We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again. One of the best things about nursing is the versatility of the field. There are tens of specialties to choose from, and regardless of the career path you take, one thing is always true: as a nurse, you make a difference in people’s lives. For some nurses, that means offering bedside care; for others, it’s helping people feel better and more confident in their own skin. Regardless of the path you take, be it in ICU, ER, or Cosmetic nursing, your care and expertise are invaluable to your patients. 

This article will discuss the perfect nursing specialty for aspiring RNs seeking to make a difference and improve people’s quality of life by helping them feel and look their best. Enhancing one’s appearance can have a ripple effect throughout their life. Scars, burns, or unwanted tattoos may be a source of an individual’s embarrassment or a barrier to their professional success. As part of the aesthetic healthcare team, Cosmetic Nurses help patients build more confidence, gain higher self-esteem, and overcome depression—a rewarding career path. 

If you want to find out more about aesthetic nursing: the steps to becoming a Cosmetic RN, their duties, and what salaries they can expect, you have come to the right place. 

What is an Aesthetic Nurse?

Aesthetic Nurses are also known in the industry as Cosmetic Nurses. Some employers also use alternative spellings for the position, such as Esthetic Nurse or Esthetician’s Nurse. The main focus of the specialty is on cosmetic and dermatological procedures. On the job, Aesthetic Nurses provide a wide array of services that range from non-invasive procedures to assisting physicians in surgical procedures. For the most part, aesthetic procedures will involve in-office, non-invasive treatments, but there may be some exceptions. Some of the cosmetic procedures that Cosmetic Nurses have to perform or assist with include:

• Breast augmentation
• Liposuction
• Rhinoplasty
• Abdominoplasty
• Injections of dermal fillers
• Injections of Botox neurotoxin
• Laser hair removal
• Collagen replacement therapy
• Chemical peels
• Micro-needling
• Dermabrasion
• Tattoo removal
• Non-surgical body contouring

Generally, patients opt for aesthetic procedures for either medical or personal reasons. Women make up the majority of the patient base. However, men are increasingly seeking cosmetic treatments in recent years, leading to a higher demand for aesthetic healthcare professionals. 

What Are Some Sub-Specialties of Aesthetic Nursing?

The cosmetic healthcare industry is reasonably broad. So, as an Aesthetic Nurse, you can choose to specialize in a specific sub-field. Some popular options include:

• Aesthetic nurse injector. Cosmetic nurses specializing in injections may work with fillers like hyaluronic acid derivatives, calcium hydroxylapatite, autologous fat, or with botox. The first category of fillers generally treats wrinkles deeper than those normally targeted by botox. 
• Cosmetic dermatology nurse. These nurses will be well versed in performing procedures like microdermabrasion or chemical peels. 
• Laser nurse. Laser therapy is widely used in aesthetic nursing. It is usually employed to correct skin issues without damaging other body areas. It can help reduce the aspect of acne spots, burns, psoriasis, scars, stretch marks, and sun damage. It is also used to remove unwanted tattoos. Lasers can also be a tool for unwanted hair removal, with many nurses performing laser hair removal treatments. 

What are the Duties and Responsibilities of a Cosmetic Nurse?

An Aesthetic Nurse’s job description may vary depending on the employer and specialty. Still, some everyday duties and responsibilities that Cosmetic Nurses can expect to perform during their shifts are:

• Screening and scheduling patients
• Assessing patient’s aesthetic health issues
• Performing non-invasive treatments, like Botox injections, dermal fillers, or chemical peels
• Assisting surgeons during cosmetic surgical procedures
• Prepping and sterilizing equipment and/or instruments in the OR
• Providing pre and post-operative care
• Monitoring patient’s progress after treatment
• Continuously staying informed and up-to-date on new procedures, treatments, protocols, and guidelines. 

How to Become an Aesthetic Nurse?

As an aspiring Aesthetic Nurse, one of the things you’re probably most interested in is the schooling requirements necessary for securing a job in this exciting field. So, let’s talk about the steps you have to undertake to become a successful Cosmetic Nurse.

Step 1. Enroll in a Registered Nursing Degree Program

In order to work as an Aesthetic Nurse, you must earn a Registered Nurse degree. There are two main educational avenues for that. The first option is a two-year ADN program. The second option is to earn your Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing by pursuing a BSN program. While holding a Bachelor’s Degree in nursing is not a requirement for pursuing a career in aesthetics, it is highly encouraged. If you are an ADN-trained nurse and wish to advance your degree, you may want to consider an RN-to-BSN bridge program. Most of them are offered online and designed with working professionals in mind, which means that you can further your education without giving up your job. 

Step 2. Pass the NCLEX-RN

Once you complete a nursing degree, you need to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam. Passing this exam is a requirement to gain RN licensure. It is a comprehensive six-hour exam that will test your nursing knowledge and skill and determine your preparedness to practice as a Registered Nurse. 

Step 3. Start working and gain experience

Once the first two steps are completed, you are a fully-fledged Registered Nurse and can start applying for jobs. Make sure your resume is up-to-date, hone your interview skills and be ready to embark on the third leg of your nursing journey: working as an Aesthetic Nurse. Another thing to consider is continuing education. The aesthetic healthcare field is rapidly changing, and new technologies and processes are constantly emerging, so you need to keep your finger on the pulse of the industry. Continuing education is just the way to do it.

Step 4. Consider getting certified

Certification is not mandatory in aesthetic nursing. However, there are many benefits to getting certified. The advantages range from having access to a broader pool of high-paying nursing jobs to increasing the level of your nursing knowledge and expertise. Certification for aesthetic nursing is available through the Plastic Surgical Nursing Certification Board (PSNCB). Eligibility criteria for obtaining a Certified Aesthetic Nurse Specialist credential through the PSNCB include: 

• Having a current and unencumbered RN license.
• At least 1,000 hours of practice in core competency specialties accrued in the last two years. 
• A minimum of two years of nursing experience within the designated four core competencies with a board-certified physician within a core specialty (Plastic/Aesthetic Surgery, Ophthalmology, Dermatology, or Facial Plastic Surgery)
• Endorsement from a supervising core physician.

Some nurses decide to advance their education beyond the BSN level and become Aesthetic Nurse Practitioners. To practice as an APRN, you need to earn your Master of Science in Nursing.  

Where Do Aesthetic Nurses Work?

Aesthetic Registered Nurses can find employment in various settings. Some of these include:

• Clinics
• Cosmetic dermatology practices
• Ophthalmologist’s offices
• Medical spas
• Private practices
• Outpatient surgery facilities

Cosmetic nursing jobs often provide a consistent schedule, making them perfect for nurses who despise the 12-hour shifts and prefer a more traditional nine-to-five schedule.

What is the Salary of an Aesthetic Nurse?

Aesthetic Nurses’ salaries will vary based on several factors: level of education, experience, certification, location, employer, or specialty. Still, according to ZipRecruiter, on average, Cosmetic RNs can expect to take home around $89,976 annually. Some Aesthetic Nurses can earn salaries as high as $134,000. 

This pay range is significantly higher than the median wages for Registered Nurses, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. BLS data shows RN salaries round up to $77,600 a year. 

In line with most healthcare professions, the higher a Cosmetic Nurse’s experience level, the higher their paycheck. In addition to excellent compensation, Aesthetic Nurses most often enjoy benefits including paid vacation, sick leave, health, dental, and vision insurance policies, prescription coverage, or reimbursement for educational expenses. 

Job Outlook for Aesthetic Nurses

Registered Nurses, in general, enjoy great job prospects, with BLS estimates indicating a 9% increase in nursing employment by 2030. In addition to that, demand for plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures is on the rise. With it increases the need for qualified healthcare professionals to perform the procedures and provide care to patients undergoing them. For instance, the number of Botox treatments has almost doubled between 2000 and 2018, and it’s not showing any signs of stopping. Hence, due to a higher demand for aesthetic services, the job outlook for RNs interested in a career in cosmetic healthcare is excellent. The future looks bright for Aesthetic Nurses.

Are You Ready to Pursue a Career in Aesthetic Nursing?

Pursuing a job in aesthetic nursing is a fantastic option for RNs who want their care to make people happier, more confident, and more content in their skin. Additionally, it’s a field in high demand and offers enticing salaries. Cosmetic nursing won’t disappoint you if a challenge is what you are after. It all adds to a rewarding profession that will bring as much joy and fulfillment in your life as in your patients’ lives. 

Take the first step toward your dream job as an Aesthetic Nurse today. Enroll in Nightingale College’s BSN program or advance your education with our online RN-to-BSN program and start building the foundation of a wonderful career in aesthetic nursing! 

Fresh out of nursing school, there can hardly be something more exciting than working in a hospital. It’s what you’ve been preparing for all along. The NCLEX training, the sleepless nights, the nursing interviews have led you to this position. And you love it because as a Registered Nurse working in a hospital, you are right at the heart of care. Your patients rely on your professionalism, empathy, and expertise around the clock – and you offer them wholeheartedly during 12-hour shifts, night shifts, holiday, or weekend shifts. 

But let’s face it, after a while, the ever-fluctuant schedule and the need to work while everyone else is on vacation or resting may start to leave its mark. Perhaps you want to spend more time with your family or invest time in other activities. You still cherish nursing and your role as an RN, but you need a clearer and more consistent schedule. 

Luckily for you, nursing is one of the least restrictive careers. With numerous specialties, varied workplaces, and alternative schedules – you are very likely to find a nursing position that fits your goals.

We put together a comprehensive list of RN careers that combine the joy and rewards of nursing with the consistency and stability of a 9 to 5 job. So, if you are after a nine-to-five nursing position that would allow you to maintain an excellent work-life balance, you have come to the right place.

Clinic Nursing Jobs

Although clinic nursing jobs and hospital (bedside) nursing jobs share many similarities, there is an important distinction that sets them apart: scheduling. In a hospital, nurses have a largely flexible schedule that generally requires 12-hour shifts, three or four days a week. Overnight shifts, alternate weekends, and even some holidays are also part of the bargain when you sign up for a hospital nursing job. 

However, suppose you seek employment in a clinic. In that case, you will enjoy a more traditional workweek schedule: Monday to Friday during business hours. Some clinics may offer additional evening or weekend hours to their patients. Still, those are the exception rather than the rule. 

As far as job duties are concerned, as a Clinic Nurse, you work closely with patients, doctors, and other healthcare team members. You will be in charge of collecting patient information, such as their medical history, symptoms, or insurance information. You will monitor patients and provide advice and education. Should it be necessary, you will be responsible for administering medication as per the doctor’s prescriptions. Monitoring medical equipment to ensure its proper functionality and taking care of patients’ rooms before, during, and after discharge will fall under your list of duties. 

Working in a clinical setting is often less stressful than working bedside in a hospital. Generally, patients coming to a clinic will seek routine care for non-emergency illnesses or injury treatment. In contrast, the incoming patients’ conditions in a hospital may be a lot more severe and urgent. Additionally, some clinics may employ telehealth nurses to triage patients and offer nursing care remotely. So that may be another option to look into if you want to steer away from hospital work. 

School Nursing Positions

As far as convenient, routine RN schedules go, it would be hard to find a more accommodating nursing position than School nursing. From nursery to university level, each school needs to hire at least one nurse to be on the premises during academic hours. So, as a School Nurse, you will have a very clearly defined program, usually working anywhere from 8 to 3 or 4. Additionally, you won’t have to work weekends or holidays because your schedule falls in line with the school’s program. This job comes with a comfortable schedule, and it’s also one of the least stressful nursing careers. 

School nursing is a particularly excellent nursing position for RNs who have children. It aligns their job with the kids’ time off from school, leaving more time for family trips, activities, and quality time spent together. Should you find you have too much free time on your hands during longer breaks or summer vacation, you can always look for nursing side-gigs – jobs you can do on the side as a nurse to supplement your income. 

What are some of the duties and tasks of a School Nurse? You’ll provide primary healthcare to students in case of injury, emergency, or acute illness. Developing health plans for students with chronic illnesses or disabilities and educating students and staff on healthy habits also fall under your list of duties. Also, as a School Nurse, you should perform regular student health screenings to detect health problems in the early stages. Ensuring that the school environment is safe for students, teachers, and staff (for instance, taking measures to stop the transmission of infectious diseases) also falls under your job description.

Ophthalmic Nursing Jobs

Ophthalmic Registered Nurses specialize in ophthalmology, the branch of medicine that deals with the health of the eyes. An Ophthalmic RN’s job description includes caring for patients with various eye diseases and injuries, like glaucoma, blindness, astigmatism, cataracts, macular degeneration, eye trauma, nearsightedness, farsightedness, and many more.

Being such a focused career path means you will likely find work in specialized environments, like an ophthalmologist’s office, a clinic, or an eye care center. These workplaces are generally open to receiving and treating patients during business hours on weekdays only. So, by default, by working as an Ophthalmic Nurse in an ophthalmologist’s clinic or eye center, you will be subject to a more traditional 9-to-five schedule. 

Some of the job duties of an Ophthalmic Nurse include assisting ophthalmologists with eye exams, conducting vision tests, collecting medical histories, and recording symptoms and exam results. Nurses may also have to educate patients on proper care for their eye diseases or injury, administer medication, perform fittings for contact lenses or glasses, and assist in eye surgical procedures in more severe cases.

