The field of healthcare is evolving at a rapid pace. New digital healthcare technologies are introduced, drug development is being revolutionized, and new methods of providing more proactive, personalized, and convenient care are being used. Clinical research is at the heart of all the developments in healthcare. 

Research Nurses are a vital link in the clinical research process. As part of multidisciplinary teams, they combine science and nursing practice to find new and innovative ways to detect, diagnose, treat, and prevent diseases, ailments, and conditions. Their expertise goes towards improving the delivery of care and advancing the future of healthcare.

In this guide, we will break down the Research Nurse role. We’ll touch upon everything you need to know about what a job in clinical research implies, how to become a Nurse Researcher, what to expect in terms of salary once you do, and much more. 

Let’s get started. 

What Is a Research Nurse?

Research Nurses are also known in the healthcare industry by other names: Clinical Nurse Researcher, Clinical Trial Research Nurse, or Nurse Researcher. While the name on the job application may slightly differ, the premise of the position is the same. Research nursing is a nursing specialty that focuses on the care of patients participating in clinical studies. 

Nurse Researchers are instrumental in developing new medications, vaccinations, and medical procedures by providing and coordinating clinical care to participants. These, in turn, will positively impact millions of other patients in the long run. The quality of clinical trials and evidence-based research relies on Research Nurses; that’s why the position requires advanced education and training. 

What Does a Research Nurse Do?

Nurse Researchers have a wide range of responsibilities, so it should be no surprise that a Research Nurse’s job description is quite extensive and multifaceted. While the gist of the job is that it focuses on research, there are many specific job responsibilities that aspiring Nurse Researchers should be aware of. In this section, we will outline some of the primary duties that Research RNs may perform on a daily basis: 

• Outlining trial criteria in collaboration with other members of the interdisciplinary research team
• Recruiting patients for clinical trials
• Ensuring potential participants’ eligibility by conducting health screenings determining if the patients are clear of any conditions that could affect the study
• Educating the patients about the trial and answering any questions they may have about the study they are about to participate in
• Thoroughly explaining to patients the consent process and ensuring that informed consent is maintained throughout the study
• Providing clinical care to research participants
• Preparing, administering, and monitoring drugs and other treatments to participants
• Regularly assessing the participants’ state throughout the study by performing diagnostic tests and carefully monitoring their health 
• Closely observing any changes in the participants’ state, looking for both signs of improvement and decline
• Documenting all changes and extensively recording all information about the participants involved in the study. Data collection is one of the most critical steps in the research process because research will only be as good as the data. 
• Keeping records of immediate reactions to drugs or treatments, side effects, and medical histories
• Assuring participant safety by following all safety protocols during clinical trials and adhering to research regulatory standards
• Providing nursing care should medical emergencies emerge during the trial 
• Making sure the supplies and equipment are in good shape and fully functioning
• Communicating with patients and addressing their concerns
• Adhering to ethical standards
• Participating in the process of writing grant applications to secure funding
• Reporting the findings of the studies. This can imply publishing research articles in nursing journals and presenting results at conferences, meetings, or other professional events.
• Collaborating with sponsors, physicians, nurses, and other healthcare team members from different industries, institutions, and disciplines.

Where Do Clinical Research Nurses Work?

For the most part, Research Nurses will find employment in clinical research settings. These include:

• Research units situated in academic medical centers
• Research laboratories
• Pharmaceutical companies
• Medical research organizations
• Academic hospitals
• Government agencies
• Medical organizations
• International health organizations
• Private and public foundations
• Academia 

How to Become a Research Nurse?

The process of becoming a Research Nurse can be rather lengthy as it takes at least seven to eight years to earn the credentials that allow you to practice in this nursing role. In this section, we’ll walk you through the steps required to become a Nurse Researcher to help you better understand what it takes to start a career in this exciting field.

Step 1: Enroll in a Nursing Program

First, as an aspiring Research Nurse, you need to enroll in an accredited nursing program. Two popular options for prospective students are an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing (BSN). Both of these programs result in licensure as a Registered Nurse. 

An ADN takes around two years to complete, while you can achieve a BSN in about four years. In order to work in clinical research, you need an advanced degree, so many nurses prefer starting their nursing journey with a Bachelor’s program. Nightingale College’s BSN program takes as few as 32 months and will equip you with the evidence-based skills and knowledge required to pass the NCLEX-RN and succeed in nursing practice. 

If you go the ADN route, you can advance your degree by enrolling in a bridge RN-to-BSN program. Most RN-to-BSNs, Nightingale College’s included, take a shorter time to obtain and are specifically designed for working professionals, allowing you to study and work simultaneously. 

Step 2: Pass your NCLEX-RN

Once you complete the nursing program, there is one more phase to fulfill before you can assume the Registered Nurse Role: passing the NCLEX-RN exam. This exhaustive five-hour examination has one overarching goal – to determine if it is safe for you to practice as an RN after completing nursing school. 

Step 3: Get some work experience

Newly graduated nurses who want to work in clinical research settings should start their careers by gaining hands-on nursing experience. Working bedside for at least a few years is highly encouraged because it equips nurses with practical knowledge and expertise. Other starting-off career paths include research assistant, clinical data collector, or clinical research monitor. 

Step 4: Advance your education

Seeking a research nurse career requires advanced degrees such as an MSN or a PhD. While a Master’s degree in Nursing is required for most clinical research jobs, a doctorate is not a prerequisite. Nurses interested in research positions may conduct independent research and operate with higher autonomy, hence the need to hold higher degrees.

Step 5: Consider getting certified

Getting certified is a voluntary practice for nurses, but it is highly encouraged. Certification in clinical research will give you a significant competitive advantage and shape you into a better and more respected professional. Some potential certification options for Nurse Researchers include: 

• Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP) certification offered by the Society for Clinical Research Associates
• Clinical Research Associate Certification (CRA) offered by the Association of Clinical Research Professionals
• Clinical Research Coordinator (CRC) provided by the ACRP
• Principal Investigator Certification is also available through the Association of Clinical Research Professionals.

The certifications have varying eligibility criteria, so carefully review all the requirements before seeking to obtain this credential.

What Is the Salary of a Research Nurse?

There is a high demand for Nurse Researchers, which translates into higher salaries. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2021, the median annual wage for medical scientists was $95,310. Research Nurses fit into this category as well. 

However, we also looked at data from job platforms to get a better understanding of the earning potential of people interested in this career. According to ZipRecruiter data, a Nurse Researcher earns $75,711 a year, with top earners making around $97,000 annually across the United States.

What Is the Job Outlook for Registered Nurses?

Employment projections are bright for Research Nurses. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the employment of medical scientists is projected to grow 17 percent from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations. The demand for healthcare research professionals is closely linked to the aging of the population. As the population ages and rates of chronic disease continue to increase, extensive research into treating diseases such as Alzheimer’s or cancer, and other problems related to treatment, like resistance to antibiotics, is paramount. And as we have mentioned before, Nurse Researchers play a vital part in helping advance healthcare, making them indispensable to the workforce. 

What Are Some Research Nursing Subspecialties?

Research nursing incorporates more career tracks. That’s why knowing what jobs are available for nurses aspiring to work in the field is helpful. In addition to the role of the Clinical Research Nurse, other positions may be of interest.

A Clinical Research Coordinator ensures the smooth operation of the clinical trial. They are responsible for delegating tasks, organizing data collection, and ensuring that all safety protocols are followed to the dot. 

The Research Nurse Supervisor manages the day-to-day running of the clinical trial. They keep tabs on the research progressing according to a pre-established plan and are often responsible for determining patients’ eligibility to participate in the study.

The Principal Investigator is responsible for the big picture and the overall management of the clinical trial. They have a say in preparing, conducting, and administering the study and ensure it complies with federal or institutional guidelines. Principal Investigators are in charge of managing budgets and timelines. 

Are You Ready to Start Your Journey towards Advancing Healthcare?

From myriad potential career paths, aspiring nurses can choose one tailored to their interests, personality, educational background, ambitions, and much more. Individuals who want to be part of the bigger picture and advance the healthcare field will find nursing research a wonderful fit. 

It is a job that pays well, offers excellent security, and puts you at the forefront of all the developments in the healthcare industry. Getting this career may be lengthy and challenging, but it’s equally rewarding. And it starts with a single step: becoming a Registered Nurse. 

Enroll in Nightingale College’s BSN Program today or advance your education with our online RN-to-BSN Program. Great things are happening in healthcare, and you can help shape them!

Registered Nurses make up one of the largest segments of the U.S. workforce and, by far, the largest component of the healthcare workforce. In order to ensure that nurses can efficiently deliver on their duties as the primary providers of hospital patient care and long-term care, the nursing staff must be expertly managed and coordinated. And that’s where nursing administration comes into play. 

Due to the fact that nursing administration is a fast expanding healthcare field, Registered Nurses now have access to a broader array of career opportunities in management. Depending on how high you aim to climb on the nursing ladder, you can opt to become a Nurse Administrator, a Director of Nursing, or a Chief Nursing Officer. 

This guide will bring into the spotlight the role of the Nurse Administrator, the first position in the nursing administration hierarchy. So, if you’re curious about what a Nurse Administrator is, how to become one, and what salary you can expect if pursuing this job, you have come to the right place. 

What Is a Nursing Administrator? 

Nurse Administrators, sometimes also called Nurse Managers, are licensed Registered Nurses responsible for coordinating and managing other nurses within a medical facility. Typically they supervise one unit or nursing department. The core of their job description is to ensure that patients receive top-quality care and that the department operates like a well-oiled machine. Nurse Administrators are in charge of day-to-day operations, budgets, staffing, policy implementation, and setting the strategic course for the entire unit. Keeping the nursing staff driven and inspired helps them achieve their goals and run the department efficiently. 

How to Become a Nurse Administrator?

In this section, we’ll guide you through the entire process of securing a job in nursing administration. Notably, becoming a Nurse Administrator requires a combination of schooling and work experience. 

A Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing is the minimum educational requirement for Nurse Administrators. There are several avenues you could take to obtain this degree. You can enroll in a traditional BSN program. It takes around four years to complete, and once you pass the NCLEX-RN, you’re ready to enter the workforce directly as a Bachelor’s trained nurse. Nightingale College’s BSN program features a blended format, with online didactic learning and on-ground supervised field experience. In as few as 32 months, you’ll be prepared to start leaving your mark on the healthcare industry.

Aspiring RNs who decide not to enroll in a BSN program straight away due to length of program, costs, or personal preference, can instead take the ADN route. You can enroll in an Associate’s degree program, which takes around two years and start practicing as a Licensed Registered Nurse as soon as you pass the NCLEX exam. Should you decide to advance your career toward the nursing administration ranks, the next step in your education process would be to get your BSN. Since you already have your ADN degree, a fast track bridge RN-to-BSN program is the quickest and easiest way to achieve that. This type of program takes from one to two years. Most schools, Nightingale College included, offer the possibility of completing it online, allowing you to keep working through your studies. 

While a Bachelor’s degree is still the minimum requirement to enter a nursing administration career, a Master’s Degree is quite common and increasingly preferred by employers. 

Even with the schooling requirements fulfilled, it will still be a few years before you can go after a job in nursing administration. Typically, you need at least two years of bedside nursing experience before moving into a non-clinical, supervisory role. However, the hands-on work experience is invaluable for aspiring Nurse Administrators because it helps them gain perspective on the entire nursing practice. Clinical expertise makes administrators better professionals in the long run. 

Do Nurse Administrators Need Certifications?

While getting certified is not mandatory for Registered Nurses, it is undoubtedly a big plus. Certification leads to increased recognition from peers and supervisors, helping you stand out to potential employers. Also, it boosts your confidence in your skills and knowledge, making you a better nurse. 

