Travel ICU Nurse Jobs
in Colorado
MICU, SICU, Trauma ICU, CVICU, Neuro ICU, Burn ICU, and PICU positions across Denver, Aurora, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, and mountain communities. UCHealth, Denver Health, Children's Hospital Colorado, and more.
High-Altitude ICU Nursing
Colorado is the only state where altitude physiology is a routine part of critical care practice. Denver sits at exactly 5,280 feet — the “Mile High City” — and many patient referrals come from communities above 8,000 feet. Travel ICU nurses who work in Colorado develop clinical skills that are genuinely unique in the profession.
- AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness)Headache, nausea, fatigue in tourists and newcomers. Rarely requires ICU admission but precursor to HACE.
- HAPE (High Altitude Pulmonary Edema)Life-threatening. Fluid in the lungs, severe dyspnea. ICU admission, supplemental O2, often mechanical ventilation.
- HACE (High Altitude Cerebral Edema)Life-threatening cerebral edema. Ataxia, altered mental status, coma. Immediate descent + dexamethasone.
- Altitude-exacerbated cardiac diseaseHypoxia worsens CHF, CAD, arrhythmias. SpO2 baselines of 92–95% are normal for acclimatized CO residents.
- Ski & mountain recreation traumaTBI, spinal cord injury, extremity fractures, and polytrauma. Highest ski trauma volume in the US.
Colorado City Elevations
ICU Specialty Types in Colorado
Colorado offers one of the most diverse ICU specialty landscapes in the country, anchored by the UCHealth Anschutz Medical Campus.
Medical ICU
UCHealth Anschutz, Denver Health, all major facilities
Core ICU type across Colorado. High volume of altitude-exacerbated respiratory, cardiac, and hepatic cases. Sepsis, altitude illness, and complex multisystem failure.
Surgical / Trauma ICU
UCHealth Anschutz, Denver Health Level I, St. Anthony UCHealth
Major trauma from ski accidents, highway crashes, and mountain recreation. Denver Health MICU/SICU handles the highest gunshot wound volume in Colorado.
Cardiac ICU
UCHealth Anschutz, SCL Health, Centura Health
Post-cath, LVAD, ECMO, post-cardiac surgery. Anschutz is a major cardiac surgery and transplant center for the Rocky Mountain region.
Neuroscience ICU
UCHealth Anschutz (Anschutz Neuroscience Institute)
Stroke (primary and comprehensive stroke center), brain tumor, TBI from ski and motorcycle trauma, spinal cord injury, and post-neurosurgical care.
Pediatric ICU
Children's Hospital Colorado (Aurora/Anschutz Campus)
Ranked #1 in Rocky Mountain region. High-acuity surgical and cardiac PICU. Requires minimum 2 years pediatric ICU experience for travel placement.
Burn ICU
UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital
One of the largest burn programs in the Rocky Mountain West. Serves burn patients from Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, and surrounding states.
Mountain & Altitude ICU
UCHealth, Denver Health, mountain community hospitals
Unique to Colorado — HAPE, HACE, AMS, altitude-exacerbated cardiac and pulmonary disease. Altitude physiology expertise is a genuine differentiator for CO ICU travelers.
NICU (Level III/IV)
Children's Hospital CO, UCHealth, Denver Health
High-acuity neonatal care. Children's Hospital Colorado Level IV NICU is the regional referral center for extremely premature and critically ill newborns.
Major Colorado Facilities Hiring ICU Travelers
From Level I trauma centers to pediatric centers of excellence and mountain community hospitals.
UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital
Level I Trauma · AcademicAurora, CO (Anschutz Medical Campus)
The flagship of the UCHealth system and the primary academic medical center for the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Level I trauma center. ICU types: MICU, SICU/Trauma, CVICU, Neuro ICU, Burn ICU, and Transplant ICU. One of the Rocky Mountain region's largest burn programs. Consistently one of the top hospitals in Colorado by U.S. News & World Report.
Denver Health Medical Center
Level I Trauma · Safety-NetDenver, CO
Denver's public safety-net hospital and a Level I trauma center. High-volume trauma with the largest gunshot wound volume in Colorado. MICU and SICU see a complex, underserved patient population. Denver Health is a teaching hospital with a strong culture of acute care nursing. ICU travelers here should be comfortable with high-acuity, resource-adaptive care.