Occupational Health Nursing Jobs

Occupational Health Nurses specialize in the well-being of people at work. Employees often approach them for health-related questions or problems, both for non-work-related conditions and for health and safety concerns stirring from the workplace. 

Working as an Occupational Health RN, some of your duties and responsibilities include identifying and preventing work-related health problems and promoting healthy living and safe working conditions. You may also have to provide advice on first aid management, teaching employees how to act in emergency health situations. In case of medical emergencies in the workplace, you’ll administer primary care. 

For the most part, you can be employed as an independent practitioner by a company or as a member of an occupational health service team within an organization’s HR department. Potential employers include education institutions, law firms, airlines, local authorities, retail chains, and many other industries. These employers usually translate into working the traditional business hours, satisfying your needs for a nine to five career. 

Home Health Nursing Careers

One of home health nursing benefits is that RNs are in charge of their schedule. Instead of the 12-hour hospital shifts, Home Health Nurses choose their own shifts and appointments, making it easier to keep their workday during their desirable hours. 

As a Home Health RN, you may have to drive from one appointment to another, caring for diverse patient groups with different health needs, from newborns to the elderly. You may have to provide routine care, administer medication, dress wounds, educate patients and caregivers about treatments, assess the patient’s progress, and counsel both patients and family. 

In addition to the schedule that you can tailor yourself according to your needs, home health nursing also ensures nursing autonomy. Indeed, in this specialty, you work as part of a larger healthcare team. Still, when you are caring for a patient in their home, you are the only medical professional there. This requires a higher level of critical thinking, responsibility, and adaptability, but for nurses who prefer more independence in their work, it’s a fantastic job opportunity. 

Find out more about home health nursing in our guide to this exciting nursing career. 

Nurse Health Coaching Positions

Focusing on holistic health and well-being, Nurse Health Coaches help their patients reach personal health goals and objectives through consultations and strategy sessions. Together with the client, the Nurse Health Coach will identify main health concerns or challenges that one faces. From that point on, the RN and patients will work towards establishing goals and providing strategies to meet the desired health aims. 

Typically, Nurse Health Coaches find employment in insurance companies and corporations. Their duties revolve around supporting the employees in establishing and meeting specific health and wellness goals. Thus, Nurse Health Coaches enjoy jobs in office environments that come hand in hand with a fairly consistent Monday through Friday, nine-to-five schedule.  

Another great option that some Nurse Health Coaches consider is starting their private practice. They build a private list of clients whom they help reach positive health goals. Creating one’s business has its own benefits: you will be in charge of your schedule throughout the week, and, should you prefer it, you’ll have the option to work from home. 

Discover more work-from-home nursing jobs perfect for RNs who want to work remotely.

Nurse Educator Jobs

Becoming a Nurse Educator is one of the most rewarding nursing careers for nurses whose passion for educating and guiding others is as strong as their love for nursing. As a Nurse Instructor, you help new generations of nurses learn, grow, and improve. Your classes and teachings will help aspiring nurses find their calling. By sharing your knowledge with nursing students, you ensure that thousands and thousands of patients will have access to highly trained, professional nurses. 

As a Nurse Educator, you’ll find employment in nursing schools, universities, colleges, and teaching hospitals. The academic aspect of the job ensures you reap the benefits of the academic lifestyle. A traditional work schedule, with teaching hours often spread between 8 am and 4 or 5 pm, holidays and weekends off. 

You will need a Master’s Degree in Nursing to pursue a career as a Nurse Educator, but if you want to combine your love of nursing with your passion for teaching, you’ll find that pursuing an MSN is a worthy endeavor. Plus, you can always opt for an online program, like the one offered by Nightingale College, which will allow you more flexibility. 

 Dialysis Nursing Jobs

Nephrology is another highly specialized nursing specialty that allows you to maintain a consistent work schedule. Nephrology relates to the kidneys, so Nephrology RNs, sometimes also referred to as Dialysis Nurses, treat patients who suffer from kidney disease. 

Kidney disease may affect people of any age. That’s why Nephrology Nurses will have a wide range of patients, from children to the elderly and everyone else in between. For people suffering from end-stage kidney disease, dialysis is a life-saving procedure. It clears the waste caused by nonfunctional kidneys and maintains balanced chemicals in the body. Dialysis RNs are there for patients every step of the way throughout the dialysis process. 

Nephrology Registered Nurses practice in various environments, but for the most part, dialysis clinics, physician practices, transplant programs, and other inpatient and outpatient settings will provide a stable work schedule, adhering to a typical work week. 

Nurse Administrator Career

One of the best ways to have more control over your schedule and ensure that it follows the Monday to Friday nine-to-five format you want is to climb up the career ladder to a management position. Working in nursing management positions does come with a higher degree of responsibility, but it is also met by a more stable agenda and a higher paycheck. 

As a nurse administrator, you will be in charge of managing a care facility’s nursing staff. This implies tasks such as coordinating schedules, implementing policy, and drawing up the budget. You will, essentially, be connecting two worlds: organizational management and nursing practice. 

Being a Nurse Administrator is not a non-hospital job, per se, but it is away from the bedside. You will have an office to call your home base and follow business hours. You don’t have to limit yourself to just hospitals if you want to find a job in this position. There is a need for RN Administrators wherever nurses work. So, urgent care clinics, doctor’s offices, outpatient treatment centers, and long-term care facilities are also worthy of consideration when hunting for jobs. 

Public Health Nursing Jobs

A fascinating career opportunity for nurses is becoming a Public Health Nurse. Their job description can vary depending on where they work: government offices, county or city health departments, or at the federal level. Overall, some of their tasks may include providing education and services to support healthy lifestyles for individuals and communities. In addition to education, Public Health Nurses work with immigrant populations, the underserved, and other groups of people unable to get access to healthcare in conventional medical offices. 

As far as schedules are concerned, Public Health RNs commonly work a Monday to Friday schedule. They are exempt from working evenings, weekends, or holidays, making public health an excellent job for people who want to maintain a healthy work-life balance. As a Public Health Nurse, you may not earn the highest nursing salary, but the benefit packages usually compensate for the difference in paychecks. Plus, the job outlook and security for this specialization are assured. 

Are You Ready to Make the Switch to 9-to-5?

Some nurses enjoy the dynamism and the unexpectedness of practicing in a hospital. They want the benefits of 12-hour shifts and prefer only working three or four days a week. Working the occasional weekend or holiday doesn’t seem to bother them either. But that type of schedule just isn’t for everyone. Some nurses prefer careers that afford them normalcy and routine. They want a consistent program that runs from nine to five, Monday through Friday, allowing them more time to spend with family and loved ones, cultivating their passions, or following some other dream on the side. 

A routine nursing job is in no way a boring nursing job. Regardless of what career path you pursue, nursing will always have its share of adrenaline and excitement. But with the positions we mentioned in this guide, you get to pack all of it into the conventional eight-hour, five-day a week schedule. 

The beauty of nursing lies in the countless career choices it provides, 9-to-5 non-hospital jobs included. The best way to secure access to the nursing job of your dreams is to make sure your education is up to the required standards. Most nine to five nursing jobs require a BSN, so the time to get it is now. 

Enroll in Nightingale College’s BSN program or advance your degree with our online RN-to-BSN program. 

Nursing is an incredibly rewarding profession. Your care and attention save lives, speed recovery, and improve wellbeing. Now, imagine geographical boundaries no longer tie your ability to offer nursing care to a single state. You can be an RN in multiple states under one nursing license. If you want to relocate to another state and practice over there, there will be no more hassle to get a new RN license for that specific location. 

This is the principle behind compact states. You’ve probably heard this term thrown around either in conversation with your nursing school colleagues or your fellow RNs. It is definitely a concept that’s worthy of closer consideration.

In this article, we will talk about compact nursing licenses and states. What they are, which states are included, and where the implementation status is still pending. Moreover, we’ll share how you can get a multistate RN license and what you have to gain from it. 

Let’s dive right in. 

What Are Compact Nursing States?

Before we move on to examples and lists, we must thoroughly define what compact nursing states are. 

Compact nursing states is a term that refers to the Nursing Licensure Compact (NLC). This is an agreement among states that allows Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses to have one license but have the right to practice nursing in any state partaking in the arrangement. 

In 2018, the NLC became the eNLC – the Enhanced Nursing Licensure Compact. With this new agreement, the member states have adopted 11 uniform licensure requirements that an applicant must meet in order to obtain a multistate license. An important distinction between the NLC and eNLC is that the latter requires aspiring nurses to undergo federal and state fingerprint-based criminal background checks. 

To put it simply, if you are a legal resident in a compact state, you can practice nursing in any of the other enhanced compact states – and you don’t need to get a new license to do that. 

Now, let’s see what states are included in the agreement, which are considering it, and the ones against it. 

What States Are Compact States?

Image Source: Nurse Licensure Compact

As of February 2022, 39 states have enacted NLC legislation. These are as follows:

• Alabama
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Colorado
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Guam
• Idaho
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Virgin Islands
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

What States and Territories Have Partially Implemented the eNCL?

There are some states and US territories that have partially enacted the eNCL. In these places, some restrictions to taking advantage of multistate licenses may apply until implementation is complete and definite. Thus, states and territories pending NLC implementation are:

• Guam. RNs who hold a multistate license in other NLC states can practice nursing in Guam. However, Guam legal residents cannot yet obtain a multistate license until the NLC implementation process is completed in 2022. 
• Pennsylvania. In Pennsylvania, NLC has been enacted, but it still awaits implementation, with the date TBD. This means that PA residents cannot obtain a multistate license until implementation is complete, nor can other RNs with multistate licenses work in PA. 
• Ohio. In Ohio, the situation is similar to Pennsylvania, with the only difference being that implementation is set for January 1, 2023. 
• Virgin Islands. This is another example of a US territory where the NLC has been enacted, and the implementation date is to be determined. 

What States Have Pending NLC Legislation?

The following list are the states which have pending legislation for potentially becoming part of the Nursing Licensure Compact. 

• Alaska
• Illinois
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• New York
• Rhode Island
• Washington

What States Have Taken No Action Towards Becoming Compact Nursing States? 

These states are currently not a part of the agreement of the compact states, nor do they have legislation in the works to this end:

• California
• Nevada
• Oregon
• Connecticut

Why Are Some States Hesitant to Become Part of the eNLC?

While most states recognize the multiple benefits of a National Nurse Licensing Compact, not everyone is on board. Some of the reasons critics of eNLC are citing are:

• Each state has different professional development standards. In its current form, the compact does not have a uniform policy for continuing nursing education. That’s why the reluctant states argue that in certain places, there may be little or no professional development for RNs. 
• Each state has different licensure and disciplinary standards. Critics say that disputes over jurisdiction may arise as there are substantial differences between state standards. 
• A national compact interferes with the oversight of nursing state boards about vetting licenses, tracking licenses, and coordinating disciplinary actions. 
• Other arguments against compact states may be related to the loss of state revenue from new nursing licenses or patients’ privacy. 

Why Are Compact States Important for Nurses?

Nurses have much to gain from obtaining multistate licensure. First of all, being able to work in multiple states under the same license opens up the door for a broader range of career development opportunities. You’ll have more job flexibility as you are no longer as tied to geographical boundaries. You can practice in up to 39 states – and you are not required to apply for licensure if you decide to relocate between them. To this end, this translates into fewer impediments to practice, fewer application charges, less stress, and barriers to licensure. 

While all nurses have to benefit from compact state licensure, the most to win are travel nurses and military personnel. Because of eNCL legislation, they no longer have to spend time and money to apply for licensure in every state they move to – as long as they relocate to a compact state. 

How Does the Nursing Compact Benefit the Healthcare System?

Nurses aren’t the only ones reaping the benefits of compact states. So does the healthcare system as a whole. Being able to work unencumbered in multiple states encourages healthcare professional mobility. As a result, nursing shortages could be more easily and efficiently tackled.  

Healthcare professional mobility is a valuable asset in difficult times, as well. When natural disasters strike, significant tragedies happen, or pandemics hit, nurses shouldn’t have to jump extra hurdles to be on the frontlines of care when they are already sacrificing so much. 

Telehealth coverage is another essential thing with advantages in compact states. Telehealth nursing has been gaining more and more ground in recent years. Unless cross-state nursing licenses become widely recognized, the very principles of telehealth nursing will be defeated as access to nursing care is restricted. Through eNLC, RNs can offer telehealthcare without having to obtain additional licenses. 

What Are the Eligibility Criteria for Applying for a Multistate License?

As we already mentioned, to get licensure in a state that is part of the eNCL agreement and be able to practice in all member states, you need to meet 11 requirements: 

• You must meet the requirements for licensure in your home state, which is the state where you have legal residency. 
• You need to have graduated from a board-approved education program.
• If English is not your native language or the nursing program you pursued was not taught in English, you must pass an English proficiency exam.
• You ought to pass the NCLEX-RN or the NCLEX-PN.
• You need to hold an active, unencumbered nursing license. 
• You must pass state and federal fingerprint-based criminal background checks. 
• You have never been convicted or found guilty of a felony offense. 
• You have no misdemeanor convictions related to the practice of nursing. 
• When seeking licensure, you are not part of an alternative program. 
• If you are participating in an alternative program, you must disclose this information. 
• You have a valid US Social Security number. 

On the Move Scenarios

Suppose you are considering relocating. Depending on your current residence and license status, there are some scenarios we should look at more closely. 