Some possible certification opportunities for Nurse Administrators include:

• Nurse Executive Certification (NE-BC) is available through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
• Nurse Executive, Advanced Certification (NEA-BC) is also offered by the ANCC. 
• Certified Nurse Manager and Leader (CNML), designed exclusively for nurse leaders in the nurse manager role, offered by the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL)

Find out more reasons why you should consider getting certified. 

What Is the Role of a Nurse Administrator in a Healthcare Setting?

The Nurse Administrator is a vital link in the healthcare chain. While they don’t provide bedside care, they oversee the nurses who do, thus being directly responsible for the quality of care in a specific nursing setting. With a complex and extensive job description, Nurse Administrators must always be ready to tackle new tasks. These are some of the functions and duties nursing administration brings to the table: 

• Attending meetings to coordinate with nursing staff and higher management
• Interviewing and hiring staff
• Conducting performance reviews and recording results of evaluations
• Reporting on job performance and staff needs serving as a liaison between nursing staff and higher management
• Developing training and overseeing educational opportunities for nurses in the department
• Taking care of scheduling
• Managing nurses’ concerns
• Handling complaints from patients, doctors, nurses
• Mediating conflicts that may arise among nurses
• Addressing budgeting and record-keeping
• Ensuring the unit/department meets all the safety standards
• Ordering and keeping track of new equipment for the unit
• Establishing policies to improve patient care.

What Qualities Should RNs Who Work in Nursing Administration Have? 

Being a Nurse Administrator is no easy task, but having a well-rounded set of skills will come a long way. These are some of the abilities and qualities that will make your career in nursing administration a resounding success. 

Communication skills are a high priority. As a Nurse Administrator, you direct the communication flow from the bedside to the boardroom. You communicate policies and procedures to nurses ensuring the staff’s compliance with new laws and regulations. You also advocate for the RNs’ needs to higher management. Strong communication skills can help you juggle these responsibilities. 

Being detail-oriented is a vital characteristic of nursing administration. You may have to organize and maintain scheduling and billing information for your department. You need to keep an eye out for the state of the equipment and the need for improvements. So paying close attention to detail and being very organized will prove helpful. 

Interpersonal skills are another definite asset. You collaborate with a wide array of professionals, from nurses and physicians to Directors of Nursing, Chief Nursing Officers, and other members of the institution’s top management. You may also have to collaborate with health insurance representatives, social workers and other professionals. 

Technical skills will also come to your advantage. Staying on top of the advances in healthcare technology and data analytics will provide you with the expertise necessary to pass down these skills to other staff members and improve the quality of care. For example, suppose the institution you work at adopts a new electronic health record (EHR) system. In that case, you need to oversee the training of nurses in using this new technology. You can only do that if you possess the technical abilities to begin with. 

Leadership skills are an essential part of working in nursing administration. When you’re responsible for training, motivating, and leading staff, you’ll find it very handy to be a good and respected leader. 

How Much Do Nurse Administrators Earn?

While no specific data for Nurse Administrators are available, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports on the salaries of Medical and Health Services Managers. Since Nurse Administrators fit this job description, BLS data will also reflect their salary prospects. 

The average annual salary for Nurse Administrators is $101,340. The size of the paycheck will vary depending on several factors: location, employer, education, certification, and years of experience. It also varies based on industry. For example, Healthcare Administrators working in hospitals earn on average $119,450. Those employed in outpatient care centers bring home around $99,540, while a job in administration in nursing and residential care facilities offers wages in the vicinity of $83,550. 

Find a more detailed view of how much Nurse Administrators earn in every state in our article. 

For the most part, Nurse Administrators work full time, Monday through Friday. Work during evenings or weekends may be occasionally required for RNs working in hospitals or nursing homes as these are settings that don’t follow traditional business opening hours. 

What Is the Job Outlook in Nursing Administration?

Alongside salary benefits, working in nurse administration comes with one more essential advantage: the job has an excellent job outlook. Employment of Medical and Health Services Managers, including Nurse Administrators, is projected to grow 32 percent from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations. 

The demand for healthcare services increases exponentially as the large baby-boom population ages and people remain active later in life. This means that there is a pressing need for more nurses to care for growing numbers of patients. It also implies a greater need for nursing administrators to organize, manage and supervise the nursing workforce. In all, strong job prospects await the aspiring RNs who want a career in nursing administration. 

Ready to Start Climbing the Nursing Administration Ladder?

Pursuing a job in nursing administration can be an exciting opportunity for career advancement. If you are ready to trade your bedside role for a non-clinical management position, then this can be a natural next step for your career. It comes with additional responsibilities and challenges but also with many financial and professional rewards. And we’d love nothing more than to help you get there. 

Our accredited programs will equip you with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in your nursing career. Don’t wait to apply! Enroll today in Nightingale College’s BSN degree or advance your education with our online RN-to-BSN program. 

Healthcare is an intricate ordeal, especially for people diagnosed with serious illnesses. Understanding and learning to cope with a severe disease is a complex process, and patients will often need professional help to navigate it and ensure they always make informed decisions regarding their treatment. Here’s where the Nurse Navigator comes in. 

Introduced in the 1990s, the position of Nurse Navigator proved to be extremely valuable in healthcare for being so relatively new. Having a Nurse Navigator on their side can truly make a difference in the tumultuous health journey many patients are charged with. 

If you’re interested in a career in this specialty, we’re here to show you all the ins and outs of the profession. Everything you need to know – from education requirements to job description and salary prospects – will be discussed in this guide. 

Let’s start. 

What is a Nurse Navigator?

Nurse Navigators are healthcare professionals who assist the patient from initial diagnosis through the entire treatment process and, in the most unfortunate cases, through end-of-life care. They are the middle man between patient and clinical care staff, ensuring patients are experiencing as little worry and uncertainty in the face of a life-changing diagnosis. For the most part, Nurse Navigators work with oncology patients facing chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation, but the role is quickly expanding. Cardiology and other specialized critical care areas also benefit from the services of this specialized role. 

They act as personal advocates, and the core of the job is offering personalized care to patients, families, and caregivers. An essential element of the job is accounting for all the patient’s needs – that means clinical, financial, psychological, and spiritual. 

An example might explain best what exactly is a Nurse Navigator. It takes a village to offer care to an oncology patient undergoing cancer treatment. Part of the large healthcare team is the primary care physician, oncologist, oncology nurses, palliative care doctors, social workers, genetic counselors, pathologists, clinical pharmacists, diagnostic radiologists, and rehabilitation therapists. Having to deal with and interact with this many professionals can be overwhelming. And who does the patient go to if they have a question or an issue occurs? Here’s when the Oncology Nurse Navigator can prove a life savior. Oncology Nurse Navigators serve as the individuals guide from diagnosis through survivorship. They act as the middle man between the oncology team by providing education, support services, counseling, and care to the patient. This is an invaluable help for a population as fragile as cancer patients.

For the most part, RN Navigators will work in clinical and hospital settings. In addition to collaborating with healthcare professionals in their institution, Patient Navigators must maintain close ties to clinicians in other organizations. Also, having a wide array of contacts in community agencies is essential for people interested in this nursing role. 

What does a Nurse Navigator Do?

The job description of a Nurse Navigator is extensive and complex, but at the same time, it’s extremely rewarding. It largely revolves around education, providing resources, monitoring symptoms, and offering psychological assistance. Below, you can find a more detailed list of everyday tasks for Nurse Navigators:

• Provide education to patients about their condition, prescribed treatment, and potential side effects clearly and respectfully. 
• Answer any questions the patient may have at all stages of the care process. Should you not be able to provide satisfactory and informative answers, serve as the intermediate between patient and physician.
• Provide instructions regarding treatment procedures.
• Provide clinical resources. Sometimes people may require a second opinion, specific treatments or tests may only be available at an outside facility, or patients need to access reliable sources of information. You don’t want patients searching their symptoms on the internet, which may lead to unnecessary struggles. That’s why providing trustworthy clinical resources is such a crucial part of the job. 
• Act as a member of an interdisciplinary health team. Nurse Navigators are one link in a very intricate health delivery chain. Collaborating with doctors, other nurses, and social workers is a big part of their job description. 
• Address the administrative aspects of healthcare. This may include helping the patient with questions about finances, transportation, childcare, costs, and more. In some instances, you may need to be the liaison between patients and social workers. 
• Ensure diagnostic tests, appointments, and procedures are scheduled in a timely manner. 
• Ensure the accessibility of information. This includes but is not limited to translating medical documents (should there be a barrier language) and interpreting medical jargon in an easy-to-understand format.
• Educate families and caregivers on how best to provide care for the patient in a home environment.

How to Become a Nurse Navigator?

Next, we will take a look at the step-by-step process of becoming a Nurse Navigator. 

Step 1: Enroll in a nursing program

The first step in pursuing a career as a Navigator is the same as for every aspiring nurse: finding an accredited nursing program that fits your criteria: length, cost, personal ambition, etc., and enrolling in it. If you want to become a Nurse Navigator, the minimum education requirement is an ADN or BSN degree.

The first option is to enroll in an Associate’s Degree in Nursing. This degree takes around two years to complete. The second option is to go for a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing. While it does take four years longer to get this degree, it prepares you more extensively to be a better nurse. Plus, employers increasingly prefer to hire BSN-trained nurses to fill RN positions. You can complete Nightingale College’s BSN program in as few as 32 months, and you can count on it to equip you with the skills and knowledge you need to succeed as an RN. 

Find out more reasons why getting a BSN degree may be the best call for your career. 

If you go the ADN route, you can advance your education and obtain your BSN degree through a fast-track RN-to-BSN program. Like the one offered by Nightingale College, many bridge programs are online and allow you to keep working through your studies.

Step 2: Pass the NCLEX-RN and gain RN licensure

Enrolling and completing an accredited nursing program is only step one in your journey towards a career in nursing navigation. To become a fully-fledged Registered Nurse, you first need to gain RN licensure by passing the NCLEX-RN. This comprehensive exam tests your knowledge and preparedness to be a practicing nurse. 

Step 3: Start working

The NCLEX-RN is the crown jewel of your nursing studies. Once you pass it and gain RN licensure, you can start looking for RN jobs in the specialty that interests you – Nurse (Patient) Navigation. Make sure your resume is up-to-date, prepare for nursing interviews, and, soon enough, you will be getting ready every morning for your dream job. 

Step 4: Consider certification

Getting certified is not a mandatory requirement for nurses but it certainly benefits them greatly.

As a certified RN, you gain increased recognition and respect from peers and supervisors, feel more empowered in your skills and knowledge, and gain more career advancement opportunities. 

Nurse Navigators who want to hold certification in this specialty can look into the following credentials: 

• Certified Oncology Navigator through the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN+) 
• Oncology specific certifications available through the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC) 

Bear in mind that each certificate comes with its own requirements and eligibility criteria. Certification is only valid for three to five years, after which you need to renew it. 

What Qualities Should a Nurse Navigator Have?

Succeeding at a Nurse Navigator job requires more than extensive knowledge. Some qualities and skills will help you excel in this position:

Therapeutic Communication

Efficient nursing care builds its foundation on therapeutic communication, a vital skill for Navigator Nurses. The respectful and compassionate nature of therapeutic nursing communication encourages patients to open up about their physical, mental, and emotional needs and allows nurses to provide the best care possible. Plus, this position requires nurses to collaborate with many other healthcare team members. That’s why reliable and efficient communication is essential for providing quality nursing services to people who strongly rely on them. 

Open-mindedness

As a Navigator RN, you need to be ready to learn and accept people’s values and belief systems even – or especially – when they are different from your own. It is your responsibility to listen to your patient’s wishes, respect their lifestyle and culture, and still be a liaison between their needs and the medical requirements. Open discussion with patients, research, and open-mindedness will help you achieve just that. 

Empathy

Your job as a Nurse Navigator implies working with some of the most fragile populations. These people have been put face-to-face with a diagnosis that will turn their life upside down. So, you’ll need a great deal of compassion and empathy to help them navigate these life-altering health events. 

