma management for central PA
• Neuro ICU — stroke, SAH, TBI, neurosurgical post-operative for central PA

Lehigh Valley Health Network — Allentown (Level I Trauma)

Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) is the largest health system in the Lehigh Valley and eastern Pennsylvania outside Philadelphia. LVHN Allentown carries Level I trauma SICU, MICU, and CVICU travel contracts with consistent demand driven by a large regional catchment area spanning Lehigh, Northampton, and surrounding counties.

• MICU — medical critical care for Lehigh Valley's large regional referral population
• CVICU — cardiac surgery, structural heart disease, advanced heart failure
• Trauma SICU — Level I trauma; penetrating and blunt trauma for eastern PA
• Consistent demand — LVHN system travel contracts extend regularly; year-round openings

Einstein Medical Center — Philadelphia (Community Level II)

Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia is a community Level II trauma center and teaching hospital serving North Philadelphia and surrounding communities. MICU and SICU travel contracts provide an entry point to the Philadelphia ICU travel market at competitive rates, with less competition than UPMC or Penn Medicine flagship CVICU positions.

• MICU — medical critical care; community Level II academic teaching environment
• SICU — surgical ICU, Level II trauma for North Philadelphia and Montgomery County
• Community premium — competitive rates for nurses building ICU experience toward flagship assignments
• Entry point — strong performance at Einstein can position nurses for Jefferson or Penn contracts next rotation

How much do travel ICU nurses make in Pennsylvania?

Travel ICU nurses in Pennsylvania earn $2,300–$3,300/week depending on unit type, facility, certifications, and experience level. UPMC Presbyterian CVICU in Pittsburgh — one of the highest heart and lung transplant volumes in the US — pays $2,600–$3,300/week, with ECMO-credentialed nurses reaching the top of that range. Penn Medicine HUP CVICU in Philadelphia pays $2,600–$3,200/week for cardiac transplant and ECMO-experienced nurses. Jefferson Health and Temple University Hospital Level I ICU contracts pay $2,400–$3,000/week. Penn State Hershey Medical Center and Geisinger Danville pay $2,400–$2,900/week with a rural central PA geographic premium. Lehigh Valley Health Network in Allentown pays $2,300–$2,900/week. CCRN certification adds $250–$400/week across all major Pennsylvania ICU systems.

Is Pennsylvania an NLC Compact state?

Yes — Pennsylvania joined the NLC (Nursing Licensure Compact) and is a full eNLC member. Travel ICU nurses with compact home state licenses can practice in Pennsylvania via eNLC multistate privilege without a separate Pennsylvania RN license. Verify your eNLC multistate privilege at nursys.com before your start date. Nurses whose home state is not NLC Compact (California, New York, Illinois, Michigan pre-compact period, etc.) must obtain Pennsylvania RN endorsement through the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing, which typically takes 6–10 weeks. The compact status makes the Pittsburgh–Philadelphia CVICU rotation possible without relicensing between contracts.

What experience is needed for UPMC CVICU travel contracts?

UPMC Presbyterian CVICU requires a minimum of 2 years of cardiovascular ICU experience — CVICU, CICU, CTICU, or CSICU background. CCRN (Adult Critical Care RN from AACN) is strongly preferred and adds $250–$400/week to the travel package. ECMO Specialist certification opens ECMO circuit management roles and adds another $250–$400/week. Experience with LVAD management (HeartMate 3 preferred — alarms, speed titration, driveline wound care), IABP, Impella, and TAVR hemodynamic monitoring significantly strengthens your candidacy at UPMC. CSC (Cardiac Surgery Certified from AACN) is valued for the cardiac surgery and transplant patient population. ACLS and BLS are mandatory. UPMC CVICU is one of the most prestigious and competitive travel ICU assignments in the US — submit your profile early with a recruiter who has direct UPMC system relationships.

What is the rural Pennsylvania ICU shortage?

Central and northern Pennsylvania has a structural critical care nursing shortage that creates year-round travel ICU demand with geographic premium pay. Geisinger Medical Center in Danville serves a massive rural central PA catchment area — one of the largest geographic referral footprints of any health system in Pennsylvania. Penn State Hershey Medical Center in Hershey serves as the Level I trauma and academic referral center for central PA. WellSpan Health (York, Chambersburg) and UPMC Pinnacle (Harrisburg) carry consistent travel ICU demand across south-central PA. Travel ICU nurses at rural PA facilities earn $2,400–$2,900/week, with Geisinger system contracts often extending to 26 weeks. The geographic premium at Danville reflects both the shortage intensity and the cost-of-travel requirement for a truly rural location in central Pennsylvania.

What ICU certifications add pay in Pennsylvania?

CCRN (Adult Critical Care RN from AACN) adds $250–$400/week at UPMC, Penn Medicine, Jefferson, Temple, Geisinger, and Penn State Hershey contracts — the highest-value single certification in the Pennsylvania ICU market. ECMO Specialist certification opens UPMC CVICU and Penn Medicine CVICU ECMO positions, adding $250–$400/week above standard CVICU rates. CSC (Cardiac Surgery Certified from AACN) is valued at UPMC and Penn Medicine CVICU for the cardiac surgery and transplant patient population, adding $150–$250/week. CMC (Cardiac Medicine Certified from AACN) adds value at MICU and CVICU step-down roles across Philadelphia systems. ACLS and BLS are mandatory across all Pennsylvania ICU travel contracts without exception. TNCC (Trauma Nursing Core Course) is preferred for Level I trauma SICU positions at Jefferson, Temple, Penn State Hershey, and Lehigh Valley.