From a non-compact state to a compact state: You must apply for licensure by endorsement in the new state of residence before or after the move. You will be granted a multistate license if you meet all the residency and eligibility requirements (mentioned above). This will not affect your single-state license issued by the non-compact state. 

From a compact state to a non-compact state: In this scenario, before or after the move, you need to apply for licensure by endorsement in the state where you relocate. Your prior multistate license will be changed to a single state license. You need to notify your previous Board of Nursing of your relocation. 

From a compact state to a compact state: Should you relocate from one compact nursing state to another, by the time you move, you need to apply for licensure by endorsement. You can practice with the old state license in your new location until the new one is issued. The old one will automatically be rendered inactive when your new multistate license gets activated. 

What’s the Current Status of Your License?

Suppose you need to double-check whether your license of compact or not. You can do so by using Nursys. Nursys is the only national database through which RNs and LPNs can verify their nursing license, discipline, and practice privileges. On this platform, you’ll be able to see all your licenses and check their compact status. Moreover, downloading your Nursys report will show you all the states where you are eligible to practice. 

What About APRNs?

Unfortunately, the eNLC does not pertain to Advanced Practice Registered Nursing licenses. APRNs need to hold an individual state license in each state of APRN practice. Only RNs and LPNs can have a multistate license via compact states. 

However, the NCSBN is currently working on a compact agreement for APRNs. Still, this measure can only be implemented when at least ten states enact the legislation. 

Resources to Stay Informed

The list of compact nursing states changes and updates as more states pass legislation and begin transitioning towards becoming members of the agreement. Always stay on top of the latest developments using these valuable resources:

• The Nurse Licensure Compact Official Website. 
• NCSBN Website. 
• Nursys.

Are You Ready to Start Your Nursing Education?

Being a Registered Nurse is a highly fulfilling career. And through compact nursing state agreements, you can pursue this gratifying career in more locations than ever before – without the hassle of getting a new license when you want to relocate. 

The very first step is starting your nursing education. Nightingale College will prepare you to be a great Registered Nurse in any state you choose to practice. 

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

Registered Nurses are an invaluable link in the healthcare environment. Their selfless care contributes to the patients’ wellbeing, coping, and recovery. To achieve all these goals and offer the best possible nursing care, RNs follow what is commonly known in professional circles as the nursing process – a systematic five-stage guide to offering high-quality, patient-centric care. 

The nursing process has one essential, tangible outcome – the nursing care plan – a detailed outline that guides the process of providing care. The care plan, much like the nursing process, includes several steps which the nurse uses to formulate the direction of care. These are the nursing diagnosis, expected outcomes, interventions, and evaluation. 

Thus, nursing interventions are an integral part of the nursing care plan. In this comprehensive guide, we will put nursing interventions under the microscope. What types of interventions exist? Why do they matter? What are some of the most common nursing interventions you can expect to perform daily once you get that much-coveted RN title? 

Let’s find out together. 

What Are Nursing Interventions?

Before we delve into the different classifications of nursing interventions, it may be helpful to take a moment to define what nursing interventions are. 

Checking a medical dictionary gives us the following definition for nursing interventions:

“an action or activity undertaken by a nurse to address a specific client problem and to improve, maintain, or restore health or to prevent illness.”

Essentially, nursing interventions are all the actions nurses take to implement care plans with the overarching goal of improving, maintaining, or restoring a patient’s state. These may include therapies, procedures, or education opportunities. As long as a measure or activity aids in treating a patient and aims to increase their health and comfort, it will count as a nursing intervention. 

Most interventions are part of the nursing routine: administering medication, turning patients to prevent bedsores, offering feeding assistance, and many more. But, in general, there are hundreds of possible nursing interventions. In the following sections, we will explore what they are and what categories they fall under.

What Are the Categories of Nursing Interventions?

Registered Nurses always act as a part of a bigger healthcare team. In the process of caring for a single patient, there’s an army of nurses, aides, physicians, physical therapists, therapists who all collaborate to ensure the best patient outcomes. 

With that in mind, an initial categorization for nursing interventions is related to the nurse’s level of involvement in carrying out the intervention. 

Independent nursing interventions are the actions that nurses can perform without assistance or guidance from other medical professionals, particularly without a doctor’s orders. For the most part, these are routine interventions such as checking a patient’s vitals, educating them on how to take medication, or repositioning a client.

Dependent nursing interventions are the actions that a nurse cannot initiate of their own accord but must instead follow a physician’s orders. Administering prescribed medications is one example of this type of intervention. 

Interdependent nursing interventions are sometimes also referred to as collaborative interventions. They are the actions that include healthcare team members across the board. For instance, a physician may prescribe medication, the nurse will administer it, and another step in the treatment is performed by a physical therapist. Thus, professionals from multiple disciplines collaborate in the same plan of care. 

What Role Does Assessment Play in Choosing Interventions?

Nursing assessment is the first step in the nursing process. It is the one that informs all the subsequent phases, including interventions. 

During the assessment stage, nurses gather information about the patient’s state or condition. This may include objective or subjective data. Some of the ways in which the nurse can conduct the assessment include: performing a head-to-toe physical examination, checking vital signs, talking with the patient or their family, reading diagnostic tests. 

Once they have a comprehensive corpus of data about the patient’s health situation, the nurse can move on to formulate a nursing diagnosis. Based on that, they can create a care plan for the patient, including the specific nursing interventions required to achieve the desired health goals. So, nursing interventions draw from the assessment phase and are tailored to each patient’s unique needs. 

How Are Nursing Interventions Classified?

There is a wide variety of medical needs and conditions that nurses help patients fight and overcome. Based on the medical needs they cater to, nursing interventions are further classified into seven important categories: community, family, behavioral, physiological basic, physiological complex, safety, and health system. 

This classification was introduced in the book Nursing Interventions Classifications (NIC), 7th edition, which provides a research-based clinical tool to help nurses choose appropriate interventions from over 550 options.  

Let’s take a closer look at each of these categories and the ensuing nursing interventions.  

Community Nursing Intervention

In many medical facilities, there is a focus on public health initiatives. These actions aim to educate larger groups of people: patients, their families, and local communities, in general, about matters of general health and wellbeing. Education programs for diabetes, vaccination campaigns on a larger scale, breast cancer awareness movements – these are some examples of public health initiatives in which nurses can take part, subsequently requiring interventions on their part. 

Family Nursing Interventions

Certain nursing interventions are directed at a patient’s family as much as to the patients themselves. For example, suppose a patient is diagnosed with a transmittable disease. In that case, the nurse must educate the entire family on ways to reduce the threat of the illness. Or, when a child is born, the nurse may instruct or assist the mother with breastfeeding her newborn or offer other forms of infant care to the parents. 

Behavioral Nursing Interventions

If a patient is battling addiction, wants to quit smoking, or needs to learn how to use an assistive device, the Registered Nurse will have to engage in behavioral nursing interventions. These types of actions are aimed at helping the patient learn methods to change a specific behavior. Some more examples include: educating the patient about using a new mobility aid, like a prosthetic leg, or providing coping mechanisms against stress; suggesting physical coping mechanisms to substance abuse.

Physiological Basic Nursing Interventions

Physiological basic nursing interventions are simple actions nurses perform to assist patients with their physical health. These procedures range from exercise and offering feeding or bathing assistance to measuring a patient’s blood pressure or temperature. 

Physiological Complex Nursing Interventions

This category includes a more complex set of interventions aimed at helping a patient with their physical health. An excellent example of a physiological complex nursing intervention would be providing IV fluids. This intervention requires a combination of smaller tasks – inserting the needle, administering medication, and keeping an eye on the patient. 

Safety Nursing Interventions

Helping patients maintain their safety and preventing further injury is an integral part of a nurse’s job. That’s where safety nursing interventions come in. Safety interventions come in many forms: from educating a patient (or their family) on postoperative care and teaching them how to use a walker safely after a hip replacement to giving instructions on how to use the alarm in case they want to move to avoid risk of falls to showing a disoriented patient back to their room. 

Health System Nursing Interventions

This type of nursing intervention is usually collaborative and includes input from multiple healthcare team members. For example, if the health goal for the patient is to reduce the risk for infections during their stay, then the subsequent interventions would be the administration of medication (as prescribed by physician), followed by offering hygiene assistance and changing wound dressings (by the nurse).

What Is the Role of Nursing Interventions?

While nurses may not use every intervention category during every shift, they still have crucial goals. 

First of all, nursing interventions help patients reach specific health goals. Administering medication, dressing wounds, and ensuring a patient stays hydrated are just some of the ways in which RNs are a vital part of treatment plans and speedy recovery.

Patient education is another approach through which nurses intervene for a patient’s wellbeing. The education process doesn’t stop at the client. Nurses also have to teach families and caregivers how to implement treatment plans after discharge or keep a patient’s condition in check even after they have left the hospital. 

Promoting safety is an additional crucial goal of nursing interventions. An RN’s actions can serve as preventative measures. Repositioning patients in bed to avoid pressure ulcers or lowering the bed to prevent the risk of falling are great examples of how nurses can promote patient safety. 

Nursing support isn’t always directed at physical actions nurses take for the wellbeing of their patients. Sometimes, RNs offer support by being there emotionally and comforting patients or their families in stressful situations. Recommending resources for therapy and sharing coping mechanisms are other ways nurses can provide support to their clients. 

Examples of Key Nursing Interventions

While there are over 550 possible nursing interventions, some are more common than others. Some of the interventions you may come across more often include pain control, position changes, fall prevention, ensuring adequate fluid or calorie intake, providing sleep pattern control, or engaging with the patient in mobility therapy. 

Additionally, we will take a closer look at specific nursing interventions associated with particular conditions or health risks. The list of potential interventions for each condition is by no means exhaustive because nursing interventions will be tailored to each patient’s needs. But this will help you better understand what nursing interventions entail.  

Nursing interventions for pain

Nursing interventions for pain will vary greatly depending on each patient and the type of pain they’re dealing with: acute or chronic. Some examples of RN interventions are:

• Perform a detailed assessment of the pain. Pinpoint the location, characteristics, onset, duration, frequency, and severity of pain. 
• Closely observe nonverbal indicators of pain. If the patient is moaning, guarding, crying, that may indicate that the treatment is inefficient. 
• Provide a quiet environment for the patient. Limit visitor stays or access to the patient’s room
• Provide optimal pain relief by administering pain relief medication prescribed by the doctor. 

Nursing interventions for hypertension

Some activities you can do in case your patient has hypertension are:

• Ensure calm and restful surroundings. Minimize environmental activity and noise. 
• Instruct the patient in relaxation techniques, guided imagery, distractions.
• Administer medication as prescribed by the doctor.
• Monitor response to medications to control blood pressure.

Nursing interventions for depression

Some nursing interventions you may consider when dealing with patients suffering from depression include: 

• Encouraging the patient to express their feelings, be it anger, sadness, or guilt, and trying to develop alternative ways to handle these emotions.
• Educate the patient about crisis counseling. Introduce the patient to self-help groups.
• Ensure the patient takes medication on time and as prescribed. 

Nursing interventions for diabetes

These are some of the interventions that should be implemented for patients suffering from diabetes:

• Educate the patient about how to monitor glucose levels at home.
• Encourage your patient to read the labels of products they buy.
• Teach patients how their antidiabetic medication works.
• Check injection sites periodically.

Nursing interventions for COPD

Most patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) receive outpatient treatment. So, an essential part of the COPD nursing interventions focuses on teaching patients to comply with the therapy and understand the nature of this chronic disease.

• Demonstrate effective coughing and deep-breathing techniques.
• Encourage abdominal or pursed-lip breathing exercises.
• Assist the patient in maintaining a comfortable position by elevating the head of the bed, having the patient lean on an overbed table, or sitting on the edge of the bed.

Ready to Embark on the Next Step of Your Nursing Career?

As a Registered Nurse, nursing interventions are an integral part of your practice. You will perform these activities throughout your entire RN career. Each intervention comes with a great deal of responsibility. Still, your nursing education combined with on-ground experience and the right set of skills will ensure you excel at this vital nursing process step. 

We’re here to help you succeed and to make sure that you, your patients, and the entire health environment all win. 

Enroll in Nightingale College’s BSN program or advance your education with our RN-to-BSN program. 

The idea of working night shifts can appear very daunting, especially as an aspiring nurse or an RN in the emergent stages of their career. Being a nurse is already a challenging profession. The extra layer of changing your internal body clock and rearranging your life and activities according to an unusual schedule is bound to make it more trying. 

There’ll be many questions running through your mind. How do I stay awake? How do I adjust to this new schedule? How do I make sure I offer the best patient care even though I might be exhausted or sleepy? Do the benefits of working night shifts outweigh the risks? 

It’s normal to wonder what it takes to survive – and better yet, conquer – the night shift. Here’s where we come in. In this guide, you will find the ultimate night shift survival kit: tips and tricks on adjusting to night shift nursing and advice on how to make the best of it.  

What Are the Benefits of Night shifts?

Some nurses dread working night shifts; others prefer them because the benefits of working nights seem to outweigh the drawbacks. Let’s explore some of these advantages:

Night shifts are better paid. Although the salaries will differ from state to state, and even among medical institutions, as a general rule, Registered Nurses who work the night shift earn more than day shift nurses. 

Another advantage is that fewer visitors and fewer family members are crowding a patient’s room during the night. Not having to deal with as many parties makes your job a little easier. 