Organizational skills

Navigator Nurses need to be experts at multitasking, and top-notch organizational skills will come a long way. You will be required to juggle multiple tasks or cases at once. Each implies scheduling appointments, creating individualized care plans, recording data, and providing support and education. So, sharpening your organizational abilities will benefit you greatly. 

Critical thinking skills

In order to be a successful Nurse Navigator, you need to be able to explain even the most complex procedures clearly. You need to analyze large amounts of data and make evidence-based decisions that align best with your patient’s interests. Critical thinking skills will prove vital in accomplishing these goals. 

What Is the Salary of a Nurse Navigator?

The role of the Nurse Navigator is compensated well. According to ZipRecruiter data, the average salary of RN Navigators is around $72,409 per year. Most Nurse Navigators earn wages that fit into the $60,500 to $90,000 range. 

The fact that the pay range varies significantly suggests that Patient Navigator Nurses have many opportunities for advancement and increased pay at their disposal, based on factors like skill level, location, education and certifications, and years of experience. 

Are You Ready to Embrace the Nurse Navigator Role? 

Generally, Oncology Nurse Navigators and Nurse (Patient) Navigators have a highly sensitive and valuable role. They are caring for people whose lives have been irreversibly affected by cruel diagnoses, which takes skills such as knowledge, empathy, and dedication. At the same time, being an anchor for the most vulnerable patient populations in their time of crisis can be an enriching and fulfilling career path. 

If you know that this is the career path for you, it’s time to embark on the first phase of your journey. We’re here to help you take your nursing education to new heights. Enroll in Nightingale College’s BSN degree or advance your education with our RN-to-BSN online program. We’re here to help you become the best Nurse Navigator you can be. 

You have been working as a nurse for a few years. It’s a tremendously rewarding career, but you feel like it may be time for the next step. Perhaps you want to climb higher up on the career ladder. Or you want to transition out of working bedside. You are ready to put your leadership skills, extensive nursing knowledge, and considerable clinical expertise to a new test. 

If that’s the case, we have just the career path for you: Director of Nursing. This position is a critical administrative role in the healthcare ecosystem. Nursing Directors essentially lead the nursing department and set the overarching standards of care. It’s a demanding job requiring great responsibility. But it’s also a fruitful career path that comes with many benefits: personal, financial, and professional. 

Curious to learn more about this exciting job? Then stick around because this guide will discuss everything you need to know about Directors of Nursing: how to become one, what duties and responsibilities to expect, the salary prospects, and much more. 

What is a Director of Nursing?

A Director of Nursing, also known as Nurse Director or DON, is an Advanced Registered Nurse in charge of leading the administrative work of a nursing department or entire healthcare system. They are responsible for overseeing the nursing staff, ensuring efficient communication between different departments within the medical facility, and the overall smooth running of the organization. Additionally, Nursing Directors are an essential resource for others within the community.

Obtaining a position as a Director of Nursing requires years of clinical nursing experience, strong managerial skills, and advanced education. Excellent communication abilities, conflict resolution, compassionate leadership, problem-solving and critical thinking skills, as well as high levels of professionalism and up-to-date knowledge of nursing practices, methods, and tools are all essential qualities for a Nurse Director. 

A DON needs to possess these skills because their role is expansive and multifaceted with duties ranging from interpreting and updating nursing policy to managing large budgets. Directors of Nursing typically work full-time Monday to Friday office positions. 

How to Become a Director of Nursing?

Becoming a Nurse Director is a lengthier and more demanding process, which will result in great job satisfaction. Because it is a fairly extensive process, we created this step-by-step guide to help you navigate the schooling and training requirements necessary to secure this position.

Step 1. Enroll in a nursing program

Your nursing journey starts with attending nursing school. You can either enroll in an ADN program or BSN program to obtain nursing licensure. An Associate’s Degree in Nursing takes around two years to complete. Getting your Bachelor’s Degree implies spending about four years in school. Nightingale College’s BSN degree can be completed in as few as 32 months and equips you with the knowledge and skill necessary to succeed as a Registered Nurse. 

Step 2. Pass the NCLEX-RN

Completing a nursing program culminates with you sitting for the NCLEX-RN exam. This comprehensive examination tests your nursing knowledge and skills and determines your preparedness to become a Registered Nurse. Only after you pass the NCLEX-RN do you obtain licensure as an RN. 

Step 3. Gain experience

Nursing Directors need to have a few years of clinical experience before pursuing a job in this administrative role. On-the-ground nursing is an essential part of the DON’s training because it allows them to gain perspective on nursing practice. That, in turn, makes them better professionals once they reach this leadership position. It’s also a great way to hone your skills and ensure that you are up to the task of directing others.

Step 4. Continue your education

Generally, Directors of Nursing need to have at least an MSN Degree under their belt in order to secure this leadership role. BSN nurses can directly enroll in an MSN program and get their Master’s Degree in Nursing within a two year time frame. 

If you are an ADN-trained nurse, the next step would be to obtain your BSN degree, from which you can further advance towards an MSN. The easiest way is to enroll in a bridge RN-to-BSN program, as it allows you to get your BSN credential faster without giving up your job. Nightingale College’s online RN-to-BSN program is designed with working professionals in mind. That means you don’t need to sacrifice your career to further your education: our online format permits you to do both simultaneously. There are also accelerated RN-to-MSN programs that allow you to complete your BSN and MSN at the same time. 

Step 4. Obtain your MSN Degree

Regardless of the educational path you take, you need to graduate with a Master’s Degree in Nursing to go after DON positions. The most common MSN programs for aspiring Directors of Nursing are in healthcare administration or nursing leadership. 

Step 5. Continue your education: Part Two – Certification

At this point in your nursing journey, you probably realize that nurses never really stop learning. Education is an ongoing process for RNs, and especially because you’re aiming for a top leadership position, you always need to be on top of the game. 

Here’s where certification comes in. Getting certified is generally a voluntary process for nurses, but many benefits recommend going through this additional step. Certification is an excellent way to boost your confidence as a nurse, secure your peers’ respect and recognition, and open yourself to a larger pool of exciting job opportunities. 

Created explicitly for Nurse Directors is the Director of Nursing Services Certification (DNS-CT), originally developed by the American Association of Directors of Nursing Services, now part of AAPACN (American Association of Post Acute Care Nurses).

Obtaining this credential needs to meet the following criteria: 

• You need to hold a current and unencumbered RN license
• You need the equivalent of two years of full-time long-term or post-acute care experience
• You need a minimum of one year of experience working as either DON or in another relevant nursing leadership position. 

Other certification options you can consider are:

• Nurse Executive Certification Examination offered by the ANCC 
• Nurse Manager and Leader and Executive Nursing Practice certifications provided by the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE). 

Step 6: Optional – Enroll in a Doctoral Nursing Program

Having a Doctoral Degree is not an obligatory requirement for aspiring Nursing Directors. However, this credential allows further career development and growth. DONs with a doctorate can pursue more active roles in shaping the healthcare system’s future. 

Step 7: Reap the benefits of your hard work

We’re not going to sugarcoat it: it’s a challenging path to get from nursing student to Director of Nursing. Now that you have successfully completed all the other steps, it is time to work on your Director of Nursing resume, sharpen your interviewing skills (our guide with potential nursing interview questions and answers can help you) and prepare to go after your dream job! Your dedication and hard work are all rewarded once you get this leadership role. You can wholeheartedly enjoy this next step in your nursing career and work responsibly and confidently to lead and supervise your facility’s nursing department. 

What Are the Duties of a Nursing Director?

The job description of a Director of Nursing reflects the extensive training that goes into obtaining this nursing position. While some of the duties and responsibilities of a DON may differ from one medical facility to another, the common day-to-day tasks of a Nursing Director include:

• Supervising and leading nursing staff
• Advising medical staff, department heads, and other members of the hospital’s administration in matters related to nursing practice
• Serving as the liaison between the nursing staff and the management of the institution
• Ensuring high levels of nursing care for patients
• Establishing new procedures and updating existing policies in line with the latest advancements in the nursing field 
• Providing training for nurses on new procedures and policies to ensure that the standard of care for patients is always high
• Overseeing recruiting, training, and onboarding of new nurses in the medical facility
• Evaluating staff performance and keeping accurate reports 
• Managing business plans and department budgets
• Determining and planning both short-term and long-term goals for the nursing department.

Where Do Directors of Nursing Work?

While hospitals remain the largest employer of DONs, essentially every facility with nursing staff will also hire a Nursing Director to oversee and lead the department. Directors of Nursing can also find jobs in long-term care facilities, private practices, outpatient care centers, insurance companies, healthcare corporations, or government agencies. 

What Is the Salary of a Nursing Director?

Nursing Directors receive competitive compensation. While the Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t specifically mention the salaries for Directors of Nursing, it does indicate that Medical and Health Services Managers earn a median salary of $101,340 per year. To be more specialty-specific, we also turned to ZipRecruiter. Data from this leading job platform puts the annual wage for Directors of Nursing at $88,078 annually. The size of the paycheck will depend on several factors. Geographic location, employer, education, certification, and years of experience can all play a role in how much DONs earn.  

What Is the Job Outlook for Directors of Nursing? 

The job outlook for Directors of Nursing is excellent. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the need for Registered Nurses will grow by 9% by 2030. As the need for nurses increases, so does the need for nursing professionals in management positions to oversee and lead them. The BLS reports that the employment of medical and health services managers is projected to grow 32% by the end of the decade, a much higher rate than other occupations. This points to high job security for DONs, an additional advantage of this exciting career. 

Are You Ready to Start Your Journey Toward Nursing Leadership?

Being a Director of Nursing is an enriching career from which everyone benefits. You enjoy a challenging but fulfilling position. Nurses have a strong leader to rely on. Patients have access to quality care, and the healthcare system is improved by your professionalism, expertise, and knowledge. 

If that sounds like a role that piques your interest, start working toward it today! Enroll in Nightingale College’s BSN program or advance your education with our online RN-to-BSN program. Quality education is the foundation of a successful DON career, and we’re here to offer you just that!

Military nursing is one of the most fulfilling and challenging career paths a Registered Nurse could explore. There’s no doubt about it: working in the military can be stressful and even dangerous, but, in the end, it brings together two of the noblest actions any person could undertake: helping others and serving their country.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore some subtleties of this career and, more importantly, what makes military nursing such a sought-after profession. In addition to that, we’ll discuss the steps to t a Military Nurse, the benefits, salary prospects, and much more. 

Let’s proceed. 

What Is a Military Nurse?

Regardless of whether you work in civilian or military nursing, the overarching goal of the practice is the same: providing high-quality nursing care to patients and promoting their wellbeing. Military RNs, however, accomplish this goal under very different circumstances. 

Military RNs serve in the major branches of the military because their services being needed and highly valued in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. As far as job descriptions go, their duties aren’t much different from those of a nurse caring for civilians – it’s just the work environment that’s really different. 

Working in the military can mean deployment to foreign war zones to accompany active troops on their missions. It may imply serving in makeshift facilities as combat units near the front lines. The workplace will be fast-paced and high-stress, and at times, you may have to work in life-threatening conditions. The travel requirements, patient population, and the working conditions can lead to physical and psychological demands. 

Clearly, military nursing is not a job for everyone. It takes a certain kind of personality to excel in this career. An aspiring Military Nurse ought to be professional, think fast on their feet, and keep their composure even under the most frightening situations. High-stress tolerance is another critical skill for RNs who consider military jobs. 

What Are the Steps to Becoming a Military Nurse?

Suppose the thought of joining the Army, the Navy, or the Air Force as a nurse has crossed your mind. In that case, you need to be familiar with all the requirements for becoming a nurse in the military. In this section, we will discuss how to become a Military Nurse. We’ll start with the schooling requisites and move on to the additional training needed to secure military nurse contract jobs. 

