17Live Med Surg RN Travel Jobs in Iowa · August 1 700+ 5-Star Reviews

Med Surg Travel Nurse Jobs in Iowa

Find medical surgical travel nursing jobs in Iowa, with Des Moines and Iowa City floors alongside community hospitals across the state.

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Med Surg · Iowa
17
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$2,205
avg weekly pay iMarket pay is the average weekly rate across active assignments matching your specialty and location. Each job’s pay tier compares its weekly pay to this average.
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    17 jobs updated today
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    Compare Iowa's Academic and Rural Floors

    From Iowa City to smaller community hospitals, Med Surg Travel Nurse Jobs in Iowa reflect distinct assignment models. Academic units may narrow the patient population by service line, while rural inpatient teams can cover a broader mix and rely on transfer partnerships. Compare Des Moines and Cedar Rapids listings with Iowa City and rural placements by unit purpose, hospitalist presence, specialist access, and overnight resources. Ask whether the floor takes oncology, postoperative, orthopedic, observation, or swing bed patients, and whether telemetry is separate or embedded. Clarify float expectations and who responds when acuity rises. The right match depends on the breadth you have managed recently and the support structure you expect on shift.

    Live market data

    Read Live Iowa Assignment Terms

    Updated today

    Compare weekly pay with location, shift, facility model, and the responsibilities attached to the floor.

    17 Med Surg contracts are open in Iowa right now, with +7 added in the last 7 days and 1 already filled. Open postings have been live about 9 days on average.

    17
    Open Med Surg jobs
    9 days
    Median time active
    +7
    Added last 7 days
    NLC
    Iowa participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact, multistate RN licenses recognized (NCSBN)
    Why demand stays strong
    8%
    Projected national RN shortage for 2028, easing to 3% by 2038 (HRSA Nurse Workforce Projections)
    34,420
    Iowa RNs employed statewide, employment count not license count (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
    59,248
    Active Iowa RN licenses on file, license count not employed nurses (NCSBN, 2026)

    Live counts from the jobs feed, updated daily. Demand figures from public workforce data, sources noted with each figure.

    Pay by city · Med Surg · Iowa

    Live Weekly Pay by Iowa Location

    Live · updated today

    Use city results to weigh live weekly pay with hospital scale, shift, float rules, and transfer responsibilities.

    Highest weekly pay · Med Surg
    Des Moines
    $2,832
    Atlantic
    $2,806
    Le Mars
    $2,693
    Sioux City
    $2,171
    Council Bluffs
    $2,167
    West Burlington
    $2,166
    Corning
    $2,128
    Centerville
    $2,036

    A higher city figure can come with a different service mix, so compare the role and support structure before deciding.

    Weekly pay reflects current open Advantis contracts — marketplace contract value, not a staff-nurse wage.

    Academic and Rural Iowa at Different Scale

    Iowa offers a clear contrast between academic medical center floors and smaller rural hospitals. University of Iowa Health Care says 260+ of its beds are assigned to medical-surgical care settings, showing how one academic system can divide Med Surg into focused units and patient populations. Grundy County Memorial Hospital describes itself as a critical access hospital with 25 beds, a different scale for inpatient coverage. The comparison does not imply identical unit design or traveler demand at either facility. It gives travelers a practical reason to ask how broad the assignment is. At a tertiary center, questions may center on service line, specialty backup, and float pathways. At a critical access hospital, confirm transfer procedures, overnight resources, observation or swing bed responsibilities, and how nursing coverage changes when census shifts. Match the facility model to your recent experience rather than relying on the Med Surg label alone.

    Both figures describe individual facilities and show scale contrast, not statewide Med Surg capacity.
    Good to know

    Iowa Med Surg Travel Jobs: Straight Answers

    Is Iowa a compact state for travelers?
    Yes. Iowa's a compact state, so a multistate or compact license covers you and there's nothing to file with the board. Single-state licenses go through Iowa's endorsement process instead, and the board's timeline becomes the first date on your calendar. It's a one-minute question with weeks of consequences, so answer it before anything else.
    What certifications do Iowa Med Surg units expect?
    BLS is always required, and some Iowa units also require ACLS. Recent experience matters most: one to two years on a med-surg floor is the common ask. As always, the statewide pattern is only a guide; your recruiter can verify each contract's exact certification requirements.
    What should I know about Med Surg rates in Iowa?
    They move on thin margins, and unit need is the reason. Iowa's applicant pool isn't huge, so one or two floors that badly need coverage can lift a market's rate quickly, and it settles when they fill. Stipends follow each city's living costs, and nights run above days. The chart above shows live weekly pay by city; this week's chart beats last month's average every time. The full shape of an offer varies by facility and contract, and your recruiter is the one to unpack it with.
    Where's the Med Surg demand in Iowa?
    Des Moines leads, with Cedar Rapids and Iowa City close behind, and community hospitals across the state posting steadily. Rural floors compete hardest for travelers and say so in their rates. Distances between markets are manageable by Midwest standards, but you'll want a car everywhere; Iowa contracts and public transit don't really overlap.