More autonomy is another thing that draws a lot of RNs to night shift nursing. People in management positions don’t work nights, so you have a lot more liberty in the workplace. There are fewer unnecessary meetings and fewer distractions. If being more independent in your professional life is vital for you, you’ll find that night shifts fit your personality best. 

The nursing team is another big pro for night shift nursing. An unbreakable bond is formed among nurses who work together. The night shift offers more time for creating stronger professional and personal relationships. 

Not only do you bond more with your fellow nurses, but you also have the opportunity to create more intimate professional relationships with your patients. Granted, most patients will sleep for the duration of your shift, which means you get more time and get to offer more individualized care to the ones who are awake. 

In addition to all of these, some benefits often get overlooked. There will be more parking spaces after business hours, saving you the frustration of finding a spot. The commute to work may be shorter since there is less traffic when you get to work or home. At odd hours there are no lines in convenience or grocery stores. 

What Are the Drawbacks for Night Shift Workers?

Night shift nursing comes with its share of benefits, but we will not sugarcoat it; you also need to consider quite a few drawbacks. 

While nursing is challenging whether you practice it during the day or night, working from dusk to sunset tends to be harder on your body. If you’re not very careful and aware, the quality of your sleep may decline. Inadequate rest brings its threats:

• Slower thinking (which, in certain healthcare situations, may make the difference between life and death).
• Reduced attention span.
• Increased irritability and anxiety.
• Weakened memory.
• Subpar decision-making.

These qualities are critical in preventing nurses from committing nursing errors on the job. 

Unfortunately, night shift nurses are also more prone to elevated health risks. They are at a higher risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Working the night shift disturbs the metabolic rhythms which control the activity of your liver, pancreas, kidneys, and digestive tract. These disruptions may be linked with some gastrointestinal disorders or debilitating metabolic disorders. So, making the switch to night nursing is harder on your body. Still, you can alleviate these symptoms by closely monitoring your health and keeping a healthy diet and sleep regimen. 

Another drawback linked to night shift nursing is that not everyone understands what you’re going through and doing. Some won’t respect the time you need to rest or might make it harder for you to stick to your unusual schedule. 

At the same time, you may feel like you’re missing out on certain things because of your hectic schedule. Working nights and sleeping for a good part of the day leaves many people feeling like they aren’t present as much as people working more traditional 9-5 jobs. 

How Can a Night Shift Nurse Avoid The Risks?

While these cons are stressful, for the most part, they are manageable. First and foremost, to avoid night shift-related health concerns, you need to pay close attention to preserving your circadian rhythms. 

The circadian clock is the body’s self-programming to follow a 24-hour cycle. It controls (at least to a certain extent) body temperature, hormones, heart rate, and other body processes and functions. Thus, the body is pretty much wired for when it needs to be awake vs. asleep. Surviving the night shift requires going against your circadian clock, which can lead one to feel fatigued or drowsy. Despite the unusual schedule, preserving your circadian rhythm requires you to maintain a quality sleep pattern. That means you need to get enough quality sleep during the day. How to do that will be discussed in the next section. 

Adjusting your sleep schedule is step one in avoiding the risks associated with the night shift. Furthermore, you need to adjust your eating patterns, mental state, and habits. Then you will be able to transition smoothly into night shift nursing. 

How to Adjust to Working the Night Shift: Night Shift Nursing Essentials

The night shift duration will generally depend on the medical institutions where you work. 12-hour shifts can be from 8 pm to 8 am, or 8-hour shifts can be from 11 pm to 7 pm. The duties of night shift nurses are the same as those of daytime nurses. The only thing that differs is the additional pressure on your mind and body to face a new set of challenges that go against what they’re used to. 

But if you manage to align your body and your mind, you’ll discover that you may enjoy working nights. There’s typically less of a rush. There’s more time to establish quality relationships with your patients and coworkers, and you get paid more. The following tips will help you survive and conquer the night shift. From how to stay awake to how to make the best of it, these are the night shift essentials:

Figure out the sleep schedule that works best for you

One of the first things you need to figure out when starting to work the night shift is the sleep schedule that will have you most rested and prepared for a night’s work after. Some nurses prefer to stay up for a few hours after arriving home from work in the morning. This way, they will wake up closer to their next shift (like one would do with a traditional 9-5).

Other professionals discovered a split-nap schedule to be the more efficient option. This type of sleeping schedule involves napping for a few hours immediately after getting home in the morning, getting up and going about your day, and then sleeping for longer in the hours leading up to when you start the next shift. Finding the proper sleep schedule may involve some trial and error. The thing that matters most is to get enough sleep every 24 hours. The National Sleep Foundation recommends an average of seven to nine hours of sleep for adults. 

Understand the Circadian Clock to Better Accommodate It

One of the most significant adjustments you’ll have to make is to change your circadian rhythm and sleep during the day. The circadian rhythm, our body’s default option, is guided for the most part by natural light and darkness. During the day, when there’s sunlight out, your brain releases hormones that make you alert and energized. On the other hand, when the light dims as the night comes, the brain releases melatonin. This hormone activates feelings of sleepiness and relaxation. Understanding how the body reacts to light and darkness will help you conquer them. 

Create a Sleep Environment that Encourages Quality Sleep

When reprogramming your circadian clock, you also need to adjust your environment. Figure out what exactly you need to be able to sleep during the day. It may be blackout curtains, eye masks, earplugs, or a sleep machine. You may want to set a ritual for yourself. Perhaps you want to take a hot shower before sleep, use face masks to unwind, drink some type of relaxing herbal tea, or avoid using screens for an hour before sleep. Find what helps you sleep uninterrupted and well during the day, and stick to you. Sleep is an essential part of succeeding during your night shifts. 

Be Consistent When Scheduling Night Shifts 

Most people will eventually adapt to the night shift schedule, but the entire process may take some time. Training your body to develop consistent sleep patterns that revolve around your home and work routines will help. Many seasoned nurses find that scheduling night shifts “back to back” helps them lower the amount of sleep lost. If you aim to routinize night shifts, it will be much easier to train your body and mind if you have them scheduled consistently. 

Don’t Overlook the Power of Naps

The power of naps doesn’t limit itself to the split-nap schedule discussed above. Sometimes, napping for a short while during your shift might increase your energy level and attention. You can opt for a quick nap on your break if you find that a more energizing option than exercising for a few minutes. Some nurses advocate for the concept of the coffee nap, where you drink a cup of coffee and immediately after you take a short nap of 10-20 minutes, waking up just as the caffeine kicks in. Generally, 10-20 minute naps are perfect as they don’t give you enough time to enter a deep sleep phase. Hence, when you wake up, you’re energized and not groggy. 

One critical remark here is to check your institution’s policy on napping during work hours. Some hospitals encourage napping in the workplace and even arrange special spaces where nurses can wind down for a few minutes.

Have More Energy with a Balanced Diet 

We often take caffeine as the ultimate energy booster, but the truth is, the quick solution isn’t always the best one. If you want to avoid longer-term effects on your body, you should always consume caffeine in moderation.

Instead, to combat fatigue during your long night shifts, you should pay close attention to your diet. Certain foods and snacks will give your body the fuels it needs naturally. For example, fruits (bananas, apples) have simple sugars that will beneficially increase your glucose levels, giving you more energy. Fiber-rich grains are a fantastic way to turn carbs into energy. Opt for foods that contain healthy fats and vitamins, like avocado or salmon. Snacks should also be healthy: nuts, dried fruits, edamame, dark chocolate. As a rule of thumb, to keep your energy levels up and not crash halfway through your shift, consider whole foods, avoid refined sugars, and opt for healthy sources of energy. 

Many nurses find that instead of eating a big meal before their shift and another big meal during their break, more frequent and smaller portioned snacks help them get through the night better. 

Coffee Is Your Friend Until It Isn’t

When used moderately and wisely, coffee can help you stay alert. That’s why caffeinated beverages are so popular among shift workers. However, too much coffee can also lead to decreased concentration and performance. More importantly, drinking large amounts of caffeine can lead to some health problems: raised blood pressure, acid reflux, heartburn, and even dependency. 

So, our main tip is to use caffeine in moderation. A cup of coffee at the beginning of your shift may be an ideal pick-me-up. But having coffee three to four hours before your shift ends is not recommended, as you may have trouble falling asleep when you get home. 

Stay Active, Both Mind and Body

The workload tends to be lighter during night shifts, so staying active is paramount. Otherwise, the shift will seem longer, and the fatigue will hit even harder. There are several ways to keep yourself engaged, both physically and mentally. 

First of all, if you are done with your regular tasks and still have hours to go, you can help with lower priority tasks that are essential but often get overlooked. You can also try to help the day shift nurses by completing some tasks that can be done ahead of time, like setting up equipment, preparing rooms, etc. The day shift usually is much busier, and your help will be greatly appreciated by day RNs. 

Secondly, you can opt for some non-work-related activities to keep your mind and body awake and active. Exercising is a great way to reduce anxiety, release endorphins, and fuel more efficient work time later on. Sometimes, just climbing some stairs to fill your water bottle on another floor can be enough exercise to give you an energy boost.

It’s important to find constructive ways to keep busy and active during your night shift. The slower pace can be either a blessing or a curse – depending on how you use up your time. 

Keep an Eye on Your Own Health

Nurses are some of the most selfless individuals. Often they’ll put their patients’ needs and health concerns far above their own. However, it is of utmost importance for nurses to look after themselves and their health and wellbeing. Especially in the night shift environment, RNs have to pay extra attention to how they feel to avoid burnout or other health concerns. Having an irregular schedule may lead to several problems: insomnia, high blood pressure, diabetes, menstrual irregularities, weight gain, and others. That’s why it’s imperative for nurses to consistently monitor their health to ensure their work schedule doesn’t lead them into any health danger zones.

Bond with Coworkers

While all nurses need to establish good relationships with their coworkers, nightshift RNs find it more important to connect and work well with their fellows. Firstly, because night nurses spend less time with the patients and their families, they must communicate well and thoroughly with day-shift nurses. Secondly, because there are fewer managers, directors, and physicians on duty during the night shift, RNs have to rely more on themselves and their fellow nurses. So, there’s a greater deal of autonomy for night shift RNs and a more pressing need to have an efficient professional net to rely on while on duty. 

Additionally, because the night shift tends to be more low-key, nurses have more time to spend and interact with their team. When the nursing team gets along and works together efficiently, the benefits are manifold: the shift runs smoothly, increased job satisfaction for all nursing personnel, less chance of burnout, and even better patient outcomes. 

Get your Loved Ones on the Same Page

Night shift workers need help, understanding, and support from their friends and family in order to adjust to the new irregular work-sleeping schedule. Your loved ones need to understand that you need uninterrupted sleep during the day, so they shouldn’t call or drop by during the hours when you’re supposed to be sleeping. During the day, it’s harder to go back to sleep if you’ve been woken up unexpectedly. So, they should respect your schedule, even though it might take them some time to get used to it. Their support and understanding will relieve you of the emotional guilt some people feel when they’re unavailable for their loved ones.

When You’re Not Working, Take Advantage of Daytime Activities

One of the benefits of working night shifts is that it opens up the rest of your day for many activities which aren’t normally undertaken by people with a regular 9-5 job. Suppose you’re a resident Registered Nurse in a new city. In that case, you can explore the city in broad daylight: restaurants, tours, museums, and so much more. Working nights can have its perks, even if you are a parent. You can participate in your children’s school activities (meetings, excursions, concerts) or spend quality time together after class or early evenings. 

Is the Night Shift a Job for You?

Night shift nursing is demanding, but it is also extremely rewarding. All the challenges you face working nights will only make you a better, more resilient nurse. At the same time, you need to realize that this type of nursing position is not for everyone. Some nurses will adjust to the unusual schedule and responsibilities more quickly. In contrast, others will recognize that they are better nurses working during the day. You need to figure out what’s best for you and your patients and work towards becoming a great nurse, regardless of whether you work during the day or night shifts. 

A nursing diagnosis is a fundamental part of the nursing process. It’s an essential tool for nurses and subsequently for the entire healthcare field.  

In this complete guide to nursing diagnosis, you will find out everything there is to know about this vital instrument. What a nursing diagnosis is and its place in the nursing process; what types and classifications of diagnosis are out there; how to write and use a nursing diagnosis – these are just some things that we will put under a microscope in our article. 

Let’s start exploring.

What Is The Nursing Process? 

We can’t talk of nursing diagnosis before first explaining what the nursing process is and how the diagnosis fits into the grander scheme of things. 

The nursing process consists of five steps, of which diagnosis is the second. 

Assessment – The first step of the nursing process relates to thorough patient evaluation. Collecting data, such as vital signs, health history, psychological or socioeconomic evaluations, is an integral part of this step. 

Diagnosis – After the assessment has been completed, the nurse can form a nursing diagnosis based on the collected data. The nursing diagnosis instructs the specific nursing care that the patient shall receive. 

Outcomes and Planning – In this third step of the nursing process, the nurse develops a care plan drawing on information from the nursing diagnosis. The planning needs to be measurable and goal-oriented. 

Implementation – This is the part of the nursing process in which the care plan is put into action. It takes place throughout the duration of the hospitalization up until the discharge of the patient

Evaluation – The final step of the nursing process involves evaluating the care plan based on the initial goals and desired outcomes. Should the results not align, the care plan can be adjusted based on the patient’s needs. 