Step 1. Enroll in nursing program

While many civilian nursing jobs accept an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) as a baseline educational requirement, but that is not the case when it comes to the military. In the military, nurses are commissioned officers. In order to be eligible for commission and become a nurse in the military, you need to hold at least a Bachelor of Science in Nursing or an advanced practice nursing degree. Hence, the first step is to enroll in an accredited BSN program that will equip you with the extensive knowledge and skills necessary to excel at military jobs. If you want to advance your education further and become a Military Nurse Practitioner, you will have to pursue a Master’s Degree in Nursing. 

Nightingale College’s accredited BSN program will rise to the task and prepare you to join the military as a Registered Nurse in as little as 32 months. 

Step 2. Pass NCLEX-RN

After completing a nursing program, you need to earn certification as a Registered Nurse. You do that by passing the National Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN), an extensive exam that will test your preparedness to become a fully-fledged RN. Once this last hurdle is out of the way, it’s time to celebrate now that you are a licensed nurse and one step closer to your dream job!

Step 3. Gain experience

With proper RN licensure under your belt, you can start working as a Registered Nurse. Many nurses decide to work and gain experience in the civilian nursing field before enlisting. However, you can also join the military as a new graduate, although the lack of on-the-ground nursing experience may add to the stress of the job.

Step 4. Undergo officer training

A military career involves a fourth, very-specific step that other nursing specialties don’t. After completing all the other schooling requirements, you also need to undergo officer training offered by the military branch where you plan to serve. Officer training acts much like a crash course on leadership skills and military life, preparing the aspiring Military Nurses for the lifestyle they are about to embrace. Also, as part of officer training, nurses have to pass a series of physical exercises and prove their proficiency in different fitness challenges. 

Do You Need Certifications for a Career in Military Nursing?

Other than holding a BSN degree and having an active and unencumbered RN license, there are generally no additional mandatory certifications for nurses who want to work in the military. Still, some credentials may be highly encouraged (or even required) for particular nursing specialties and positions. These are very specialty specific. Examples of potential certifications employers may ask for are: Acute Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), or Critical Care (CCRN). It is useful to remember that each military nursing job will come with its own set of requirements, so it’s essential to check what they are ahead of time. 

Where Do Military Nurses Work?

Generally, as a Registered Military Nurse, you are required to make a commitment that lasts at least three years. You will likely change locations and be stationed in a new region every three years. These locations can be either at home or abroad. Some work environments you can end up in are:

• Military hospitals
• Military clinics
• Global response centers during natural disasters
• Ships

The military recruits nurses with different specializations. Critical Care RNs are particularly in-demand for armed services recruitments because their expertise is needed to treat the severely wounded. But nurses also care for service members and their families and help them with non-combat illnesses, injuries, or conditions. Some other specializations for Military Nurses include Labor and Delivery, Neonatal Care, and Mental Health Psychiatric Nursing. Thus, the specialization may also play a part in the work environment you end up in.

What Is the Age Limit for Working as a Military Nurse?

Military Nurses who work in the uniformed services also need to consider their age as a factor in the employment process. The eligibility age will differ from one branch of the military to another. To work in the Navy Nurse Corps, one ought to be between 18 and 41. The Air force eligibility age is 18 to 47 while enlisting in the Army Nurse Corps is available for nurses aged between 21 and 42. 

What is the Salary of a Military Nurse?

For some nurses, the question How much does a Military Nurse make? may be the determining factor in pursuing this career path. 

Military Nurses are competitively compensated, with the pay rate increasing with the grade or rank that the nurse holds. On average, ZipRecruiter reports that Military Nurses earn between $50,000 and $100,000 annually. The job outlook for Military Registered Nurses is particularly excellent. They are in demand in all the branches of the military. Still, the Army remains the largest employer of Military Nurses. 

Competitive salaries aren’t the only benefit. Registered Nurses who are enlisted in the military have the opportunity to have their student loans repaid by the Government, which is a tremendous financial advantage. Other benefits include housing stipends, low-cost or free health insurance, hazard pay when working in combat zones, and retirement plans. Military nurses can retire after 20 years in service and are entitled to receive a pension.

What Do Military Nurses Do?

Military Nurses share many of the responsibilities of civilian nurses; only they perform all these responsibilities in a military environment. Generally, a Military Nurse’s duties are largely dependent on whether they serve during peacetime or wartime. In peacetime, nurses will care for the active-duty personnel, military retirees, and the family members of active military members. They may offer ambulatory, maternal/child, or rehabilitation nursing care. During combat, nurses will have to provide care near battlefronts and in conflict zones wherever they are stationed around the world. This often may include treating severe life-threatening injuries, like gunshots or lost limbs. Some of the specific duties of an RN working in the military include:

• Treating wounded soldiers and military personnel
• Monitoring the pain and comfort levels of injured patients
• Providing psychological and emotional support
• Setting up military triage in war zones
• Providing nursing care to victims affected by natural disasters
• Assisting in humanitarian efforts
• Providing vaccinations and/or care to children in developing countries

Are You Ready to Embark on a Military Nursing Career? 

Joining the military as a Registered Nurse is one of the noblest and most rewarding career paths for RNs. It is, by all means, a challenging profession that comes with a potentially dangerous work environment. But it also comes with the potential to travel and work around the world, significant financial benefits, such as high salaries and loan repayment options. Moreover, it offers you the opportunity to serve your country while following your calling: caring for people and making the world a better place, one patient at a time. 

Start your journey towards a Military nursing career by enrolling in Nightingale College’s BSN program. If you already have an ADN degree and want to fast-track your way to working in the military as a nurse, our online RN-to-BSN is the answer. 

Becoming a Military Nurse is a wonderful goal to have. We’re here to help you accomplish it. 

The allure of travel nursing isn’t too hard to pinpoint. You work when you want, where you want, and you make more money in the process. You fulfill your purpose by doing a job you love and caring for people. Plus, you get to experience new challenges, live new life experiences, and explore places that may have otherwise remained unknown to you. 

It sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? 

While those statements are indeed true, there’s more to travel nursing than meets the eye. If you want to secure those highest paying travel nursing jobs, enjoy all the benefits and none of the headaches of an on-the-go career, you need to come in prepared. 

And that’s where we come in. We put together a comprehensive guide on travel nursing that includes everything you may need to know: a list of the highest-paid travel nursing specialties, advice on how to get them, things to consider when signing up for travel jobs, and much more. 

What is a Travel Nurse Job, and What Does It Involve?

Travel nursing jobs are short-term nursing assignments where nurses travel to a specific location to provide patient care. To put it simply, travel nurses fill the need for personnel in destinations with a shortage of qualified nursing staff. Generally, most travel nursing contracts last around 13 weeks. However, you can find assignments ranging from eight to 26 weeks. 

A travel nurse’s job description closely resembles that of a local RN. It would be nearly impossible to provide a comprehensive list of the responsibilities of a travel nurse, as these will be largely dependent on the employer, place of work, and specialty. Still, some of the most common duties you may expect to encounter on your assignment are:

• Conducting head-to-toe assessments to evaluate a patient’s condition
• Educating patients and caregivers
• Monitoring a patient’s condition and keeping accurate records of nursing actions and patient developments
• Administering medication as per doctors’ prescriptions
• Working as part of the healthcare team to create and implement treatment plans for patients.

Some of the most popular employers for travel nurses are hospitals, long-term care facilities, and surgery centers. Equally in need of travel RNs are specialty hospitals and clinics that provide care to a specific patient population.

Why Are Travel Nursing Jobs in Such High Demand?

The demand for travel nurses was always high, but the COVID-19 pandemic amplified it further. Let’s see some of the reasons that led to the increased popularity of nurse traveling. 

• The nationwide nursing shortage is real, and it’s harsh. Projections show that there will be a shortage of over half a million RNs by 2030.
• As Baby Boomers age, the need for healthcare services intensifies. According to the US Census Bureau, by 2030, there will be over 82 million people aged 65 and older. As the number of older people increases, there will also be an increased need for geriatric care. 
• “The Great Resignation” hit on the nursing industry. In the summer of 2021, the number of US workers who quit their jobs reached record highs. BLS data showed that over 4.3 million Americans quit, out of which over 530.000 were healthcare workers. In addition to that, a significant segment of the nursing workforce is nearing retirement age, which further deepens the nursing shortage and, subsequently, the need for travel nurses. 
• Geography is a harsh mistress, as well. The nursing shortage is felt nationwide. However, some regions feel it more. The most alarming effects are being felt in the South and West regions of the country. Also, rural communities feel the staffing gap even more than larger metropolitan areas. Nursing care is much needed in these areas, making travel nurses precious commodities. 

What Are the Benefits of Travel Nursing?

The demand for nurses is undoubtedly high, driving many people toward the profession. But what are some of the benefits that attract nurses to choose travel jobs as alternatives to permanent staff positions? We’re about to find out. 

Higher Pay

The promise of bigger paychecks is assuredly the main incentive for nurses to seek short-term employment as travel nurses. You will see in the following sections that traveling RNs indeed earn more, with some cashing in around $130,000 annually. 

Increased Flexibility

As Travel RNs, nurses choose where to work and when to work. This allows them to relocate even briefly closer to friends or relatives or experience new destinations. It also gives them a choice about how long they stay. Some assignments last a few weeks; others may span over a few months. Traveling nurses have the flexibility to fix these details according to their needs or preferences. 

Freedom to Schedule Breaks Between Assignments

Because the travel nurse has more control over the job opportunities, they also have more control over their breaks. So, they can schedule longer breaks in between assignments, allowing them to recharge and potentially avoid nursing burnout. 

More Opportunities for Career Growth

One significant advantage of travel nursing is exposure to a wide variety of new career experiences. Each travel assignment comes with its own challenges and lessons. As a result, nurses learn new skills, are exposed to new ways of working and gain new experiences. This makes them better professionals and more prepared to tackle any professional obstacle in the long run. 

Benefits that Extend Beyond the Paycheck

The perks of travel nursing don’t stop with a more sizable paycheck. You can also enjoy other benefits, such as getting free accommodation for the duration of your assignment, travel reimbursements, and tax advantages. 

Job Security

We’ve already mentioned the high demand for travel nurses. This leads to high job security and the promise of being able to find gainful employment.

Mission-Centered Jobs

For many nurses, nursing is more than just a job or a paycheck. It is a calling. When the need is more pressing, RNs won’t hesitate to go where they are needed most. Their selflessness may lead them to places where disaster struck, where their care is needed on the frontlines. The pandemic is another example of nurses pursuing their noble mission. More professionals than ever joined the ranks of traveling nurses and helped fight the disease in destinations away from their homes.

What Are the Challenges of Travel Nursing?

The benefits of travel nursing are many, and they are compelling. But we want you to be fully informed before getting into this career. This section will explore the other side of the coin: the challenges of traveling for work as an RN. 

You leave your family and social networks behind.

Even though it may be for a short period, from a few weeks to a few months, you are still leaving the familiar behind and diving headfirst into the unknown when relocating for a job. It may take some time to become familiarized with the new community, or you may experience home-sickness. 

The hospital orientation you receive may be minimal.

Often, temporary staff will have to learn and get used to things on the go. You were hired as a travel nurse because the hospital is severely understaffed, so don’t be too surprised if you only receive a brief orientation and are expected to pick things up quickly. Also, you need to learn to navigate a new organizational culture. You only have a limited amount of time to earn your peers, doctors, and other healthcare team members’ trust and develop a working relationship with them. Additionally, there may be new policies or procedures to comply with, new customized charting systems to learn in a short time (this can double down as an advantage in the longer run). Essentially, what it takes people months to learn and get used to, you need to do in days. And that can be a bit stressful. 

You will receive no paid vacation accrual.

As you don’t gain employee longevity within one institution, you don’t qualify for vacation accrual. 

Flexibility may be a double-edged sword.

