Travel Registered Nurse - Psychiatric Unit - Des Moines, IA

Travel assignment, 13 weeks, 8hr nights, 40 hours a week, starting November 24, 2026.

Pay as Cross Country posts it: about $2,086 a week in all, a taxable rate of $20 an hour plus $1,286.17 a week in housing and meal stipends.

Job Summary

Registered Nurse, Psychiatric Unit - Des Moines, Iowa. This position provides nursing care to acute psychiatric patients, including individuals with major mental health illness and chronic behaviors that may involve violence, aggression, mania, or self-harm. The role supports patients across adolescent, adult, and geriatric populations in an inpatient behavioral health setting.

Job Details

• Schedule: Night shifts consisting of 8-hour shifts, with a minimum of 40 hours per week.
• Required Qualifications: Iowa or compact/multistate nursing license active at the time of submission; minimum of 15 months of psychiatric or behavioral health experience; Basic Life Support certification through the American Heart Association or American Red Cross; experience with adolescent, adult, and geriatric patient populations; electronic medical record experience; and competency with restraints.
• Preferred Qualifications: Recent or current inpatient psychiatric experience and an active de-escalation certification.
• Float: Float rotation may be required.
• Additional Information:
• Care may include patient assignments with ratios of up to 1:4–6, depending on the unit and shift.
• The primary patient population includes acute psychiatric patients and individuals with major mental health illness or chronic behavioral concerns.
• Holiday coverage may be required based on unit operations.
• Solid navy blue scrubs are required.
• First-time travelers may be considered with at least 12 months of psychiatric or behavioral health experience.
• De-escalation certification may be completed during onboarding.

Benefits

The benefits of taking a travel assignment with Cross Country include:

• Private housing or generous housing allowance
• Comprehensive health insurance with prescription coverage
• Dependent health insurance with prescription coverage
• Competitive salaries
• Referral bonuses
• Travel reimbursement
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Direct deposit/free checking
• Unlimited free CE credits