What is Nursing Diagnosis? 

As we have already established, a nursing diagnosis is an important step in the nursing process. It is a concrete and evidence-based way for nurses to communicate their professional judgments to patients, fellow nursing professionals, members of other medical areas, and the public. The nursing diagnosis is developed based on information gathered in the assessment phase. Further, once a nursing diagnosis is elaborated, the nurse can move ahead and create a care plan, which can be used to measure outcomes of a patient’s care at a later phase.

NANDA International also referred to as NANDA-I, is the international organization in charge of defining, distributing, and integrating the process of standardized nursing diagnosis worldwide. According to the organization, the official definition of a nursing diagnosis is:

“A nursing diagnosis is a clinical judgment concerning a human response to health conditions/life processes, or a vulnerability for that response, by an individual, family, group or community. A nursing diagnosis provides the basis for selection of nursing interventions to achieve outcomes for which the nurse has accountability.”

What Are the Differences Between a Nursing Diagnosis and Other Types of Diagnosis?

Nursing diagnosis is not the only diagnosis one might come across in the process of care. That’s why it’s important to know the difference between different types of diagnosis. The three main ones to consider are nursing diagnosis, medical diagnosis, and collaborative diagnosis. 

A nursing diagnosis refers to the process and, subsequently, the label nurses use to assign meaning to patient data collected in the Assessment phase. The data is labeled with NANDA-I approved nursing diagnosis. For instance, while assessing a patient, the nurse may notice that the patient coughs prior to swallowing any food, displays inadequate laryngeal elevation, and repeatedly reports “something stuck” in their throat. The nurse can conclude a nursing diagnosis based on these symptoms: impaired swallowing. 

Examples of nursing diagnosis: risk for impaired liver function; urinary retention; disturbed sleep pattern; decreased cardiac output. 

On the other hand, a medical diagnosis is made by a doctor or advanced health care practitioner. This type of diagnosis focuses on the patient’s disease, medical condition, or pathologic state – determining which falls into the expertise of advanced medical practitioners. While the nursing diagnosis can be subject to change, the medical diagnosis generally doesn’t change. It remains imprinted on the patient’s medical history forever. 

Examples of medical diagnosis: atrial fibrillation; hepatitis; chronic kidney disease; hypertension.

Collaborative diagnoses are the ones that require both nursing and medical interventions. For the most part, these imply teamwork: RNs keep an eye on the health problems while the medical professionals prescribe drugs and more diagnostic tests. 

Examples of collaborative diagnosis: respiratory insufficiency.

Nursing Diagnosis Classification

In order to easily keep track of nursing diagnoses, they need to be organized in an unambiguous and orderly fashion. NANDA-I has listed, arranged, and classified the nursing diagnoses in a register known as Taxonomy II, which has been in use for more than two decades. Taxonomy II is split into three levels: 13 domains, 47 classes, and 267 nursing diagnoses. 

Currently, there are the following domains and classes:

• Domain 1: Health Promotion

• • • Class 1. Health Awareness
    • Class 2. Health Management

• Domain 2: Nutrition

• • • Class 1. Ingestion
    • Class 2. Digestion
    • Class 3. Absorption
    • Class 4. Metabolism
    • Class 5. Hydration

• Domain 3: Elimination and Exchange

• • • Class 1. Urinary function
    • Class 2. Gastrointestinal function
    • Class 3. Integumentary function
    • Class 4. Respiratory function

• Domain 4: Activity/Rest

• • • Class 1. Sleep/Rest
    • Class 2. Activity/Exercise
    • Class 3. Energy balance
    • Class 4. Cardiovascular/Pulmonary responses
    • Class 5. Self-care

• Domain 5: Perception/Cognition

• • • Class 1. Attention
    • Class 2. Orientation
    • Class 3. Sensation/Perception
    • Class 4. Cognition
    • Class 5. Communication

• Domain 6: Self-Perception

• • • Class 1. Self-concept
    • Class 2. Self-esteem
    • Class 3. Body image

• Domain 7: Role relationship

• • • Class 1. Caregiving roles
    • Class 2. Family relationships
    • Class 3. Role performance

• Domain 8: Sexuality

• • • Class 1. Sexual identity
    • Class 2. Sexual function
    • Class 3. Reproduction

• Domain 9: Coping/stress tolerance

• • • Class 1. Post-trauma responses
    • Class 2. Coping responses
    • Class 3. Neurobehavioral stress

• Domain 10: Life principles

• • • Class 1. Values
    • Class 2. Beliefs
    • Class 3. Value/Belief/Action congruence

• Domain 11: Safety/Protection

• • • Class 1. Infection
    • Class 2. Physical injury
    • Class 3. Violence
    • Class 4. Environmental hazards
    • Class 5. Defensive processes
    • Class 6. Thermoregulation

• Domain 12: Comfort

• • • Class 1. Physical comfort
    • Class 2. Environmental comfort
    • Class 3. Social comfort

• Domain 13: Growth/Development

• • Class 1. Growth
  • Class 2. Development

What Are the Categories of Nursing Diagnosis?

NANDA-I recognizes four categories of nursing diagnoses: problem focused diagnosis, risk diagnosis, health promotion diagnosis, and syndrome. 

Problem focused diagnoses, also known as actual diagnoses, are patient issues or problems that are present and observable during the assessment phase. They are based on the presence of certain signs or symptoms. A problem focused nursing diagnosis comprises three components: the diagnosis itself, related factors, and defining characteristics. 

Risk diagnosis refers to clinical judgments concerning a patient’s vulnerability to developing undesirable health conditions unless the nurse intervenes. Essentially, a risk diagnosis says that a problem does not yet exist, but there are risk factors that could potentially lead to a problem emerging. Thus, nurses will offer care to avoid it. There are two components nurses have to account for with this type of diagnosis: a risk diagnostic label and risk factors. 

Health promotion diagnosis, or wellness diagnosis, are the clinical judgments about the motivation and desire to increase well-being and reach one’s health potential. These judgments express a patient’s readiness to improve specific health behaviors. Health promotion diagnosis can exist at an individual, family, group, or community level. 

Syndromes are the least present diagnosis in the NANDA-I taxonomy. They concern the clinical judgments that relate to a cluster of nursing diagnoses that occur together and are dealt with through similar interventions. 

Below, you will find examples of each type of diagnosis from NANDA-I definitive guide to nursing diagnoses, Nursing Diagnosis: Definitions and Classifications, 2021-2023. 

What Are the Components of a Nursing Diagnosis?

When writing a nursing diagnosis, certain components should be included. The components may differ depending on the diagnosis type. Below, you’ll find an overview of all the features of a nursing diagnosis:

Diagnosis label – It is a name that reflects the diagnostic focus and the nursing judgements. 

Examples: ineffective health self-management; acute pain; impaired skin integrity.

Definition – This component delivers a clear, exact diagnosis description, making it easier to differentiate from similar diagnoses. 

Example: for an imbalanced nutrition nursing diagnosis, the definition is: “intake of nutrients insufficient to meet metabolic needs.”

Defining characteristics – These refer to the observable details that pinpoint the existence of a problem focused, health promotion diagnosis or syndrome. It includes things that the nurse can see and things that can be heard, touched or smelled, or information coming from the patient or the family. 

Example: for an impaired gas exchange nursing diagnosis, some of the defining characteristics might be: abnormal arterial blood gasses; abnormal skin color (e.g., pale, dusky, cyanosis); and headache upon awakening.

Risk factors – Risk factors can fall into one of several categories: environmental, physiological, psychological, genetic, or chemical elements that increase a patient’s vulnerability to an unhealthy event. Bear in mind that risk factors are only applicable to risk diagnosis. 

Example: a risk for infection diagnosis may have one (or more) of these risk factors: chronic illness, like diabetes; inadequate vaccination; invasive procedure; malnutrition. 

Related factors: These are the factors that in some way present a connection to the nursing diagnosis. They may have been existent before the diagnosis; they may be associated with it; they may contribute or abet a particular diagnosis. Related factors only occur in the case of problem focused nursing diagnosis and syndromes. Rarely, health promotion diagnosis may have related factors. 

For an ​​ineffective peripheral tissue perfusion diagnosis, hypertension is one of the potentially related factors. Others are diabetes mellitus, smoking, or a sedentary lifestyle. 

How to Write a Nursing Diagnostic?

First, you need to carefully analyze all the data and identify the patient’s health problems, health risks, and strengths. Once you have all the information, you can formulate the diagnosis statement. NANDA International strongly recommends that diagnosis follow a specific template. This allows for accurate, precise, and valid diagnoses that nurses and other healthcare team members can easily understand and follow. 

Each type of nursing diagnosis needs to contain certain information. Below, you will find the outline of how to write nursing diagnoses, including examples. 

• Problem focused diagnosis:

Impaired bed mobility related to musculoskeletal impairment as evidenced by impaired ability to reposition self in bed. 

Constipation related to inadequate toileting habits as evidenced by change in bowel pattern.

• Risk Diagnosis: 

Risk for decreased cardiac output as evidenced by alteration in heart rhythm.

Risk for adult pressure injury as evidenced by Inadequate adherence to incontinence treatment regimen.

• Health Promotion Diagnosis:

Sedentary lifestyle as evidenced by insufficient motivation for physical activity.

Ineffective family health self-management as evidenced by difficulty with the prescribed regimen. 

• Syndrome Diagnosis:

Post-trauma syndrome;

Chronic pain syndrome.

More Nursing Diagnosis to Help You Elaborate Your Care Plans:

As we have mentioned before, with 267 inputs, the NANDA-I nursing diagnosis list is comprehensive and an excellent tool for nurses used worldwide. We have used several nursing diagnosis examples throughout this guide, all collected from the NANDA-I 2021-2023 complete handbook. This section will provide you with additional nursing diagnosis examples that you can use to formulate and implement future nursing care plans. 

• Decreased activity tolerance
• Risk for surgical site infection
• Deficient knowledge
• Decreased cardiac output
• Deficient fluid volume
• Ineffective coping
• Acute pain
• Ineffective thermoregulation
• Ineffective breathing pattern
• Risk for electrolyte imbalance
• Bathing/dressing/feeding self-care deficit
• Risk for ineffective childbearing process
• Risk for injury
• Fatigue
• Impaired physical mobility
• Ineffective airway clearance
• Readiness for enhanced communication
• Impaired comfort
• Obesity
• Risk for metabolic syndrome
• Disturbed body image
• Deficient community health
• Neonatal hypothermia
• Risk for bleeding
• Risk for vascular trauma
  

Are You Ready to Master This Critical Component of Care?

Nursing diagnoses are a useful tool which aids nurses in providing safe, quality, and evidence-based care. They are a critical aspect of patient healthcare that every nurse should know how to use, formulate, and write.  

Mental health nursing is one of the most complex and gratifying nursing jobs. You care for some of the most vulnerable populations in this position, which makes the responsibility you sign up for so much greater. At the same time, your help and care help people lead happier and more fulfilling lives. And the feeling that you give someone a chance at a better life makes each ounce of responsibility worth it.

If you’re looking for a comprehensive overview of a mental health nursing career, you’ve come to the right place. From how to become a psychiatric nurse to what mental health nurse jobs imply in terms of duties, responsibilities, and paychecks – we’ll answer all the questions you may have about schooling and working as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse. 

You ought to be ready to embrace both the challenges and the rewards of this profession should you choose to pursue it. In this guide, we’ll discuss both. 

Let’s start exploring the ins and outs of a psychiatric nursing career. 

What Is a Psychiatric Nurse?

Psychiatric Nurses are often referred to as Mental Health Nurses or Psych Nurses. The abbreviation PMHNs is also used when talking about Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses. For this reason, these terms will be used interchangeably throughout our guide.

Mental Health Nurses have a very sensitive and crucial role in the healthcare industry. Their specialized knowledge and skills allow them to offer nursing care to people with mental health issues, mental health problems, psychiatric disorders, and/or substance use disorders. PMHNs are versed in caring for patients with anxiety disorders, depression, eating disorders, PTSD, psychotic disorders, alcohol or drug abuse, and much more. Clearly, the very vulnerable people they’re working with make the job all the more sensitive. 

In addition to caring for the individuals, Psychiatric Nurses work with families, groups, and communities with one overarching goal: to ensure good patient outcomes and support their recovery. The role of a Mental Health Nurse is, thus, invaluable. PMNHs help patients cope when they are at their worst. They help patients manage symptoms, re-gain good living skills, and find their inner strength in the face of disorders and disabilities, which, at times, may seem unconquerable. 

Psychiatric Nurses are the second largest group of behavioral health professionals in the country. Even though they have more autonomy compared to other nurses, PMHNs do not work alone. They are often part of a larger healthcare team which includes physicians, psychiatrists, social workers, or other community or medical workforce members. 

Where Do Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses Work?

With a basic understanding of what Psychiatric Nurses are, we can move on to where they can find employment. 