As a travel nurse, your schedule may be designed to accommodate permanent staff. So, your flexibility needs to extend to accepting night shifts or weekend shifts. 

The overwhelming number of staffing agencies

Before signing up for traveling nursing jobs, you must do your research thoroughly and find the best options for you. However, there are hundreds of staffing agencies in the US, and sometimes choosing the best ones can prove complicated. In addition to your own research online, you can always ask your fellow nurses for recommendations. 

All in all, travel nurses need to quickly and efficiently adapt to challenging mobile work. That may be equal parts exciting and intimidating. It’s up to you to decide which wins in your case.

What Are the Highest Paying Travel Nursing Specialties in 2022?

We’ve covered the pros and cons of travel nursing. Now let’s explore the highest paying traveling nursing specialties*. Bear in mind that you need to have at least one year of experience working in your specialty for all travel nursing jobs. Employers take the previous experience as a sign that you had time to develop your skills and will excel on the assignment. 

ICU Travel Nurse

ICU Travel Nursing is one of the most lucrative and in-demand travel nurse specialties. ICU Nurses care for patients in the most critical condition – patients who are intubated, ventilated, on life-sustaining medication drips, or whose life hangs on by a thread. Working in the ICU demands a particular set of skills. You must be meticulously organized, respond quickly to emergencies, and handle unpredictable situations. 

You need at least one year of experience in an ICU ward or acute care setting before pursuing an assignment in the Intensive Care Unit. BLS and ACLS certifications are mandatory, while a Critical Care Certification (CCRN) will set you apart from the competition. The paycheck reflects the high demands of the job, travel ICU nursing being one of the highest-paid traveling nursing jobs. On average, ICU Travel RNs make $54 an hour, or around $112,228 per year, earning their spot as some of the highest-paid travel nurses. 

Dialysis Travel Nurse

Dialysis Travel Nurses provide life-saving care to patients suffering from chronic kidney disease. Other than changing the location where they practice every few weeks, their duties remain the same. Dialysis RNs need to monitor and record a patient’s vital signs before, during, and after treatment, keep an eye out for adverse reactions, and ensure that dialysis and other treatments are administered correctly. To perform these duties with the utmost professionalism, you’ll need to display calm and compassion skills, problem-solving, analytical, and observational abilities. 

In terms of education, the minimum requirement is an ADN or BSN degree. Advanced Cardiac Life Support certification is required, alongside at least one year of experience in a professional setting. Seeking certification as a Certified Dialysis Nurse is not mandatory, but will only come to your advantage. Salary-wise, traveling Dialysis RNs earn around $96,272 annually, or the equivalent of $43 an hour. 

ER Travel Nurse

The demand for talented ER Travel nurses remains high in acute care facilities across the country. It’s a rewarding specialty, both personally and financially, that requires an organized, quick-on-their-feet personality who can make accurate and timely decisions before taking action. As an ER travel nurse, you are in the front line of the hospital, caring for various patients who come into the hospital’s emergency department. 

In addition to the minimum one year of experience as an ER Nurse that ensures you have a grip on the life in the ER, you may also be required to gain BLS, ACLS, and PALS certification. Certification requirements may vary from one institution to another. If you’re wondering how much ER travel nurses make, at around $106,709 annually, the answer won’t disappoint. 

Psychiatric Travel Nurse

A Psychiatric Nurse, also known as a Psych Nurse or a Mental Health Nurse, helps treat patients affected by mental health and psychiatric issues. Pursuing a travel career in this area doesn’t impact your duties and responsibilities. Your job description still includes aiding in evaluating patients undergoing psychological evaluations, conducting tests, administering medications, and collaborating with other healthcare professionals to ensure the best treatment paths for clients suffering from psychological problems. 

As for the salary of a Psych travel RN, it revolves around $98,924 per year. 

NICU Travel Nurse

One of the best-paying travel nursing jobs on the market is that of a NICU Travel Nurse. Working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, NICU Registered Nurses care for premature and critically ill newborns who need immediate medical attention as soon as they are born. It’s a very sensitive job requiring quick thinking, quick reactions, keen observations, and significant amounts of comfort and compassion for the families. 

The wages NICU Nurses can expect to get on traveling assignments oscillate around $105,500 yearly, some of the highest salaries in the travel nurse industry. The hourly rate is $51. 

Med-Surg Travel Nurse

Medical-Surgical Nurses, or Med Surg Nurses, work with adult patients injured or in recovery from medical procedures. These nurses may be working in a specialty, but unless there is special monitoring or technology that requires specific training or certification, they are considered Med-Surg. Thus, this specialty makes up the foundation of nursing, being one of the most sought-after jobs in the RN travel industry. Med-Surg nurses are employed in a variety of settings: hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, general hospital floors like neuro, trauma, general surgery, oncology, cardiac, and many other areas of care. High-level critical-thinking skills, vast clinical knowledge, and calmness under pressure are imperative for med-Surg nurses. 

For their invaluable efforts in patient care, Med-Surg RNs receive fairly high wages: over $90,350 a year. 

Pediatric Travel Nurse

Pediatric Travel RNs provide nursing care to children, adolescents, and teens. Because they work with such a sensitive population, their duties will often go beyond simply monitoring vitals, administering medications, or performing developmental screenings. Pediatric Nurses may have to alleviate fears and use therapeutic communication techniques to convince a child to get a shot or medication. They may have to educate young people and their families on treatment options after a clinical diagnosis. It’s a job that covers a broad range of clinical skills and interpersonal abilities.  

And Pediatric Travel Nurses are remunerated well for it. In this specialty, you make around $98,343 per year. 

Postpartum Travel Nurse

Caring for mother and baby immediately after the labor and delivery process is one of the most rewarding nursing jobs, and Postpartum Nurses do just that. Post-delivery, they provide essential care to the newborn and the infant’s mother. This may include giving medications, monitoring the vital signs of both mother and infant, and educating the family on proper newborn care. 

Postpartum Travel Nurses are needed throughout the nation. And if you’re curious what kind of postpartum RN salary you can expect to earn, we have the answer. This is one of the highest-paid travel nurse specialties, with wages in the vicinity of $98,500. 

PACU Travel Nurse

Post Anesthesia Care Units across the US are another big employer of travel nurses. PACU RNs are indispensable to postoperative care as they provide core nursing care to patients after surgery. Nurses working in this role need to possess critical care skills to assess incision sites, monitor vitals, and track other indicators of post-op stability or complications. This specialty is also one of the highest paying travel nursing jobs, with salaries that often go above $124,195. 

OR Travel Nurse

Traveling OR Registered Nurses can expect very lucrative assignments in numerous medical facilities. They perform the same duties as permanent OR nurses. The main goal of the specialty is to coordinate patient care in the operating room. On a day-to-day basis, Travel OR Nurses manage care before, during, and after medical procedures, monitor the equipment during surgical interventions, and assist surgeons with sterilizing supplies, equipment, and instruments, ensuring that operations happen in the safest manner possible. 

Through their travel assignments, OR travel Nurses can cash in $55 an hour, or about $113,610 per year, one of the highest wages for traveling RNs.  

Labor and Delivery Travel Nurse

If you want to land a high-paying travel nursing job, look no further than the Labor and Delivery specialty. L&D Nurses are a valuable resource that many hospitals need and are willing to pay for. Labor and Delivery travel nurses are an integral part of the delivery process, ensuring that mothers, newborns, and their extended families receive quality, essential care during every step of the birthing process. 

To secure a position in this area, you need to have graduated from an accredited nursing program and have at least one year of professional experience in the Labor and Delivery Department. Some institutions may require extra certifications, like BLS, ACLS, and the Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP). 

As for wages, Labor and Delivery Travel Nurses are on the higher end of the earning specter. They make about $111,149 yearly.

PICU Travel Nurse

The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit requires a highly specialized area of expertise, astute assessment skills, excellent critical thinking, and vast clinical knowledge. PICU Travel nurses are some of the better-paid travel RNs, with salaries that exceed $108,440 a year. Their duties alternate between monitoring children and teen patients, providing appropriate care and educating patients and families about procedures and treatment plans. 

Oncology Travel Nurse

Oncology Travel Nurses care for patients undergoing cancer treatments or those who are in remission. They ought to be well-versed in diverse cancer treatment methods and need to possess a strong understanding of patient treatment plans, procedures, and side effects. The sensitive nature of this specialty requires Oncology RNs to display high levels of compassion and excellent communication abilities to help patients and families alike cope with the diagnosis. 

The requirements for Oncology nursing travel positions are similar to all other traveling nursing jobs: unencumbered nursing license and at least one-year prior experience in the oncology department. Additionally, certification from the Oncology Nursing Society may be required for certain travel nurse positions. 

In the travel department, Oncology nursing is one of the high-paid specialties, with salaries of about $100,800. 

Telemetry Travel Nurse

Telemetry nursing jobs use high-tech equipment to monitor a patient’s condition, response to treatment, and overall progress. Travel RNs interested in this profession are in for a top-notch career: high demand and above-average wages – $102,320 yearly. Common conditions that ask for Travel Telemetry RN interventions include cardiac surgery, renal failure, COPD, sleep disorders, neurological problems, epilepsy, and cancer. 

Hospice Travel Nurse

Hospice Travel Nurses come in when there is no possible treatment for a severe illness. Essentially, they provide end-of-life care to their patients. Hospice RNs’ care and compassion help with managing pain and symptoms. They offer support to patients and families in critical moments and help patients through the process of death in the most dignified manner. It’s a compassionate nursing role that is compensated reasonably well: $86,277 annually. 

Cath Lab Travel Nurse

Cath Lab RNs are among the most requested and well-compensated traveling nursing specialties. This job is an integral part of the cardiac care unit, the ICU, or the cardiac catheterization lab. Registered nurses who have embraced this specialty assist physician during cardiac catheterizations and monitor the patient’s cardiac rhythm and vital signs. Travel assignments for Cath Lab Nurses offer exceptional pay and comprehensive benefits. Annual salaries can be as high as $110,540.

LPN Travel Nurse

One common denominator for all travel nursing jobs mentioned so far was that the job candidate must be a fully licensed Registered Nurse. 

How about Licensed Practical Nurses? Can LPNs engage in travel assignments, and can they secure high-paying travel nursing jobs? Yes. However, remember that you require at least one or two years of on-the-ground professional experience before you can be considered for an LPN travel job. LPNs who want to become travel nurses, expand their horizons, and further their careers can expect salaries higher than permanent staff LPNs – around $74,893 a year. 

The world of travel nursing doesn’t stop with the specialties that we’ve already discussed. There are numerous other options available to nurses who want to try new professional experiences in new locations. Some other worthy mentions are: 

• Vaccination travel nurse
• Nurse case manager
• Travel Nurse Educator
• Triage Travel Nurse
• Preop Travel Nurse
• Home Health Travel Nurse 
• Traveling Trauma Nurse
• Cardiovascular Operating Room Travel Nurse (CVOR) 

What Types of High-Paying Travel Nursing Assignments Are Available?

Strike Nursing Contracts

Often, a prominent supplier of travel nursing jobs strikes. When a strike creates, there usually just aren’t enough qualified nurses to cover an institution’s staffing needs. Still, the patients require constant care and monitoring, so hospitals must resort to temporary staff to meet the needs of their clients. The pay rates for strike nurses are different based on state, region, medical facility, or nursing specialty. Usually, they are 50% to 100% higher than the pay rates for permanent staff. These types of travel assignments are typically rushed, so RNs should be ready to embark on the journey at a moment’s notice. 

Crisis Rate Nursing Assignments

Crisis rate jobs are among some of the highest paying travel nursing positions. Sometimes, they are also called rapid response jobs. The underlying idea is that hospitals have a heightened need for travel nurses, so they are willing to pay a higher than average bill rate. These types of assignments were prevailing in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Generally, the highest paying travel crisis nursing jobs have an almost instantaneous start date. It’s not unheard of for RNs to be needed on-site within 48 hours. The reduced flexibility in terms of start date and lack of preparation time may be inconvenient, hence the premium paycheck. 

