Cruise Ship Nurse Salary, Requirements, and Duties
Table Of Content
That means that if you are a fresh graduate, you need to have a land-based nursing job first, for two to three years, to be eligible to apply for a cruise ship nurse position. On average, entry-level nurses on cruise ships can earn anywhere between $2,500 to $3,500 per month. As nurses gain experience and move up in rank, their salaries can range from $3,500 to $7,000 per month or more. Chief Nurses or Head Nurses, who hold higher-ranking positions within the medical department, may earn even higher salaries.
Cruise Ship Job: Nurse
Medical teams arrange evacuation and transport to higher-level facilities in serious emergencies. Missionary nurses travel overseas to deliver nursing care and Christian counseling. See how you can become a missionary nurse and learn more about what they do.
Cruise Ship Nurse Salary: How Much Do Cruise Ship Nurses Make?
Many RNs who choose to work as cruise ship nurses are motivated primarily by the opportunity to travel and the flexibility of short-term contracts. To be more specific on the difference in salaries, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2012 showed that nurses working in typical medical set-ups receive an average monthly salary of $5500. In the same year, nurses working on cruise ships got a monthly salary ranging between $4200 and $4900. The chief nurses in the cruise ship earn more with their salary ranging from $4800 to $5800.
Challenges and Considerations for Nurses Working on Cruise Ships
Cruise ship nurse salary depends on the size of the ship and the number of passengers, as well as the professional’s level of nursing experience and scope of authority. A popular recruiter for cruise positions reports starting salaries for cruise ship nurses between $4,200 and $4,900 per month. In addition to that, you need to have at least two to three years of working experience as a nurse. Your nursing experience must also include giving acute or emergency care to patients.
Staff Nurse
If an RN has worked in emergency rooms and intensive care units, they have likely gotten used to long shifts and irregular hours. Don’t expect to enter this field right after finishing nursing school. Most cruise lines require two or more years of clinical experience and some employers only hire RNs with at least one year of experience in acute care or emergency settings. Advanced practice nurses with a master’s degree and specialty certifications will find more prospects.
How much does a RN make on a cruise ship?
Why becoming a cruise ship nurse might be the job for you - The Atlanta Journal Constitution
Why becoming a cruise ship nurse might be the job for you.
Posted: Tue, 03 Jan 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
RNs make median salaries of $77,600 per year, according to the BLS, and job listings posted on sites like ZipRecruiter offer annual salaries ranging from $39,000-$105,500. Nurse practitioners (NPs) can treat patients with more independence, often without direct physician supervision. To start your nursing journey, check out the BSN Program at Unitek College.
Knowledge and attention to detail are vital to their success at sea. Cruise Ship Nurses should be empathetic when they work with patients. In addition, they need emotional resilience due to human suffering, emergencies, and other stressors. Onboard the ships, diverse passengers are brought together in crowded, semi-enclosed areas. Schedules, assignments, and priorities may change, so a good cruise nurse will be able to roll with the waves.
Acquire experience as an RN
Average monthly salary ranges from $4,800 to $6,000, reflecting the leadership role they hold within the medical department. Nurse practitioners take on a broader role, able to stand in for the doctor and prescribe medications. They maintain injury and illness logs and ensure that first aid supplies are well-stocked on the ship and lifeboats. Nurse Practitioners contribute significantly to the medical team’s capabilities. To effectively treat patients at sea, Cruise Ship Nurses must possess strong critical-thinking skills. They will need to quickly assess changes in the health status of each patient, determining when to take corrective action or consult their team.
Cruise Ship Nurse Salary
Also, they will likely be on call for emergencies during their time off. Nurses who have worked in critical care units such as the CVICU or ICU will be more desirable candidates for cruise ship nurse positions. Also, nurses who speak other languages will be helpful to the medical team. This nurse is in the lead for the entire nursing staff and answers directly to the ship doctor. At least three years clinical experience is required for this position. The chief nurse is in charge of the daily operation of the infirmary and also handles administrative duties such as maintaining patient records, monitoring inventory, and equipment checks.
These nurses work with small healthcare teams to provide an array of services, like routine wellness checks and emergency management. Cruise ship nurses hold either RN or APRN licenses, which determines how much cruise ship nurses can earn. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), RNs make average median salaries of $77,600 and NPs earn $120,680. ZipRecruiter reports as of September 2022 that cruise ship nurse salaries range from $39,000-$105,500. Salaries go further on cruise ships because lodging and meals are included with the job. Nursing school graduates must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for RNs (NCLEX-RN) to earn their RN licenses.
Similar to their land-based counterparts, cruise ship nurses also work 12-hour shifts. However, the days off are rotated among them to ensure that there are always a few nurses onboard a cruise ship. It’s important to keep in mind that these figures are just averages, and actual salaries may vary depending on the specific cruise line, location, ship size, and individual negotiations. While on-duty, cruise ship nurses carry phones or walkie-talkies to respond to the crews’ needs.
In such a case, when the patient needs to be transferred by airlift to be given further medical attention in a hospital, a cruise ship nurse stays by the patient’s side for the ride. When it comes to determining the salaries of nurses on cruise ships, several factors come into play. Understanding these factors can help give you a better idea of what to expect in terms of compensation in this unique work environment.
As their name says, Cruise Ship Nurses work on large boats at sea. Their contracts typically range from 12 weeks to six months on a cruiseliner. Many cruise lines maintain facilities that range from walk-in clinics to fully equipped medical facilities that can handle emergency or trauma injuries. Sarah S. Falcone, BSN, RN, is a professional Registered Nurse and freelance health content writer in Fort Worth, TX. Sarah is a passionate advocate for moving advanced levels of care to the home, where her clients can safely receive the medical treatments they need with greater satisfaction and comfort. She focuses on patient experience, outcomes, and advancing clinical models using innovative technology to serve patients better.
Cruise ship nurses must have the skills and temperament to handle unexpected situations. These might be disease outbreaks, injuries from accidents, and the occasional life-threatening emergency that requires an airlift to transfer patients onshore to medical facilities. Another thing that cruise ship nurses like about their job is that they get a few weeks off when their contract has ended. Thus, they get to have more time for rest and relaxation during this time off. Being a cruise ship nurse is a great way to spend your single years as you have all the time and freedom in the world to devote to your career. On the cruise ship, you will get a wonderful opportunity to meet people from different walks of life.
You get the chance to speak with interesting people whom you may even befriend. Perhaps the best advantage is that you get by becoming one is that you get to travel the world while making money. On your days off, you can freely explore the port city where the cruise ship is currently docked in. Since cruise ships dock in many port cities, you get to go to different cities too.
Comments
Post a Comment