The good news is that there is a wide variety of places and institutions that hire psychiatric nurses. With so many career options to choose from, you can pursue a work environment that best suits your personal requirements, your ambitions, and personality. Some of the most common work settings for PMHNs include:

• Hospitals
• Crisis intervention departments within mental health institutions
• Psychiatric emergency departments
• Acute psychiatric inpatient units
• Emergency rooms
• Women’s health medical institutions
• Community health centers
• Halfway houses
• Nursing homes
• Substance abuse treatment programs
• School-based services
• Private practices
• Academia (especially for Advanced Practice Nurses, such as Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners or Clinical Nurse Specialists)
• Forensic health institutions (within the criminal justice systems, there is a high rate of mental illness and/or disorders related to trauma)
• Disaster-associated mental health settings

Although these mentioned above are the most popular work settings for Psychiatric Nurses, other options are available to aspiring nurses on the lookout for Mental Health Nursing jobs. Notably, PMHNs can work in telehealth nursing services. 

Telehealth nursing has been gaining more ground in the last few years. It’s a valuable tool for offering psychiatric nursing care to people who need it most. Telemedicine, in general, comes with a higher degree of job flexibility. So, if this is something you look for in a job, then applying your psychiatric nursing skills in a telehealth environment might be a great career path for you. 

What Does a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Do?

Let’s take a closer look at the job duties and responsibilities of Psychiatric Nurses. However, what you do on the job is strongly tied to the level of education and expertise you bring to the table. That’s why we’ll examine what the duties of a Mental Health Registered Nurse are and, also, what does a Psychiatric Nurse Practioner do. 

Registered Nurses who work in psychiatric mental health nursing may have some of the following duties on a day-to-day basis: 

• Conduct an assessment of a patient’s status
• Conduct intake screenings, initial evaluation, and triage
• Provide nursing care following a treatment plan
• Administer medication and/or other treatment regimens
• Teach patients self-care activities
• Engage in crisis intervention and situation stabilization (when necessary)
• Educate patients on how to manage their condition
• Provide education to patients’ families and communities
• Work efficiently alongside other members of an interdisciplinary team

When it comes to Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners, the job description gets a little more complex. Their advanced education gives them a more complex scope of practice, allowing them a higher level of involvement. These are some of the tasks and responsibilities a Psychiatric NP might encounter on the job: 

• Conduction comprehensive assessments of a patient’s state
• Ordering and performing diagnostic tests
• Interpreting diagnostic tests
• Diagnosing and treating chronic or acute illnesses
• Providing clinical supervision to Registered Nurses, Psychiatric Nurse Assistants, and other members of the nursing staff. 
• Prescribing medication
• Performing certain procedures
• Making referrals to other professionals when the health problems encountered no longer fall within your scope of practice or expertise

How to Become a Mental Health Nurse?

There are several ways into a career within the mental health nursing field. The minimum schooling requirement is to become a licensed Registered Nurse, but what path you take to get there is entirely up to you. 

To become a Psychiatric Mental Health Registered Nurse, you have to take the following steps: 

• Enroll in a nursing program. 

Here you can choose one of the following options:

• An Associate’s Degree in Nursing. ADN programs usually take around two years and are the fastest track into a nursing career. 
• A Diploma in Nursing program. This type of program has been far less prevalent in the last few years. It is usually hospital-based and takes around three years to complete.
• A Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing program. A traditional BSN can be completed in around four years and is the most sought-after credential for nursing jobs. 
• An accelerated BSN program. This is an excellent option for aspiring nurses who already have a Bachelor’s degree in an unrelated field and would like to transition to a nursing career. 
• Nursing bridge programs. The most popular bridge program in the nursing field is the RN-to-BSN program. Suppose you started your career as an ADN or Diploma Registered Nurse, and you are ready to advance your education. In that case, you can opt to further your degree by enrolling in an RN-to-BSN program. Most of them, including the one offered by Nightingale College, are offered online, take less time than a traditional BSN, and are career-friendly. 

Learn more about the differences between accelerated nursing programs and bridge nursing programs. 

• Pass the NCLEX-RN and become a licensed Registered Nurse

Enrolling in a nursing program – and completing it – qualifies you to sit for the national nursing exam, the NCLEX-RN. This is an exhaustive test that tests your nursing knowledge and skills, critical thinking abilities, and apprehension of essential nursing concepts and principles. Passing the NCLEX is the final step to gaining nursing licensure and pursuing a job as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse. 

• Start looking for Psychiatric Nurse jobs

Now that you’ve obtained your RN license, it’s time to polish your nursing resume, prepare for interviews, and score that dream job.

• Consider certification

Seeking nursing certification is an entirely voluntary step for Registered Nurses, but it comes with plenty of benefits. Increased recognition among peers and enhanced nursing skills are just the tip of the iceberg.

If you would like to become a certified nurse within the mental health field, there are some requirements you have to meet. You need at least two years of practice as a full-time RN. You need to have clocked in at least 2,000 hours of clinical practice in psychiatric nursing, and you ought to have completed at least 30 hours of continuing education. Once you check these conditions, you can choose to obtain Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Certification (PMH-BC). This particular certification is offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

If you’re asking yourself How long does it take to become a Psychiatric Nurse?, the answer depends on whichever path you choose. It can be anywhere from two to four years if you’re after an RN psychiatric position. If you want to venture into advanced practice nursing and become a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, you’ll have to add at least extra two years of education to obtain your Master’s Degree in Nursing. 

What is the Job Outlook for Psychiatric Nurses?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the employment of Registered Nurses will grow 9% from 2020 to 2030. That adds up to around 194,500 job openings for RNs each year, on average, over the decade. 

While the BLS does not provide data specific to Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses, it is most likely that this profession will also experience an excellent job outlook. Data from the National Institute of Mental Health indicates that nearly one in five adults in the US lives with a mental illness. In 2019, around 51.5 million people had different mental illnesses and conditions that varied in severity, ranging from mild to moderate to severe. Out of the 51.5 million adults battling mental health problems in 2019, 23 million (approximately 45%) received mental health services.  

Clearly, there is a pressing need for mental health services, and Psychiatric Nurses play a vital role in this ecosystem. Moreover, as public awareness of mental health issues increases, more people will feel more comfortable asking for help. This will also lead to a boom in the demand for Psych Nurses. 

How Much Does a Psychiatric Nurse Make?

Psychiatric Nurses tend to earn fairly high salaries. Their wages will, of course, be determined by a variety of factors. Education, location, employer, and years of experience may be just some of the factors that influence the paycheck of a Mental Health Nurse. 

According to data gathered from ZipRecruiter, on average, a Psychiatric Nurse makes $79,007 a year. That is close to the average RN salary indicated by the BLS – $80,010.

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners, on the other hand, can expect to earn much higher salaries. According to the same job board, as of October 2021, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners make around $123,607 annually. 

What Are the Qualities of a Great Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse? 

It takes a special kind of person to succeed as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse. By now, you probably realize that this is a very sensitive, challenging job, so you need a set of skills to match. Undeniably, all nurses can benefit from these skills, but they are especially critical for Mental Health Nurses: 

• Compassion. The patient populations you will be caring for are some of the most vulnerable. Maybe they’ve been through war, like so many of the war heroes battling PTSD, or perhaps they’re fighting an internal war every day. You need to approach every individual with care, compassion, and empathy. In this position, you should let yourself be guided by kindness. 
• Be sympathetic and sensitive to people’s struggles. People with mental health problems or battling substance abuse are just as much worthy of a normal, healthy good life as everyone else. You can’t judge people and be good at this job. You can’t define people by their mental health condition. Seeing the human being in everyone and showing sensitivity when interacting with your patients is paramount in this profession. 
• Exceptional communication skills. Being able to communicate efficiently with patients is of utmost importance for Mental Health Nurses. You’ll have to help people through some of their most difficult times, and everything – from what you say to how you say it – will play a role in how effective the care you provide is. Therapeutic communication, communication directed towards problem-solving or diffusing stressful situations, excellent listening skills – all of these will be significant assets for PMHNs. 
• Relationship-building skills. A big part of this job relies on you being able to connect with your patients. You’ll only be able to provide the best care possible if you gain your patient’s trust. That’s not usually an easy task, but it’s essential. Getting to know your patient’s stories and building a relationship with them will come a long way.

Are You Ready to Be at the Forefront of Mental Healthcare?

With high salaries, good job prospects, and multiple ways of entry into the career, psychiatric nursing is an excellent career choice for aspiring nurses. Every day you go into work – whether in a hospital or community setting – you know that your care is directed towards some of the most vulnerable people. It’s gratifying to see that you help people gain or re-gain control of their lives and help them lead better lives. 

If you’re ready to pursue a career in mental healthcare, the time is now. 

Start by enrolling in Nightingale College’s BSN program and commence your journey towards the enriching nursing field of psychiatric care. 

If you’re already a Registered Nurse, Nightingale College’s RN-to-BSN program will help you get your skills to the next level. Be the best nurse you can be!

Demand for nurses is increasing significantly in the US. At the same time, many potential nurses are having second thoughts about pursuing a nursing career for one reason or another. It might take too long to get the credential. Or maybe they find that while they do share the nursing values entirely, they are not keen on the idea of working in a hospital. Perhaps they prefer more personalized interactions instead of caring for many patients in a hectic environment. 

So, many aspiring nurses would consider pursuing this career if it were possible to take a more non-traditional, non-bedside route. If they could choose an option in which they have more flexibility while following their calling: caring for people. 

If this description fits you, the good news is there are excellent nursing career options that don’t require you to work in a hospital. Home healthcare is one of them. It’s an extremely rewarding career that can allow you to fulfill your potential on your terms. 

In this guide to home health nursing, we’ll explore all the subtleties of a career in this area. Stick around for advice on how to become a Home Health Nurse, what the job description may entail, salary expectations, and much more.  

You may have a lot of questions about this career, and we’re here to answer all of them. 

How Do You Become a Home Health Nurse?

There are multiple pathways to a Home Health Nurse career. Whichever one you choose is primarily based on your objectives. Is it important to you to start working and earning money quickly? How much time are you willing to spend in nursing school? Would you rather have higher levels of autonomy and responsibility in your Home Health nursing practice, or would you prefer a more entry-level position? The answers to these questions will help you decide what’s the best route for you to take to become a Home Health Nurse. These are your options: 

• One year LPN Program
• One-to-two years ADN Program
• Two-to-four years BSN Program

The fastest way to enter a home health nursing position is by enrolling in a Licensed Practical Nurse program. LPN programs generally last approximately one year and prepare you to sit for the NCLEX-PN exam, the test you need to pass in order to gain PN licensure. 

Nightingale College’s Practical Nurse Diploma program provides you with the knowledge and skills needed to ace the exam. It will also teach you to demonstrate quality, competent, client-centered care – all invaluable assets in the home healthcare environment. 

If you know that nursing is your calling, then becoming a Registered Nurse might be the best way to move ahead in your career. You can gain RN licensure by enrolling in an Associate’s Degree Program or a Bachelor’s Degree program. After completing either of these nursing programs, you have one last hurdle: the NCLEX-RN. The NCLEX-RN is a comprehensive nursing exam that you must pass to become a licensed Registered Nurse. 

Home health nurse jobs are available to both ADN-trained nurses and BSN-trained nurses. However, take into account the fact that in the last years, BSN is increasingly becoming the golden standard in nursing practice. Since they are linked to better patient outcomes, it’s unsurprising that employers have a stronger preference for RNs with a Bachelor’s Degree under their belt. 

The blended BSN program offered by Nightingale College offers online didactic instruction and on-ground experiential learning. In as little as 32 months, you can become a Home Health Registered Nurse, ready to put your nursing skills and knowledge into practice. 

Suppose you pursued an ADN degree and are now at a point in your career where you want to advance your education. You want to reap the benefits of a BSN degree, or you’re ready to take on more responsibility in your job. The good news is you can do that reasonably quickly by enrolling in a bridge program. RN-to-BSN bridge programs, like the one offered by Nightingale College, are usually offered online and are 100% career friendly. Thus, you can pursue a more advanced nursing education without giving up your job. 

Once you become a Licensed Practical Nurse or a Licensed Registered Nurse, you’ll have the green light to go after home health nurse jobs. Certainly, the duties and responsibilities will differ depending on your education level. We’ll pick up that discussion in the next section. 

What Does a Home Health Nurse Do?

The fact that they work outside a hospital environment doesn’t make the Home Health Nurse’s job description less complex or important. The requirements, duties, and responsibilities associated with this nursing job are pillars that keep the home healthcare system stable. 

Home Health Nurses offer quality and expert nursing care to patients in their homes. Opting for home-based care is increasingly popular in a myriad of situations. Patients who underwent surgery or other medical procedures may require additional care even after being discharged from the medical facility – supplied by visits from Home Health Nurses. Patients who are recovering from accidents or injuries may also need in-home specialized nursing care. Home Health Nurses’ services can be employed in caring for the elderly, disabled people, or critically ill patients who want to manage their condition in a home environment. 

Generally, Home Care Nurses have the duty to perform regular visits to their patients’ homes and offer individualized nursing care. Their job doesn’t stop the minute they leave the patient’s house because a critical responsibility of Home Health Nurses is completing records of the care that was provided and sharing them with the doctor after the visit. How documentation is filed and kept might be subject to home health agency policy and procedure. 

Let’s see what some of the most common duties and responsibilities Home Health Nurses have to tackle on a daily basis are:

• Traveling to the patient’s home and managing their care plans, as advised by physicians or doctors in charge. 
• Monitoring vital signs and, when necessary, completing medical tests, such as blood pressure, glucose, urine, and stool tests.
• Administering medication per the physician’s instructions. 
• Inspecting wounds and changing bandages and dressings. 
• Ensuring the patient’s comfort, testing for bedsore, muscle weakness, and infections. 
• Helping patients with daily tasks, such as eating, bathing, grooming, and so on. 
• Educating the patients and the family on the care that the patient must receive. 
• Communicating effectively with the patient and their family, answering their questions, and helping them deal with the situation. 
• Compiling reports on the patient’s recovery and state to be shared with the physician. 
• Working closely with doctors and other healthcare professionals to devise home healthcare plans for patients, improved diets, or exercise routines. 