Things to Consider Before Signing Up for a Traveling Nurse Job 

High-paying travel nursing jobs are an excellent incentive for nurses to get out of their comfort zone and take their careers to new heights. Here’s some advice to help you land – and profit to the max – from these opportunities. 

• Always keep your nursing resume updated – You never know when your dream travel job may get posted. You don’t want to miss it because you waste time completing your resume. Having a current resume in both electronic and paper form is a good idea.
• Make sure your license and certifications are valid and in good standing. Do you have a multistate license, or do you need to obtain a nursing license for the desired location? Check out our guide on compact state and multistate license agreements to help you navigate this question.  
• There are so many recruiters and staffing agencies out there. They all offer different services, rates, and benefits. Do comprehensive research and ask for referrals to choose the best ones. 
• Always read the contracts carefully before you sign. Pay attention to the compensation packages – is housing included, or do the employers offer a stipend? Do they offer relocation assistance? Will it cover your relocation costs? Do they pay you even if your shift is canceled?
• Be prepared to work in demanding and stressful conditions. 
• Enjoy, appreciate and learn from the opportunities. You’ve worked hard. You deserve it. 

Ready to Get Your Travel Career Started?

The world of travel nursing opens a whole new world of possibilities for passionate and daring RNs. Perhaps you want to grow your nursing career. Maybe you want to explore the country. You can be in it for the money, because you want a change, or because you feel that your help is needed elsewhere. Whatever drives you, travel nursing can help you achieve it. It won’t be easy. The shifts may be high stress, and the challenges won’t stop coming. But it’s all worth it. 

Take the first steps towards a career in travel nursing by putting the accent on your education. And that means choosing Nightingale College. Our programs are designed to help you become the best Registered Nurse you can be. 

Enroll in our BSN Program or advance your education with Nightingale College’s online RN-to-BSN Program. Your exciting travel nursing journey starts here!

* Salary data was gathered using ZipRecruiter as of March 2022. 

There may come a time in your professional life when you feel like you are in a rut. You still enjoy helping people and realize the value of what you do as a Registered Nurse, but you seem to have lost the spark that ignited your passion for nursing in the first place. Perhaps you don’t find your job challenging anymore, or it’s becoming tedious to fulfill your daily tasks. To put it simply, you’re bored. 

If you feel this way, don’t worry. It doesn’t make you a bad nurse, and it doesn’t mean you are unsuitable for this career. You just have to take a step back and think about why you find yourself in this position. But in addition to self-reflection, we have more advice to help you overcome boredom at work. 

Here are some concrete steps and actions to ensure that you don’t feel stagnant, bored, or disinterested in your career anymore. 

Find a project that you are passionate about

Finding a project that interests you and would allow you to use your talents or develop new skills is a great way to rekindle your passion for nursing. You can start by looking at your workplace or checking volunteering associations or professional nursing associations for exciting new projects. For example, suppose you’ve always wanted to try your hand at teaching. If you work at a teaching hospital, you can ask to be more involved with working with nursing students during their clinical rotations. You can volunteer to help as a nursing instructor, or you could get involved in community education. Whichever path you choose, it’s a good idea to find a new project and try your hand at it. You might discover a new passion or cultivate an older one – either way, bored nurse will no longer apply to you. 

Advance your education

Furthering your nursing education is probably one of the best ways to escape the feeling of stagnation in your career. It allows you to develop new skills, advance your expertise, build confidence, and become a better nurse. A more advanced nursing degree will also put you in the running for a wider pool of job opportunities, better paid nursing positions, more autonomy in nursing, and more control over your own schedule. 

For LPN nurses who want to move forward in their career, gaining Registered Nurse licensure is a natural next step. You can pursue a bridge LPN-to-ASN program or opt for a BSN program that will open the door for greater opportunities and advancement. If you are an ADN Nurse, consider enrolling in a bridge RN-to-BSN program. There are numerous options, like the one offered by Nightingale College, that are online, allowing you to study without giving up your job. 

If the idea of working in management, administration, or leadership positions in the nursing field is stimulating your interest, look into MSN programs. Becoming a Nurse Educator also requires an MSN degree, and there is certainly no chance of getting bored while shaping new generations of nurses. For RNs who feel like their current roles aren’t challenging enough and would like to climb to the top of the nursing career ladder, there are Advanced Practice Registered Nursing positions – Nurse Anesthetist, Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Midwife, and Clinical Nurse Specialist. 

However, advancing your formal nursing education is a big commitment, so you should make sure that what’s on the other side of the schooling journey fills you with joy and excitement. Before you invest money, time, and energy in a nursing program, ensure that the investment will be worthwhile in the long run. But we can tell you this much: if a new challenge is what you’re after, a newfound interest in personal and professional growth will have your blood coursing through your veins, giving you no opportunity to feel boredom. 

If you are not ready to embark on this academic journey, this does not mean that you cannot keep learning and improving as a nurse. Continuing education courses are an excellent way to always stay on top of your field, gain more knowledge and confidence in your trade, and excel at nursing. 

Regardless of which avenue you choose to advance your education, one thing is certain: learning keeps you young and engaged. It helps you learn more about yourself and propels you forward. And this may just do the trick if you find yourself in a professional rut. 

 Find yourself a coach

Sometimes, outside assistance may help you overcome that bored at work sentiment. You might find coaching helpful if you need a little extra nudge to explore your priorities, figure out your strengths and weaknesses, set goals, and overcome bad habits or counterproductive tendencies. An RN career coach, a life coach, or a mental health counselor can give you the advice needed to get back on track. They can guide you through finding and executing your own personalized strategy for happiness and success – and that’s an excellent way to ensure you’re moving forward in your career instead of stagnating. 

Try out networking events.

Nurses who are bored of nursing may actually just need to see their work from a new angle to remind them of their love for the profession. Networking events can achieve just that. Attending a nursing association meeting or joining a seminar or conference on a nursing subject that peaks your interest are great ways to meet new people with similar interests and fresh perspectives.

Take a leap

Playing it safe is what gets a lot of nurses feeling bored and uninterested in their job. Stability and consistency are good, but sometimes you need to shake things up and get out of the comfort zone. Apply for a new position, run for office in a professional nursing association, try out a committee at work, write an academic article and submit it for publication. The possibilities are endless. All you need is the courage to leave the comfortable – but monotonous – box you’re in and try something new. Greatness and excitement await you on the other side. 

Change Specialties 

You know one of the most incredible things about nursing? This profession comes with an unbelievable number of options. Do you want to work in the ER, ICU or NICU? Is home healthcare or nursing home practice more suitable for you than working in a hospital? Do you want to work nine-to-five or have a flexible schedule? Do you want to work bedside or from home? Within the nursing field, you can find all these opportunities and more! So, if you’ve noticed that a particular specialty doesn’t work for you, it doesn’t mean that nursing is boring. It just means that you may not have found your calling yet. And changing your specialty might be just the answer. However, switching specialties is not something you can do every week. So, make sure you make this decision informed and aware. Talk to fellow nurses from other departments, attend seminars on the specialties you consider and do your research online. This way, you’ll be prepared for a change. All you have to do is be brave, recognize when something is not working for you, and try to change to something that will. 

Check-in with yourself: Are you bored, or are you burnt out?

A state of disinterest and disregard for the job may indicate something more severe than just boredom. Many nurses deal with burnout, a serious occupational phenomenon that results from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. There are three main characteristics of nurse burnout: mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion; a negative attitude or feelings of cynicism related to the job; and reduced professional efficacy. So, you could think that you’re bored and the job doesn’t excite you anymore, but in fact, you’re exhausted and burned-out to the point where you don’t experience job satisfaction. Preventing the detrimental burnout will help you turn those bad days as a nurse into great ones. 

Find out how to combat nursing burnout, its warning signs, and more in our complete guide on the subject. 

Are You Ready to Turn Boredom into Enthusiasm?

Nursing is a wonderful and gratifying profession, and it would be a shame if the job you used to love so much turned into a chore. So, if you’re feeling bored at work, it’s time to do something about it. Whether taking a risk, advancing your education, or switching careers, you need to do your best to find your way forward. Bring that eager anticipation back into your professional life. There’s much that nursing has to offer. It’s up to you to seize the opportunity. 

The nursing process is the cornerstone of all nursing practice. It is a roadmap to quality, holistic care that nurses consistently offer to their patients. Assessment, the first step of this process, is when the RN gathers data about a client’s health state. Registered Nurses later use this information to formulate a diagnosis and identify the appropriate nursing interventions to contribute to the patient’s recovery.

In the assessment phase, one of the basic yet crucial tools a nurse has at their disposal is complete head-to-toe assessment. This evaluation includes all body systems and gives valuable information about the patient’s overall condition. 

In this guide, we’ll give you an overview of the assessment process, as well as a comprehensive step-by-step guide on how to perform a head-to-toe assessment. As you gain experience, examining patients will become routine. This checklist is the first step to help you gather the professional confidence needed to perform evaluations. 

Let’s get started. 

What Is a Head to Toe Assessment?

If you’re still in nursing school or you’re just getting started with your nursing journey, you may ask yourself: What is a head-to-toe assessment? What does it include? How do I complete one?

Simply put, a head to toe assessment is an exhaustive process that checks the health status of all major body systems. It is a comprehensive physical examination that shines a light on a patient’s needs and problems. Performing this assessment falls under an RN’s duties, although sometimes a doctor or EMT might also do it. For the most part, head to toe assessments happen during primary care visits or annual physical exams. 

When a patient comes into the medical facility with a particular complaint or health issue, the more common approach will be a problem-focused assessment. This means that the assessment process is fixated on specific care goals: the health problem has been identified, so this type of examination has a narrower scope. 

The head to toe assessment is the opposite of that. It’s broader and concentrates on all aspects of the body. Its length will vary depending on the patient and their overall health status. 

What Equipment Should you Have Ready for a Head to Toe Assessment?

Nurses who perform head to toe assessment must come in prepared. Some of the fundamental pieces of equipment you should organize before conducting a head-to-toe evaluation are:

• Gloves
• Thermometer
• Scale
• Hight wall ruler
• Penlight
• Stethoscope 
• Blood pressure cuff
• Tongue depressor
• Sterile objects, both soft and sharp

What Methods of Examination Do You Use in a Head to Toe Assessment?

There are several procedures for performing a physical examination. While inspecting a patient in detail, you will use four main methods. We’ll describe briefly what they are and what they entail. 

Inspection

Always performed first, inspection also is the most repeated method of examination. You need to use your sight and smell to check specific body areas for normal color, shape, and consistency. 

Palpation

Touching the patient to sense abnormalities on (or in) the body is known as palpation. In the process of conducting a head-to-toe assessment, you will employ two kinds of palpation: light and deep. Light palpation is gentle and gives information about skin texture and moisture, fluids, muscle guarding, and some superficial tenderness the patient may be experiencing. On the other hand, deep palpation explores the internal structures of the body to a depth of four to five centimeters. Using this technique, RNs can learn more about organs and masses’ position, shape, mobility, and possible areas of discomfort. 

Percussion

This third technique requires the nurse to tap on the patient’s body to produce sound vibrations. These sounds can confirm the presence of air, fluid, and solids. It can also pinpoint organ size, shape, and position. 

Auscultation

The last method of examination is auscultation. It implies listening to the heart, lungs, neck, or abdomen to gather information. Direct auscultation is done with the unaided ear. Indirect auscultation requires the presence of amplification or mechanical devices, such as a stethoscope.

How Do You Start an Assessment?

The first thing you need to do before starting an assessment per se is to build rapport with the patient. Introduce yourself, explain what you will be doing, ask what brings them to the doctor’s office. Address any questions they may have before you begin. Ask if there’s something you could do to make them more comfortable, like changing the room’s temperature or the lighting. It’s essential to build a relationship with the patient before the actual physical examination begins. 

