Every ICU traveler fills out an ICU skills checklist at some point, so we built ours to actually be worth your time. This is how we get past the resume and find out what you can really do at the bedside. Job titles don’t tell us much. One nurse’s critical care background is titrating three drips on a fresh post-op heart. Another’s is a steady step down unit. Both matter, but they point to very different contracts.
Here’s why we ask. Junxion was founded by a former traveler who sat on your side of this form, and it shows in how we use it. We’re not scanning for resume keywords and firing off submissions. Your recruiter reads your actual ratings and gets a feel for where you’re strong before pitching you anything. Rate yourself honestly and the matching gets a whole lot smarter.
It’s a thorough list. 267 items, on purpose. The more specific you are, the better we can push for contracts that fit. Grab a coffee and let your experience do the talking.
What does this ICU skills checklist cover?
The form below runs the full spread of critical care. Under Assessment/Patient Care you’ll rate body systems like Cardiovascular, Pulmonary, and Neurology, with items ranging from synchronized cardioversion to ARDS to NIHSS scoring. The IV Therapy section covers drips and infusion pumps. Procedures/Equipment asks about arterial line draws and assisting with Swan-Ganz insertion. Then Age Group Experience has you log time in settings like MICU, SICU, CCU, and step down. Every item gets two ratings: proficiency, on a scale from Supervise/Teach down to None, and how often you’ve actually done it.
What happens after you hit submit?
Two things. A copy of your answers lands in your inbox, and the original goes to the Junxion recruiting team. A real recruiter reads it, not a call center and not a keyword filter. They’ll line your ratings up against open critical care contracts and reach out about the ones that genuinely match your experience. If a unit wants something you’re missing, like a cert or recent charge experience, they’ll tell you straight instead of submitting you anyway and hoping.
Want to see what’s out there first? Browse our travel ICU RN jobs, then come back and knock this out.
FAQ: ICU Skills Checklist for Critical Care RNs
Do I have to complete a skills checklist to get an ICU travel contract?
Yes, in practice you do. Nearly every facility wants a current skills checklist in your submission packet before they’ll look at an ICU traveler, and most agencies won’t submit you without one. Knocking it out here means it’s done once and attached to your Junxion profile, so your recruiter can move fast when the right critical care contract opens up.
What if I have to mark None on some ICU skills?
Mark it and move on. Nobody has hands-on experience with all 267 items on this checklist, and the scale runs from Supervise/Teach down to None because honest gaps are expected. A None on burn care won’t sink you if your cardiovascular and pulmonary sections are strong. What hurts you is inflating a rating and then getting asked to prove it on your first shift.
Does step down or CCU experience count on an ICU skills checklist?
It counts, and this form gives it a specific home. The Age Group Experience section includes critical settings like MICU, SICU, CCU, step down, and burn unit, so you can show exactly where your hours came from. Facilities weigh those settings differently depending on the unit they’re staffing, which is why logging them accurately helps your recruiter target contracts your background actually supports.
How often should I update my ICU skills checklist?
About once a year, or right after any contract that adds new skills. Most facilities want a checklist that’s less than a year old, so a stale one can slow down a submission. Your ratings also change fast as a traveler. One busy SICU assignment can move a whole section from Intermittent to Experienced, and your profile should reflect that before your recruiter pitches your next unit.