What Is a Home Health Nurse’s Salary?

The average pay for Home Health Nurses varies significantly due to a variety of factors. Education level, location, and years of experience are just some of the characteristics that can influence the size of your paycheck. 

For instance, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, home health and personal care aides (that don’t require any type of formal nursing education) earn on average $27,080. While there is no official data on the wages of Registered Nurses specializing in home healthcare, marketplace research shows that it’s much higher than that. 

Per ZipRecruiter data, as of October 2021, the mean salary for a Home Health Nurse in the United States was $68,885 a year. That divides up to average hourly pay of $33.12 an hour. 

You can expect to earn even more if you choose to combine travel and home health nursing. Home Health Travel Nurse earn an average annual salary of $84,699 a year. While travel nursing may not be everyone’s cup of tea, you will enjoy the home health travel nurse career path if you like the excitement of working in new places caring for different people.

Job Outlook for Home Health Nurses

The field of home health is projected to grow significantly over the next decade. As the baby-boom population ages and there are more elderly people, the demand for Home Care Nurses also increases. As a result, more older people, people with disabilities, and critically ill patients rely heavily on home care as an alternative to nursing homes or hospitals. 

More often, families would rather have their loved ones be cared for in the comfort and familiarity of their homes rather than other facilities. Also, relying on home care may be a cheaper alternative. Thus many patients reduce their medical expenses by returning to their home and receiving in-home care from a competent nurse.

All in all, this suggests an excellent job outlook for nurses considering to steer their careers in the home healthcare direction. 

What Skills and Qualities Must Home Health Nurse Have?

Nurses, in general, are some of the most caring and selfless people – that’s what makes them so great at their job. And a good nursing education ensures that you have the knowledge and technical know-how to succeed at your job. But specific skills will come a long way in your home care nurse position. It’s these skills that you should highlight in your nursing resume and demonstrate during your interview. 

In this section, we’ll talk about these essential qualities:

Detail-oriented. There’s plenty of rules and protocols you must adhere to as a Home Care Nurse to ensure that you offer the best care possible. You must carefully examine every aspect of your patient’s condition, environment, and progress. Thus, every little detail should be taken into consideration. 

Emotional resilience. Working in home health can be a highly stressful and emotional environment. Many of your patients might experience extreme pain and distress. And you need to be sensitive to their needs while ensuring that you don’t let yourself fall prey to burnout and emotional fatigue.  

Integrity. A home Health Nursing job requires you to be highly dependable and trustworthy. Your clients and their families need to know that they can count on you, on your skills and integrity. By letting you into their home, they let you into their lives, as well, and you need to treat this with utmost respect and professionalism. 

Interpersonal skills. This is one of the most important skills for Home Health Nurses. You need to communicate with your patients, with their families, with supervising doctors and other members of the healthcare team. Listening carefully, conveying information efficiently, and clearly explaining even the most complex of your nursing actions are vital assets for every aspiring home care nurse. 

Physical stamina. The job comes with its share of physical demands. You may have to be on your feet for long periods. The patient in your care may require lifting, turning, or moving around. You might have to move fairly heavy pieces of medical equipment. So, some physical strength will prove helpful. 

Why Should You Consider a Career in Home Healthcare?

Many aspiring nurses are excited at the prospect of caring for people and less excited about having to work in a hospital environment. Should you find yourself among these people, these are some of the reasons why home healthcare may be just the best career option for you:

You’ll have a flexible schedule, and you’re the one in charge of it. As a traditional hospital nurse, you have to adhere to certain shifts, specific work hours, and a rigorous pace of work. Home healthcare allows for a lot more flexibility. Even if you work with a home healthcare agency, generally, you get to choose what shifts you work. Instead of being in the same unit all day, you may have to drive from one appointment to another. 

In addition to the flexibility, a career in home healthcare comes with greater autonomy and independence. Most likely, you will be a part of a larger healthcare team and act under the supervision of a physician. However, since you will be the only one at home with the patient, you’ll have to be able to act quickly and independently. As a visiting nurse, you need to display strong critical thinking. With greater autonomy comes greater responsibility. 

One of the most significant benefits of pursuing a job in home healthcare is the possibility of creating long-lasting, rewarding relationships with your patients. You’ll be spending more time with the patient and their family. You’ll learn more about their story; you might form more meaningful connections than it would be possible in the fast-paced environment of a hospital. Many nurses cherish precisely this aspect of working in-home healthcare. 

Are You Ready to Become a Home Health Nurse? 

Home Healthcare Nurses play an invaluable role in the health ecosystem. Their care and expertise applied to a non-traditional nursing setting lead to better outcomes for their clients. Patients can get the care they need and deserve right at home, away from the cold fluorescent lights of hospital rooms. 

If you love everything about nursing and want nothing else other than help people to the best of your ability, then home healthcare might be the best career choice. Regardless of whether you’re just getting started or switching careers, you’ll discover that being a Home Health Nurse is one of the most rewarding nursing paths. Every in-person visit is your chance to make a difference. 

Are you excited about taking your talents into home healthcare?

Enroll in Nightingale Colleges LPN program for the fastest way into a home healthcare job. 

Join our RN-to-BSN program if you’re ready to move ahead in your career. 

Some aspiring nurses know right away that they want to dedicate their professional lives to bringing new life into the world. When it comes down to it, they love babies above all else, so they don’t envision themselves doing anything else but care for the little ones. Other nurses look at jobs more pragmatically. They find the idea of working with pregnant women and newborns tempting because it is a smart career choice. Some RNs may feel like it’s time to take a different direction in terms of career. Thus, they’re turning their attention to working with newborns – a rewarding career.

Regardless of what group you belong to, you are here because you want to learn more about labor and delivery nursing. As far as RN specialties go, this one fits your goals perfectly. So, naturally, you are eager to learn everything there is to know about a career as a Labor and Delivery Nurse.

If you want to learn more, you have come to the right place. This article offers a comprehensive overview of labor and delivery nursing as a potential career. From clarifying what it is exactly that L&D nurses do and what sets them apart from other types of nurses to addressing things like schooling, salary, and job outlook, you will find answers to all your Labor and Delivery-related questions in our guide. 

Let’s jump right in. 

What is a Labor and Delivery Nurse?

Labor and Delivery nursing, sometimes also referred to as L&D nursing, is a sub-division of Obstetrics nursing. Professionals choosing this career path work closely with physicians or Nurse-Midwives. As part of the care team attending to mother and baby during the delivery process, L&D RNs play an invaluable role. They care for the mother (and then the baby) from admission to discharge. They are present in the delivery room, caring for the childbearing woman every step of the way.

Labor and Delivery RNs will coach the mother through contractions, help her breathe when the pain seems unbearable, cheer and encourage her throughout travail. They will be the right hand of the doctor delivering the baby, assisting in any way possible. Moreover, L and D nurses will also care for the newborn immediately after birth. In some cases, they may care for both mother and baby until they are discharged. 

Thus, the Labor and Delivery Nurse is a vital link in the delivery process. Their contribution and expertise make the miracle of childbirth happen. On top of that, their care and advice can help women navigate the first days of their lives as mothers with more confidence and light-heartedness. 

In short, as a Labor and Delivery Nurse, you are the family’s source of information and advice. For the mother giving birth, you are a shoulder to lean on, a source of support and encouragement. You can make the birthing experience more rewarding and less painful even with the smallest gestures. Whether it’s hand-holding, giving the patient extra blankets, or helping them fight nausea – even the tiniest gestures can improve how childbirth goes. And mothers won’t forget it. 

What Do Labor and Delivery Nurses Do?

The L&D job description may vary slightly depending on the institution where you work, the amount of experience you have in your field, and the level of education and training you have. But there are some common Labor and Delivery Nurse job responsibilities that you can expect to encounter if you direct your career in this direction. 

Some of the duties of a Labor and Delivery Nurse include:

• Assess the needs of the patient during childbirth
• Monitor the vitals of the expecting mother. This may include checking blood pressure levels, the timing of contractions, heart rate, and more.
• Provide fetal assessments and monitoring
• Provide physical, emotional, or medicinal support (medicinal under the instructions of a physician or midwife)
• Administering epidurals if the expectant mother chooses this option
• If the birth needs to be induced, you’ll have to administer the medication and provide support
• Prepare the expectant mother for a C-section procedure if the situation requires it
• Educate the patient about medications, the delivery process, pushing, and so on. 
• Provide postpartum care and advice. For example, should the new mother need a lactation consultant, you can connect her with a specialist. 
• Collaborate efficiently with the whole care team: this may include physicians, Nurse Midwife, Nurse Anesthetist, Charge Nurse, Lactation Nurse.
• Chart procedures accurately and enter patient data in Electronic Health Records.
• Educate the family on how to care for the infant. 

Being an L and D nurse comes with an exhaustive job description. No two days on the job are going to be the same because each pregnancy and delivery is different. Expectant mothers have different needs and different attitudes. Each birth is a special case in its own right. So, it’s crucial to be prepared for everything. You need to be able to anticipate and deal with any situation that may occur in the delivery room. That’s why you need to be well prepared for the job. 

In the next section, we’ll discuss how to become a labor and delivery nurse. We’ll cover education requirements, schooling, and additional training. 

How to Become a Labor and Delivery Nurse?

The most important nurse education requirement you need to fulfill in order to become a Labor and Delivery nurse is to obtain licensure as a Registered Nurse. 

There are three main education routes to becoming a licensed RN. You can get an ADN degree, enroll in a diploma program, or earn a BSN in nursing. The most common ways are, by far, the ADN and BSN paths. 

An Associate’s degree in nursing is the fastest way to become a Labor and Delivery Nurse. It takes around two years to complete this degree. This is a great option for nurses who need to start working as soon as possible. If at any point in your career you want to advance your education, you can do so through a bridge program. RN-to-BSN programs are common and convenient. Most of them are available online and offer a flexible schedule, making it possible to keep working while studying to get your Bachelor’s Degree. Nightingale College’s RN-to-BSN program is career-friendly and will prepare you exhaustively for a nursing career in your specialty of choice. 

If you enroll in a traditional Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing, expect to spend around four years in school. BSN degrees take longer to obtain, but the benefits they come with are worth the extra schooling time. First of all, more time spent learning will help you become a better nurse. Many studies show a positive correlation between BSN RNs, better patient outcomes, fewer failure to rescue instances, and improved patient satisfaction. Likewise, a BSN degree will open the door to more and better-paid job opportunities. 

At Nightingale College, prospective learners can enroll in a blended BSN program that combines online didactic instruction with on-ground experiential learning. You’ll advance your nursing skills in as little as 32 months, allowing you to start your journey towards labor and delivery nursing sooner.

Regardless of what schooling path you choose, becoming a Labor and Delivery Nurse is still a fair amount of work. The nursing education needed before embracing an L&D career will take anywhere from two to four years. If you want to advance your training, you’ll need to count in an additional two years of bedside nursing before you can apply for certification. 

Becoming a Certified Labor and Delivery Nurse is entirely voluntary. However, certification is not only validation of your skills as an L&D RN. It’s also a ticket to higher wages, promotions, and better benefits. 

Learn more about the advantages of becoming a certified nurse. 

Some certifications that will boost your expertise level and L and D nursing prospects are Inpatient Obstetric Nursing Certification, Electronic Fetal Monitoring Certification, and Neonatal Resuscitation Certification. 

For more information on all the steps of becoming a Labor and Delivery Nurse explore our guide on the subject. 

Where Do Labor and Delivery Nurses Work?

Labor and Delivery Nurses can work in a variety of healthcare settings. Most L&D RNs can find employment in the delivery units of private or public hospitals, freestanding birthing centers, or private practice offices. In some cases, Labor and Delivery Nurses may need to attend home births. 

No matter what work setting you are hired in, the environment will be fairly similar everywhere. Excitement, expectation, mixed in with the screaming and pain of childbirth make for a unique, loud, and enthralling workstation. 

What Are the Differences Between L&D Nurses and Nurse-Midwives?

People often confuse the roles of Labor and Delivery Nurses and Nurse-Midwives or assume they are one and the same. That is not the case. While there are some similarities with these nursing roles, there are also many differences that set the professions apart. 

Let’s start with the things they have in common. Both Labor and Delivery Nurses and Certified Nurse-Midwives work with expectant mothers and newborns. They care for pregnant women, attend deliveries, and offer support and education on how to care for infants. 

The differences between L&D Nurses and CNMs are important to mention. Being Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, Nurse-Midwives have a far more extensive scope of practice and more autonomy. They care for women during labor, but they are involved in caring for the expectant mothers before delivery, as well. CNMs take care of the pregnant woman throughout the course of the pregnancy, which is not a responsibility shared by Labor and Delivery Nurses. Nurse-Midwives can also offer preconception counseling, prescribe medications, and perform routine gynecological examinations. 

For most Certified Nurse Midwives, working in Labor and Delivery is the first step in their career. They gain experience in the delivery room and after a few years, go back to school, earn their Master’s Degree (which is a requirement for becoming an APRN), and start working as a CNM.  