From the moment you walk into the room, you should start making mental notes of certain physical clues the patient might display: 

• Their general appearance (How does their hygiene, dress, affect seem?)
• Their posture (Do they seem to experience problems sitting/standing?Are they grunting during movement?)
• Is their speech clear or slurred?
• Are there any abnormal smells?
• Their alertness (Can they answer questions? Are they reluctant to speak?)
• Signs of distress (Do they seem visibly confused, pale? Do they have problems breathing? Are they avoiding eye contact?)

Once you have established a relationship with the patient, you can begin the assessment. 

Head to Toe Assessment Checklist

In order to make it easier for yourself to conduct the assessment, you can have a checklist or an overview of all the things you ought to examine. This section will explore in detail what exactly is included in this type of assessment, and it will equip you with a step-by-step guide to performing it.  

1. General Overview

First, you obtain a general overview of the patient’s health state. These are the details to keep an eye on in this phase of the assessment. 

• Collect their vital signs. (It’s encouraged to ask permission before touching a patient. Also, explaining what you are doing/what assessment you are performing will help the patient feel more relaxed.)
• Check heart rate
• Measure blood pressure
• Take body temperature
• Pulse oxymetry
• Respiratory rate
• Check pain levels
• Check hight and weight and calculate their BMI

2. Hair/ Skin/ Nails

Once you have a general overview, you can start from the top of the body and make your way down. The assessment is called head to toe for a reason. Some things to look out for are:

• Hair distribution(even/uneven)
• Hair infestations (lice, alopecia areata)
• Bumps, nits, lesions on the scalp
• Tenderness on scalp
• Tenderness, lumps on the skin
• Lesions, bruising, or rashes on skin
• Temperature, moisture, and skin texture (is the patient pale, clammy, dry, cold, hot, flushed?)
• Edema
• Consistency, color, and capillary refill of nails
• Pressure areas

3. Head 

• Shape is rounded, symmetrical
• Upon palpation, no nodules, masses or depressions are identified
• Face appears smooth and symmetrical with no nodules or masses present.
  

4. Eyes

• Check external structures
• Assess eye symmetry
• Check conjunctive and sclera 
• Check for PERRLA 
• Perform visual acuity test
• Check eyes for drainage
• Check vision with Snellen Chart
• Check six cardinal positions of the gaze

5. Nose

• Palpate nose and check symmetry
• Check septum and inside nostrils
• Patency of nares (patient can breath through each nostril)
• Check sense of smell
• Palpate sinuses

6. Mouth and Throat 

• Check lips for color and moistness
• Inspect teeth and gums
• Examine tongue
• Inspect the inside of mouth
• Look at tonsils and uvula
• Assess hypoglossal nerve by asking patient to move tongue from left to right
• Check the patient’s ability to taste, to swallow, and their gag reflex

7. Ears

• Inspect for drainage or abnormalities
• Test hearing with whisper test
• Look inside ear: inspect the tympanic membrane and asses ear discharge
• Tuning fork tests (Weber’s Test, Rinne Test)

8. Neck

• Check neck muscles to be equal in size
• Palpate lymph nodes
• Check head movements and whether they happen with discomfort
• Observe neck range of motion. 
• Check trachea placement
• Check shoulder shrug with resistance

9. Chest: Cardiovascular Assessment

• Listen to the heartbeat. Areas where to auscultate heart sounds: aortic, pulmonic, Erb’s point, Tricuspid, Mitral
• Palpate the carotid and auscultate apical pulse

10. Chest: Respiratory Assessment

• Auscultate lung sounds front and back
• Observe chest expansion 
• Ask abour efforts to breathe/coughing
• Palpate thorax

11. Abdomen

• Inspect abdomen
• Listen to bowel sounds in all four quadrants
• Palpate all four quadrants of the abdomen to check for pain or tenderness
• Ask about bowel or bladder problems

12. Extremities

• Assess range of motion and strength in arms, legs, and ankles
• Assess sharp and dull sensation on arms and legs
• Inspect arms and legs for pain, deformity, edema, pressure areas, bruises
• Palpate radial pulses, pedal pulses
• Check capillary refill on fingernails/toenails
• Assess gait
• Assess handgrip strength and equality

13. Back area

• Inspect back and spine
• Inspect coccyx/buttocks

Once you go through all these steps, the assessment is complete. Let your patient know that this stage of evaluation is over. Make sure they don’t have any questions or concerns. 

Things to Keep in Mind While Performing a Head to Toe Assessment

Document your findings 

Performing the head to toe assessment is a vital part of the nursing process. So is making sure you thoroughly document your findings. Write down all relevant information you get from the assessment concise yet clear. Your observations, translated in these notes, will make up the core of the subsequent care plan. It may be helpful to use a head-to-toe assessment checklist to guarantee that you remember all the essential information and document it. 

Communicate efficiently 

Efficient communication is the cornerstone of successful nursing care. When performing a head to toe assessment, you should make use of this crucial skill. Ask for permission before touching a patient, explain what you are doing – and why. Create a space where patients feel encouraged to ask questions, express worries or concerns. 

Bilateral symmetry 

Generally speaking, the human body is bilaterally symmetrical. Any unusual symmetry you may observe during your examination is worthy of further consideration. Weakness on one side? Less ability to move the limbs on one side of the body? These could be indicators of underlying neurological or musculoskeletal issues, so keep an eye for noticeable differences between the body’s right and the left side.  

Last Thing on the Checklist: Are You Ready to Become the Best Nurse You Can Be?

Performing a head to toe assessment may seem daunting at first. There’s lots of body systems to examine and many details to keep an eye on. However, as with all things, practice makes perfect. As you gain more confidence in your knowledge, expertise, and skill, you’ll be conducting nursing assessments like a pro. 

Having a solid foundation to build on is paramount. At Nightingale College, we help aspiring nurses build that strong foundation.  

Enroll in our BSN program or advance your nursing education with our RN-to-BSN online program. 

Nursing care plans are one of the most valuable tools nurses have at their disposal. They aid RNs in strategically outlining the best course of care for patients and enable quality communication within the healthcare team. Thus, writing and using a nursing care plan is one of the nursing skills that nursing students and experienced professionals have to cultivate consistently. 

Much attention is devoted to mastering this aspect of the nursing process in nursing school, so nursing care plans are an integral part of any nursing school curriculum. And the need to write care plans continues after graduation because a critical part of nursing practice relies on efficiently written and implemented care plans. 

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about nursing care plans. Stick around to find the best practices for making a care plan, how to write it, and how to use this instrument to deliver quality care. 

What Is a Nursing Care Plan?

The nursing care plan (NCP) is a process through which the nurse identifies, documents, and keeps track of a parent’s state or condition, needs, and risks. The elaboration of the care plan starts when the patient is admitted to the medical facility. The NCP is continuously updated throughout the patient’s stay based on their condition and response to treatment. Typically, creating a nursing care plan follows a five-step framework. 

The nursing care planning process ensures that the quality of patient care is always up to the highest standards. It sets the groundwork for patient-centered care and is a sign of excellence in nursing practice.

Nursing care plans have a few significant objectives. First off, they aim to encourage evidence-based nursing care. Accounting for the fact that psychological, social, and spiritual health are as potent as physical health, nursing care plans advocate for holistic care to manage and prevent diseases. Other aims of this practice include:

• Identifying achievable goals for the nursing team.
• Spelling out desired care outcomes.
• Measuring nursing care. 

What Are The Types of Nursing Care Plans?

Nursing care plans are either informal or formal. The informal care plans are courses of action in response to a patient’s state that the nurse has thought of but hasn’t yet documented or formalized. 

A formal nursing care plan is the written version of the plan. It details the patient’s care information, information about the nursing interventions, the patient’s state, response to nursing interventions, and more. 

Standardized care plans are formal nursing care plans in which the RN specifies the care they offer to a group of clients with everyday needs. 

Individualized care plans are formal nursing care plans tailored to the needs of a particular patient. They are specific and unique to each patient’s condition or requirements. 

Student Nursing Care Plans vs. Professional Nursing Care Plans

Student nursing care plans and the care plans written by professional registered nurses have the same overall goal: to guide the process of nursing care. However, there are some important differences between them. 

Care plans formulated by aspiring RNs in nursing schools are significantly longer. They are written with greater detail and contain more thorough information. It is more time-consuming to devise student nursing care plans. Still, it’s a good training exercise. It solidifies the students’ knowledge and ensures they grasp and apply essential nursing concepts. 

Nursing care plans written by Registered Nurses in clinical settings are generally more concise. Unlike students, working professionals don’t have to write down every nursing judgment and decision-making step. Additionally, the clinical setting version of nursing plans does not include the rationale – an extra column in which nursing students have to present the scientific explanations for the chosen interventions. 

What Are the Main Reasons to Have a Care Plan?

There are many advantages to writing and implementing nursing care plans. They may be tedious to create, but they benefit nurses, patients, and the entire healthcare system in the long run. These are some of the reasons why care plans play such a vital part in patient care: 

• Nursing care plans are a roadmap to quality patient-centered care. Care plans help structure and organize patient care. When elaborating them, the nurse employs critical and holistic thinking, leading to better patient outcomes. 
• Nursing care plans ensure the continuity of care. Nurse care plans need to be written or computerized, and so they become a part of a patient’s health record. Consequently, nurses have access to the same patient information. Despite working different shifts, all RNs caring for a patient will be aware of the diagnosis, prior nursing interventions, and their coworkers’ observations and insights. This means that nurses work towards the same goal, which leads to better patient results. 
• Nursing care plans ensure collaboration with other members of the healthcare team. In addition to their fellow RNs, nurses also have to collaborate with physicians, assistants, social workers, physical therapists, and other health team members. Nursing plans put all the information in one place and make it easily accessible for all members of this interprofessional team. Thus, everyone is aware of the desired outcomes and can work towards them. 
• Nursing care plans keep patients engaged. An important part of formulating nursing care plans is setting goals for and with patients. This step motivates patients to be more involved in their recovery, makes them more compliant to treatment, and ensures better outcomes. 
• Nursing care plans can serve as evidence of given care. These are documents through which nurses document their interventions, thus acting as a record in case of lawsuits or accusations that they failed to adhere to nursing standards. They maximize the efficiency of the nurses while also shielding them from potential problems. 
• Nursing care plans act as guides for reimbursement. Insurance companies use medical records to determine the amount they will pay concerning the care the patient received. 

What Are the Components of a Nursing Care Plan?

Nursing care plans are essentially the written outcome of the nursing process. For this reason, the structure of a nursing care plan closely follows the five steps of the nursing process: assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, evaluation. 

More precisely, nursing care plans usually follow this template: 

• Nursing diagnosis
• Desired outcomes/goals
• Nursing interventions (or implementations)
• Evaluation

Let’s look at each step more closely. 

Before everything else, a care plan must include a nursing diagnosis. To formulate a nursing diagnosis, you need to conduct a thorough assessment of the patient’s health, consisting of objective or subjective data. 

Learn everything you need to know about nursing diagnoses in our complete guide on the subject. 

After establishing a nursing diagnosis, the next step in your care plan is outlining desired outcomes and goals. The goals may be long-term or short-term, but all of them ought to be realistic and achievable. 

Following that, you need to start documenting the nursing interventions you carry out. 

The last component of the nursing plan is evaluation. This step covers the information about the outcomes of the nursing interventions. 

How to Write a Nursing Plan?

Developing a nursing plan may seem daunting at first. But it doesn’t have to be. Now that you’re familiar with the components, all you have to do is follow the step-by-step guide that we included below. 

Conduct patient assessment. 

When you start creating a nursing plan, you first gather information about the patient’s state using specific nursing assessment techniques and other data collection methods. This may include conducting a head-to-toe physical assessment, taking vitals, reviewing the patient’s health history and medical records, asking questions directly to the patient or their family, performing diagnosis studies. It is essential to be thorough and careful in gathering health data. 