Children's Hospital Colorado
#1 Rocky Mountain PediatricAurora, CO (Anschutz Campus) + Colorado Springs
Ranked #1 in the Rocky Mountain region by U.S. News. Operates a high-acuity PICU and CVICU on the Anschutz Campus. Travel PICU nurses need a minimum of 2 years recent peds ICU experience. The Colorado Springs satellite facility is expanding its pediatric critical care capacity. A top destination for PICU-specialized travel nurses in the region.
UCHealth Memorial Hospital
Level I TraumaColorado Springs, CO
Colorado's second-largest city is anchored by UCHealth Memorial — a Level I trauma center serving El Paso County, Pueblo, and southern Colorado. Strong MICU and SICU volume. Travel ICU nurses in Colorado Springs have lower cost of living than Denver while accessing UCHealth system benefits and comparable patient acuity.
St. Anthony Hospital (UCHealth)
Level I Trauma · West DenverLakewood, CO
Level I trauma center serving the western Denver metro and I-70 mountain corridor trauma. High ski and mountain recreation trauma volume from I-70 ski resorts. MICU and Trauma ICU are primary units for travel placements. Close proximity to Golden, Arvada, and Jefferson County communities.
UCHealth Poudre Valley & Medical Center of the Rockies
Northern ColoradoFort Collins & Loveland, CO
UCHealth's two primary facilities in northern Colorado. Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins is a regional referral center for Larimer and Weld counties. Medical Center of the Rockies (Loveland) is a newer facility with modern ICU infrastructure. Both facilities serve a growing northern Colorado population with regular ICU travel nurse demand.
Colorado ICU Travel Nurse Pay & Tax
Colorado's flat 4.4% income tax is one of the most favorable state tax environments for travel nurses.
Level I Trauma ICU
UCHealth Anschutz, Denver Health, St. Anthony, UCHealth Memorial Colorado Springs. Trauma, Burn, and CVICU units at the high end of the range. Night and weekend shifts add additional differentials.
CO 4.4% flat tax + non-taxable stipends significantly boost net pay for travelers with a valid tax home.
Community ICU / Regional
UCHealth Poudre Valley (Fort Collins), Medical Center of the Rockies (Loveland), Parkview Medical (Pueblo), St. Mary's Grand Junction. Slightly lower volume, excellent work environment.
Denver GSA housing allowance approximately $1,900/month (2025). Fort Collins and Colorado Springs slightly lower.
PICU / Pediatric ICU
Children's Hospital Colorado (Anschutz). Requires minimum 2 years PICU experience. CVICU and surgical PICU subspecialty positions available. High-acuity, top-ranked facility.
Housing stipend eligibility requires maintaining a tax home more than 50 miles from the work location.
Colorado Tax Advantage
Colorado has a flat 4.4% state income tax rate — significantly lower than neighboring California (up to 13.3%), Minnesota (9.1%), or Oregon (9.9%). Combined with non-taxable housing and meal stipends for qualifying travelers, Colorado consistently ranks among the most tax-efficient states for travel nurses. Denver GSA housing rate is approximately $1,900/month for 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
Colorado travel ICU nursing — licensing, pay, altitude, and placement questions.
Is Colorado an NLC Compact state for travel ICU nurses?
Yes. Colorado is a full member of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). Travel ICU nurses holding a multistate compact license issued from their primary state of residence can practice in Colorado without applying for a separate Colorado RN license. If you hold a single-state Colorado license, you can still work in Colorado — but you would need to apply for licensure by endorsement to work in non-compact states afterward. Compact nurses should ensure their compact license is active and in good standing before starting a Colorado assignment.
How does high altitude affect ICU nursing in Colorado?
Colorado's altitude creates a genuinely unique clinical environment for ICU nurses. Denver sits at 5,280 feet above sea level, and mountain communities (Vail, Aspen, Summit County) are above 8,000 feet. Altitude-related conditions are common ICU admissions: Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE), High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE), and exacerbations of underlying cardiac and pulmonary disease. Altitude also affects medication pharmacokinetics, hemoglobin saturation reference ranges, and ventilator management. UCHealth and Denver Health ICU nurses develop specialized expertise in altitude medicine that is unique to Colorado. Travelers should be aware that SpO2 readings of 92–95% can be normal baselines for long-time Colorado residents.
What ICU types are available at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital (Anschutz)?
UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora is a Level I trauma center and one of the top-ranked academic medical centers in the Rocky Mountain region. ICU types at Anschutz include: Medical ICU (MICU), Surgical/Trauma ICU (SICU), Cardiac ICU (CICU/CVICU), Neuroscience ICU (Neuro ICU), Burn ICU (one of the largest burn programs in the region), and a dedicated Transplant ICU supporting the multi-organ transplant program. The Anschutz campus also hosts a Cardiac Catheterization Lab and Interventional Radiology with post-procedure critical care needs. Travel ICU nurses at Anschutz work in a high-acuity, academic, multidisciplinary environment.
What is the pay range for travel ICU nurses in Colorado?
Travel ICU RN compensation in Colorado ranges from approximately $2,700 to $3,500 per week depending on the facility, ICU type, shift differential, and experience level. Level I trauma centers (UCHealth Anschutz, Denver Health, UCHealth Memorial Colorado Springs, St. Anthony) pay at the higher end of this range. Specialty ICUs (Burn, Neuro, CVICU) and overnight/weekend shifts also command premium rates. The 4.4% Colorado flat income tax rate is one of the lowest among states that have an income tax, which positively affects take-home pay for travelers. Non-taxable housing and meal stipends under IRS guidelines further reduce the effective tax burden for travelers maintaining a valid tax home.
Are there ICU jobs at Children's Hospital Colorado for PICU-trained nurses?
Yes. Children's Hospital Colorado is ranked #1 in the Rocky Mountain region by U.S. News & World Report and is consistently one of the top pediatric hospitals in the country. Travel PICU and CVICU nurses are regularly placed at Children's Hospital Colorado, which operates on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. The hospital has a high-acuity PICU with surgical and cardiac subspecialty capabilities. PICU/CVICU travelers typically need at least 2 years of recent pediatric ICU experience to qualify for Children's Hospital placements. Contract terms are usually 13 weeks with the possibility of extension.
Which Colorado cities outside Denver have ICU travel nurse demand?
Several Colorado cities outside the Denver metro have consistent ICU travel nurse demand. Colorado Springs (UCHealth Memorial Hospital — Level I trauma, significant MICU and SICU volume) is the second-largest Colorado city and regularly needs ICU travelers. Fort Collins (UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital) serves northern Colorado and Wyoming border communities. Pueblo (Parkview Medical Center) is the largest hospital in southern Colorado. On the Western Slope, Grand Junction (St. Mary's Medical Center — UCHealth) is a regional referral center for western Colorado and eastern Utah. Critical access hospitals in mountain communities (Vail, Steamboat Springs, Glenwood Springs) also need ICU-competent nurses, often with broader float capability.
Colorado ICU Jobs by City
From the Denver metro to the Western Slope — ICU travel nurse demand across all of Colorado.
Denver / Aurora
Highest VolumeUCHealth Anschutz, Denver Health, Children's Hospital CO, Exempla Lutheran, Rose Medical Center. The largest ICU travel market in CO.
Colorado Springs
2nd Largest CO CityUCHealth Memorial Hospital (Level I trauma). Growing market. Lower cost of living than Denver. Strong MICU and trauma ICU volume.
Fort Collins / Loveland
Northern COUCHealth Poudre Valley (Fort Collins) and Medical Center of the Rockies (Loveland). Growing northern CO market. College town atmosphere.
Pueblo
Southern COParkview Medical Center — primary regional hospital for southern Colorado. Smaller ICU but consistent travel demand. Most affordable CO city for housing.
Grand Junction
Western SlopeSt. Mary's Medical Center (UCHealth) — regional referral center for western Colorado and eastern Utah. Remote setting, scenic environment. ICU float capability often required.
Mountain Communities
Critical AccessVail Health, Steamboat Springs, Glenwood Springs, Summit County. Smaller critical access hospitals. High altitude, ski trauma, unique altitude medicine cases. Broader float capability expected.
Why CatSol for Colorado ICU Jobs?
CatSol Healthcare places ICU travel nurses across Colorado's top health systems. Our recruiters know the UCHealth credentialing process, Children's Hospital experience requirements, and Denver market pay rates inside and out.
Job data updated every 4 hours. Pay rates are estimates based on market data. Colorado 4.4% income tax rate current as of 2025. Denver GSA housing rate approximately $1,900/month (2025).