How Much Do Labor and Delivery Nurses Make?

A career in labor and delivery nursing is rewarding. You get to do what you love, you help bring life into the world, and day-in and day-out, you put smiles on your patients’ faces. But as significant as job satisfaction and professional fulfillment are, they don’t pay the bills. That’s why before starting a job you also ask: how much do labor and delivery nurses make?

According to data from the online job board platform, ZipRecruiter, Labor and Delivery Nurses make annually around $99,040. That is a higher salary compared to the wages all Registered Nurses earn. Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary of RNs is $80,010. 

The L&D nurse salary will be influenced by more factors that range from location and employer to schooling, qualifications, and certifications. 

What Is the Job Outlook for the Profession?

In addition to earning higher-than-average salaries, Labor and Delivery Nurses also enjoy excellent job prospects. This job will always be in demand, so L&D Nurses can feel pretty confident in their job’s security. There were over 3,6 million births in the United States in 2020 and Labor and Delivery Nurses play an essential role in a big part of them. With more babies being born and mothers in need of care, the L&D role will not lose weight any time soon. 

What Skills Do L&D Nurses Need?

Now that you’ve gone through the logistic aspects of the job, one question remains: Do I have what it takes? There are some skills you must command to be a successful Labor and Delivery Nurse. 

Excellent communication skills are definitely at the top of the list. You need to communicate clearly with the pregnant woman from the moment she enters through the hospital doors until she is discharged. You need to listen carefully to her needs, coach her through the labor process, encourage, and support her as she delivers the baby. You also ought to communicate successfully with family members who are ready to meet the newborn for the very first time. And, of course, you work as a part of the team, so you are expected to communicate clearly with nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals. 

Being calm and composed is also a game-changer for L&D nurses. The delivery ward is a dynamic work environment, with many people moving in and out, with mothers experiencing contractions, family members waiting to hear any news, nurses running around. Everything moves at a rapid pace and you need to keep up. But at the same time, you need to be the rock that childbearing mothers know is there even in the midst of this storm. 

You need to display emotional strength. Labor and delivery nursing is a beautiful and rewarding career, but it won’t always be all smiles and rainbows. You may encounter heartbreaking developments, pregnancies that don’t end with a crying little bundle of joy on the mother’s chest, or complications that change the entire ‘happy pregnancy’ narrative. In these moments, you need to show strength, empathy, and kindness. 

You need to be a pro at managing stress. Stress is a part of any nurse’s job and, if not managed effectively, it will lead to dissatisfaction and burnout. To combat burnout, you need to learn to prioritize your health and wellbeing, not only your patients. Don’t let stress suck the joy out of a job you love so much. 

Are You Ready to Embrace an L&D Career? 

Nurses who love working with babies and expectant mothers will find a perfect match in labor and delivery nursing. It would be hard to find a more deeply rewarding career. If the idea of working in L&D fills your heart with excitement, take the first step today. 

Enroll in Nightingale College’s BSN program or advance your education with our online RN-to-BSN degree. 

The sky is the limit. When it comes to nursing, we’re not only speaking metaphorically. With the right education, training, and skills, you can take your career to the skies and become a Flight Nurse. 

Flight nursing is a highly competitive specialty in the nursing field. It is characterized by the unconventionality of the work environment, the high-pressure job description, and the significant amount of responsibility it entails. But for the aspiring nurses who love a dynamic workplace and are ready to get out of their comfort zone, flight nursing might be an alluring job. 

This guide aims to break down this unique nursing role and give you a complete overview of flight nursing as a career path. Among other things, we’ll shine some light on the requirements you have to fulfill, what training is necessary, and how much you can expect to earn. 

What Is a Flight Nurse?

Flight Registered Nurses, sometimes also called Transport Nurses or Helicopter Nurses, are highly prepared healthcare professionals who offer medical care during aircraft transportation. 

In some situations, mere minutes can make the difference between life and death. Thus, transfer time plays a critical role in the effectiveness and quality of care a patient may receive. A valuable way to reduce patient transfer time significantly is air transport. Major medical facilities and trauma centers specifically have the infrastructure to receive critically ill or severely injured patients via aeromedical transport. Flight Nurses play a crucial part in the aeromedical team stabilizing the patients during transit. Their skills, care, and expertise are needed to guarantee that patients safely reach the hospital where they can receive more advanced care. 

Transport RNs also aid with evacuating critically injured patients from dangerous or disastrous situations. Additionally, should there be prospects of better care at institutions located in other states or countries, Flight Nurses help transfer people who are severely ill between medical facilities.

The extremely high-pressure environment in which Flight Nurses work implies slightly different rules than traditional care in a medical facility. At a certain altitude, even the most minor bubble in a patient’s bloodstream can prove dangerous. Flight Nurses have to account for extra layers of responsibility every time they set foot onboard the emergency aircraft.

What Does a Flight Nurse Do?

Overall, Flight RNs’ job description is similar to that of a Registered Nurse, with one major distinction. They offer critical care in the air. In this section, we’ll explore the variety of flight nursing duties and responsibilities. So, let’s see what flight nurses do on a typical day on the job.

Most often, patients transported via aircraft are in a critical state and in dire need of emergency care. RNs onboard make sure they get it. The type of emergency care they have to provide will vary from one patient to another. Still, it can include everything from first aid treatment to resuscitation. 

The job of the Flight RN starts at the trauma site. First and foremost, they must secure the patient to avoid them being jostled around the aircraft during takeoff, transit, and landing. That’s done by strapping patients to gurneys, which are then, in turn, bound to the inside of the aircraft. With the patients secure, nurses start making quick decisions regarding the direction of care they will provide en route to the hospital. It may include starting IV lines, administering medication, performing CPR, resuscitation, or other procedures. In addition to the specific clinical nursing duties, Flight RNs must also do their best to keep the patients calm and conscious for the duration of the flight. They should also provide patients with as much comfort as possible given the generally uncomfortable aircraft conditions in which they are being transported. 

The job of the Flight Nurse isn’t limited to the flight alone. Once they make it to the destination, an essential duty Transport RNs have is to transfer patients to awaiting medical staff on-ground. In the process, they ought to give clear yet comprehensive updates of the patient’s condition. They also have to report the problems that may have occurred and the medical treatment administered during the transport. 

In some instances, instead of trauma sites, Flight Nurses will assist with moving critically ill patients from one institution to another. Here, they are responsible for the paperwork and all the patient data making it to the receiving institution while also ensuring the patient’s safety during the high-risk flight. 

Sometimes, Air Transport Nurses may be the only medical personnel on board. The broader level of autonomy also means that, in extreme cases, you must be able to handle pressure, think fast on your feet, and make life or death decisions. However, Transport RNs will primarily work as part of a team, being aided by Flight Paramedics. 

How Do You Become a Flight Nurse?

Becoming a Flight Nurse is no easy feat. It requires a lot of schooling, training, and a certain amount of hands-on work experience. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves and start with the education requirements for a career in flight nursing. 

To pursue a career as a Flight Nurse, the first and most crucial step is to become a licensed Registered Nurse. You can obtain RN licensure either through an Associate’s Degree, a Diploma Program, or a Bachelor’s Degree. 

All three options are viable paths to becoming a licensed RN. Still, the overwhelming majority of healthcare employers ask for a Bachelor’s Degree as the minimum requirement for positions in flight nursing. 

A traditional BSN program takes about four years to complete, and it prepares learners holistically for a nursing career. This credential is the benchmark for nursing education; so it’s increasingly preferred by employers in the healthcare industry. 

Nightingale College’s BSN program is designed to advance your nursing skills to the highest level in around 32 months. Additionally, this is a blended program that combines online didactic instruction with on-ground supervised field experience. Thus, you get the flexibility of online education and the vital addition of hands-on experience. 

If you are already an ADN-trained Registered Nurse and are ready to get your career off the ground – literally – you can opt for an RN-to-BSN program. Bridge programs allow you to get your BSN degree faster. You can also keep working while pursuing this degree. 

Nightingale College’s RN-to-BSN degree program is entirely online and career-friendly. It can be completed in as little as 12 months or three semesters. 

Another flight nurse requirement is having some work experience under your belt. Usually, Air Transport RNs have to work for at least three to five years in a bedside clinical setting before pursuing a career in flight nursing. Also, nurses who have work experience in the Intensive Care Unit, Critical Care, or the Emergency Room will have the edge over their competition. 

Do You Need Any Certifications to Become a Flight Nurse?

In addition to a BSN education, Flight Nurses will most likely be required to seek certification, as well. Certified Flight Registered Nurses have additional proof that they are ready to tackle any emergency situation and care for even the most vulnerable and critical patients. Certifications validate a nurse’s extensive knowledge and training. They are an incredible asset for RNs interested in a flight nursing career. 

Learn more about the benefits of becoming a Certified Nurse.

Some of the top nursing certifications aspiring Flight RNs should consider are: 

• BLS – Basic Life Support
• ACLS – Advanced Cardiac Life Support
• CFRN – Certified Flight Registered Nurse
• TPATC – Transport Professional Advanced Trauma Course

The most important certification for Flight RNs is the CFRN, offered by the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing. To become a BCEN Certified Flight Nurse, you need to have an unencumbered RN license. Two years of work experience in your specialty are highly recommended but not required. 

Find out what are the top nursing certifications that will get your career to soar in 2022!

What Is the Average Salary of a Flight Nurse?

One of the questions that will pop up during your career planning process is How much does a Flight Nurse Make? 

According to ZipRecruiter data, Flight Nurses earn on average $81,100. In general, the majority of Flight Nurse salaries range between $64,000 and $99,000. These wages are slightly higher than the median salary of Registered Nurses, which, as reported by the BLS, stand at $80,010. 

How much money you make as a Flight Nurse will be dictated by several factors. Some of these are location, employer, years of experience, and the credentials or certifications you’ve acquired. 

Where to Find Flight Nurse Jobs

If a conventional work environment has always seemed uninteresting to you, you have found your match in flight nursing. There are two main career trajectories you could pursue for flight nursing jobs: the civilian path and the military path. 

If you go for the civilian path, you can find employment at private or public hospitals, clinics, or trauma centers. You’ll often be involved with moving patients to facilities better equipped to offer them care. You might be working with organ donations, being responsible for moving organs that might save someone’s life between medical institutions. In emergencies, your care will be required on trauma sites. Car crashes, natural disasters, drownings, gunshots are just a few of the plethora of reasons you may be called to offer care by air transportation. 

The military path, on the other side, has a very different scope of practice. As a Military Flight Nurse, you’ll have to be enlisted in the Air Force. Army Flight Nurses will often care for military members who’ve suffered battle injuries. Your duties will include transporting injured patients from battlefields or other dangerous situations to other medical facilities, like field hospitals. 

Regardless of the path you choose, the workplace remains unconventional. Helicopters, fixed-wing planes, and jets are going to become your workstation. What kind of air ambulance you will work on depends mainly on the situation and scope of your practice. Helicopters are used to transport critical trauma patients, especially when timeliness determines chances of survival. Airplanes are used when patients need to be moved across borders for the possibility of better care in another state or country. 

What Skills Should a Flight Nurse Have?

To succeed as a Flight Nurse, you have to master a mix of skills that range from highly clinical, hard skills to soft, interpersonal abilities. 

Above all, you do need to have advanced nursing knowledge. Knowing how to offer advanced life support, cardiac care, operating ventilators, defibrillators, intravenous therapy, and possessing many other clinical skills is paramount for being good at this job.

You also need excellent communication skills. You have to gather information from crash sites, communicate with members of the medical team at receiving facilities, with pilots, paramedics, and everyone else involved in emergency air transportation. 

Your ability to deal with stress and keep calm even in the most pressing situations needs to be off the roof. You’ll often encounter demanding circumstances, and you need to have the emotional resilience to deal with them. 

You ought to be confident in your knowledge, training, and abilities. Chances are, sometimes you will be the only medically trained professional on board, and you’ll have to make decisions about the course of care. You can’t be hesitant in situations where every second can mean the difference between life and death. 

You’ll also need physical endurance. Flight nursing as a career can take a toll on your physical state. You may have to lift patients, move debris, you might have to sit in uncomfortable positions for long periods of time. 

Emotional strength is also essential. You’ll be exposed to many traumatic experiences throughout the course of your flight nursing career. You cannot let the trauma, suffering, and pain affect your wellbeing. 

The ceaseless desire to keep learning and improving is one of the skills that differentiate good nurses from great nurses. As an RN, you’re never really done studying. The healthcare field is constantly changing and advancing, and you need to do your best to keep up. That’s why willingness to attain new skills and knowledge may be one of the most important skills of all. Pursuing nursing continuing education, seeking certifications, and advancing your degree are just a few ways to ensure you never stop learning and improving.

Are You Ready to Take Your Career to New Heights?

Flight Nursing is certainly one of the most exciting and unique nursing careers. It’s a dynamic work environment, a job that offers a competitive salary and a high level of nurse autonomy. Still, providing critical care in the air is not for the faint of heart. It takes a highly-trained, well-educated, strong, confident, and committed nurse to succeed in this career. It may be challenging, but it will never be boring. 

If the thought of a career as a Flight Nurse excites you, then what are you waiting for? 

Advance your education and let your career soar. Enroll in our online RN-to-BSN program and prove that, really, the sky is the limit!