Analyze and catalog all the information you got in the previous step. 

By now, you have large chunks of information about your patient’s state, their history, the health risks they encounter, and more. You need to structure it and pick the relevant details. Based on that, formulate a nursing diagnosis, which will help set your priorities and determine some desired outcomes. 

Formulate your nursing diagnosis. 

All the data you collected will help you in the diagnosing process. You should write the nursing diagnosis in line with the NANDA-I format, the internationally recognized way to identify and catalog RN diagnoses. Prioritizing will play a vital role in creating a nursing diagnosis. For this, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs will prove a helpful tool. Once you have indicated a diagnosis, you can set goals and pinpoint the desired nursing outcomes. 

Find everything you need to know about writing a nursing diagnosis in our complete guide on the subject. 

Set SMART patient goals.

After writing a diagnosis, you must set goals for the direction of care. This is essentially the planning stage, where you outline what you hope to achieve once the nursing process is implemented. These goals will pave the path for planning nursing interventions. Later on, they will be the standards by which you evaluate the patient’s health progress. 

It’s crucial to keep the goals clear, realistic, and specific. A good strategy for setting goals as part of the nursing plan is by employing the SMART technique: 

Specific – Make sure the nursing goals you choose are unambiguous and well-defined. 

Measurable – Set specific metrics to determine/measure the efficacy of your actions and the patient’s progress.

Achievable – The nursing goals must be realistic and possible to achieve.

Realistic – They need to be appropriate in relation to the overarching care plan.

Time-bound – Deadlines can help you keep better track of your interventions and how efficient they are. These can be flexible. 

Goals can also be short-term or long-term. For the most part, as a nurse, you will devise short-term goals because you are mostly focused on the patient’s immediate (or near future) needs or concerns. Long-term nursing goals are mostly used by nurses working in home healthcare, nursing homes, or with patients suffering from chronic health problems. 

Choose appropriate nursing interventions

Nursing interventions are the actions a nurse takes to achieve patient goals and reach the desired outcomes. The interventions focus on reducing the causes of the nursing diagnosis or decreasing the risk factors. You may follow the doctor’s guidelines – dependent nursing interventions – to choose the appropriate interventions. Also, you can develop nursing interventions yourself, drawing from evidence-based practice – independent nursing interventions. Another type of nursing intervention is collaborative, which refers to the actions or activities you carry out in collaboration with other healthcare team members. 

There are seven categories of nursing interventions: family, behavioral, physiological, complex physiological, community, safety, and health system interventions. Some of the most common nursing interventions you can expect to perform during each shift include: assessing pain, giving medications, checking vital signs at specific intervals, changing the resting position, initiating fall precautions, or educating the patient.

After identifying the appropriate interventions, you will perform them in the implementation phase of the nursing process. 

Provide rationale for the chosen nursing interventions

This additional step is only included in student nursing care plans. Writing down the rationale in the student care plan serves as an exercise for students to ensure that they are fully aware of why a specific nursing intervention was the best course of action. 

Perform evaluation

Evaluation is the final step of the nursing care plan. In this phase, the nurse will analyze whether the care goals have been met and whether or not the nursing plan was effective. Importantly, evaluation is an ongoing process. Based on its conclusions, you can continue, change, or cancel nursing interventions. 

Tips and Tricks for Writing Efficient Nursing Care Plans

Keep your writing skills sharp. 

More than just an important document, a nursing care plan is a guide to efficient nursing care and interdepartmental collaboration. That’s why you need to be efficient in writing it. As much as possible, try to write everything down immediately not to miss or forget any details. Write clearly and concisely, but make sure you and the other members of the team understand the terms or abbreviations you use. Include dates and times. 

Always keep the plan up to date.

Make sure your care plans are constantly updated with the latest information. You should always document the changes in a patient’s state, the updates in the nursing interventions, or other developments that may occur in the process of care. 

Keep the plans accessible and easily shareable.

An essential characteristic of care plans is that they must be easily shareable with relevant stakeholders. These may include patients, other doctors or nurses, or insurance companies. The format for the nursing care plans may differ from one medical institution to another. Still, for the most part, they are electronic and become part of the electronic health record (EHR). Thus, they can be easily accessed by everyone. 

Nursing Care Plan Examples

As a nurse, you’ll have to write nursing plans for a wide variety of conditions: from hypertension, infection, decreased cardiac output, impaired skin integrity, acute pain to constipation, anxiety, diabetes, dehydration, and many more. To better illustrate how to write nursing care plans, we have assembled some examples. Bear in mind that the template of the nursing plan may differ from one institution to another. 

Are you Ready to Start Writing Efficient Nursing Care Plans?

Writing efficient, goal-oriented, easily-accessible, clear, and evidence-based nursing care plans is pivotal for any Registered Nurse.

In order to develop nursing care plans that encompass all these qualities, you need to be knowledgeable, display critical thinking, engage in teamwork, and focus on offering patient-centric care. If you follow these guidelines, the care plans you write will help elevate your professional status and the entire healthcare process.

We’re here to make your journey a little easier. Enroll in Nightingale College’s BSN program or advance your education with an online RN-to-BSN and discover that writing nursing care plans doesn’t have to be a daunting process.

Nurses are guided by the nursing process through nursing school and their first clinicals, from their first nursing position to every other day of their nursing career. Such a ubiquitous and vital notion, it is essential for any aspiring nurse to master the nursing process. 

That’s where we come in. In this article, we will walk you through everything you need to know about the nursing process: what it is, its five stages, and its clinical relevance. As a nurse, your main aim is to ensure that your patients receive the best possible care. Read on to find out how exactly the nursing process helps you achieve this goal. 

What Is The Nursing Process?

The nursing process has been at the heart of nursing practice for more than six decades, from 1958, when Ida Orlando first introduced it. The American Nurses Association (ANA) defines the nursing process as “the essential core of practice for the registered nurse to deliver holistic, patient-focused care.” The principles that characterize it are critical thinking, client-centered approaches to treatment, goal-oriented tasks, evidence-based practice, and nursing intuition.

This valuable practice unites all different types of nurses working in various areas. Whether they work in the Emergency Room, NICU, Intensive Care Unit, or the Oncology Ward, all nurses use the nursing process daily. It helps them make clinical judgments, elaborate, and follow plans of care to ensure good patient outcomes. 

At its core, the nursing process is an assertive, problem-solving approach that aids nurses in identifying and treating patient problems by providing them with a structured and easy-to-follow framework based on their practice, knowledge, judgments, and actions. 

How Is a Nursing Plan Structured?

A nursing plan has five stages: assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementing, and evaluation. Taken together, they allow the nurse to think holistically and act accordingly. In this section, we’ll break down each of these steps individually. 

Assessment Stage

Assessment is the first phase of the nursing process. It refers to the systematic collection of data about the patient’s condition, which nurses will further use in the care process. Nurses collect both subjective and objective data. Subjective data would be information learned directly from the patient or their caregiver. Objective data are the measurable, tangible information collected by the nurse firsthand. This can include taking vital signs, measuring input and output of oxygen, fluids, height, weight, and more. 

As a nurse, you should pay close attention to more than just physiological factors in the assessment phase. Psychological data, sociocultural factors, spiritual, economic, and lifestyle components can be just as relevant to a patient’s wellbeing, thus, worthy of being accounted for. 

For example, if a patient refuses to eat, the causes may run deeper than difficulty swallowing. They may be battling an eating disorder, or perhaps their reduced appetite is a sign of stress or depression. The nurse can only move to formulate a diagnosis and, later, a care plan after they have gathered a comprehensive enough set of information about the patient in the assessment stage. 

In order to determine what details are essential to include in the assessment, the nurse needs to display excellent critical thinking skills. 

Diagnosis Stage

After the nurse has assessed the patient and has enough information to work with, they can move on to the next step, diagnosis. 

A nursing diagnosis consists of the nurse’s clinical judgment about the patient’s response to present or potential health conditions or needs. An RN diagnosis is different from a medical diagnosis. It is focused on the exact problems a patient faces (or my face) while they are in your care, like ineffective airway clearance or risk for adult falls. Formulating a nursing diagnosis based on assessments made in the first phase serves as a guide to patient care for the nurse, helping prioritize their needs and care options. 

Prioritizing is an important skill in the diagnosis stage. That’s why an efficient nursing diagnosis will consider Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. According to the pyramid, basic physiological needs need to be fulfilled before moving to higher needs, like self-actualization or self-esteem. Thus, if a patient is experiencing severe trouble breathing, the nurse should deem this concern more urgent than their desire to meet their friends or go for a walk. 

The nursing diagnosis will prove an invaluable tool to keep track of patients during your shift, anticipate their health needs and challenges, and provide optimal care. 

For a complete guide on nursing diagnoses, check out our article. 

Planning Stage

Once a nursing diagnosis has been formulated, the Registered Nurse can move to the next stage in the nursing process, planning. This is when the nurse formulates specific goals and desired outcomes that will directly impact patient care. 

It is essential that the goal the nurse sets are:

• Specific
• Measurable/ meaningful
• Achievable/ action-oriented
• Realistic/ Results-oriented
• Timely/ time-oriented

For example, some potential nursing goals can be: taking three short walks with the patient per day; helping the patient resolve conflict by setting a counseling meeting; ensuring patients get their necessary nutritional intake. 

The care plan – the actual byproduct of the goal-setting phase – is unique to each patient, considering their individual needs and health challenges. Also, care plans enhance communication between different members of the healthcare team as well as nurse-patient relationships. They’re used for documentation or reimbursement purposes and allow for continuous care across the healthcare continuum. 

Implementation Stage

The fourth step in the nursing process is implementation. In this stage, the nurse focuses on doing the actual interventions, activities, or actions indicated in the care plan. It’s an ongoing course of action that spreads to the entire duration of a patient’s hospitalization. Administering medication, offering feeding assistance, providing bedside care or postpartum support, monitoring vitals, and recovery practice – these are a few examples of possible interventions a nurse may do in the implementation stage. 

Importantly, nursing interventions and care actions need to be listed in the patient’s record. 

Evaluation Stage

The fifth and final step of the nursing process is the evaluation. The RN provides care throughout the nursing process with specific goals in mind (mentioned above). It’s essential to take a step back, reassess the patient’s situation and evaluate or observe if the initial goals have been fulfilled and if the desired outcomes have been achieved. 

The evaluation stage doesn’t only happen once prior to discharging a patient. More evaluations may be needed to determine how the patient responds to specific interventions or actions. Thus, the plan of care can change based on new data. 

Why Is The Nursing Plan Important?

In the intricate and dynamic world of nursing, the nursing process is an excellent tool for helping nurses navigate the intricacies of the healthcare system and offer optimal patient care.

The nursing process implies that patient-centered care is provided based on a plan. It’s an effective way for nurses to use their time more efficiently. It also promotes better communication practices between members of the healthcare team. The written resources generated from the nursing process increase the quality of care and provide evidence for nursing education and research.

Moreover, using the nursing process encourages nurses to practice critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving and sharpens their decision-making abilities in clinical practice. As a result, the quality of nursing care increases, and so does the level of patient satisfaction. 

Are You Ready to Utilize the Nursing Process in Practice?

A guide to systematic, compassionate, and qualitative care, the nursing process is one of the most critical instruments nurses have at their disposal. It is an efficient way to put nursing knowledge into practice and provide high-quality personalized care to patients. That’s why all nurses ought to utilize the nursing process in their day-to-day practice. 

Your nursing education should give you the knowledge and skills to confidently apply the nursing process and all its steps in your future career. The nursing programs designed by Nightingale College will do just that: ensure that you step into nursing practice prepared to offer the best patient care via the nursing process. 

Enroll today in our BSN program or advance your nursing degree with our RN-to-BSN program.