Cruise Ship Nurse: What Are the Jobs, Duties, and Requirements?

Table Of Content

• Cruise Ship Chief / Senior Doctor
• Learn how to specialize as a Cruise Ship Nurse, including the education and certifications you’ll need
• Cruise Ship Medical Jobs - Nurse, Doctor and Paramedic Positions
• Cruise Ship Nurse Salary: How Much Do Cruise Ship Nurses Make?
• Cruise Ship Jobs - Nurse Jobs
• Onboarding Process
• Lead/ Chief Nurse

Integrity Network members typically work full time in their industry profession and review content for NurseJournal.org as a side project. All Integrity Network members are paid members of the Red Ventures Education Integrity Network. Accepting an offer of employment, and all terms of and conditions, will allow us to start the onboarding process. As these next steps typically take place locally in your country of residence, your application may be handled by one of our local offices. We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps and external Video providers.

Cruise Ship Chief / Senior Doctor

The Paramedic is a part of the medical team aboard a cruise ship and works alongside experienced nurses and doctors. Working as a nurse on a cruise ship requires dedication, precision and experience. Working closely with your medical colleagues, you will provide both in and out patient care. Outpatient encompasses minor illnesses, respiratory and gastro-intestinal infections, minor skin complaints and accidental injuries. The Nurse Practitioner provides medical care to both passengers and crew members plus performing administrative duties in the Medical Clinic aboard the cruise ship.

Learn how to specialize as a Cruise Ship Nurse, including the education and certifications you’ll need

Mid-forties : Looking for a Specialty to Grow Old In - allnurses

Mid-forties : Looking for a Specialty to Grow Old In.

Posted: Sat, 12 Mar 2016 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Cruise ship life is very exciting and visiting awesome locations around the world is just one of the many benefits of working on a cruise ship. If this is your first time going to work on a cruise ship, you might be wondering what you need to pack for a cruise ship contract. With a monthly salary averaging between $4,500 and $5,200, Nurse Practitioners contribute significantly to the medical team’s capabilities.

Cruise Ship Medical Jobs - Nurse, Doctor and Paramedic Positions

Although the BLS doesn’t report job outlook data specifically for Cruise Ship Nurses, they project that employment of all Registered Nurses will grow by 6% from 2021 to 2031. This means that over 200,000 job openings will become available each year. Some of the demand is due to the ongoing nursing shortage, while additional jobs will be created by those who transfer to different occupations or retire from the workforce.

Cruise Ship Nurse Salary: How Much Do Cruise Ship Nurses Make?

Nursing school graduates must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for RNs (NCLEX-RN) to earn their RN licenses. Cruise lines often require experience in acute, emergency, or intensive care units and advanced cardiac life support certification. Some employers prefer to hire RNs with bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degrees, and RN-to-BSN bridge programs can accelerate the path to a bachelor’s. Depending on the employer, cruise ship nurses can make up to $5,000 a month.

Earning a nursing degree, passing the NCLEX-RN exam, and getting licensed can take between 2-4 years. Most cruise ships require RNs to complete at least two years of clinical experience after receiving their nursing degree. Some employers only hire nurses with two or more years experience in acute care and emergency care settings. The ship's nurse is an experienced Registered Nurse (RN) responsible to provide appropriate day-to-day health care to passengers and crew members aboard the cruise ship. The cruise ship nurse reports and works under the direction of the ship's lead nurse, ship's physician and ship's chief doctor.

Onboarding Process

Once you’ve graduated from your nursing program, you’ll prepare for and take the NCLEX-RN exam (National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses) to become licensed as an RN. This exam is administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). Their website offers candidates information about the exam, its format, and study aids to help you prepare for the exam. 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. While shifts can run between hours, many Cruise Ship Nurses rotate with other medical staff, allowing them to have scheduled time off both on board and on land.

All ships have a well-equipped shipboard medical centre and all members of the healthcare team pride themselves on delivering patient-centric, evidence-based healthcare to guests and crew. Nurses who routinely work assignments on yachts and cruise lines find the work fun and adventurous. While this day-on-stay-on work may not be for all nurses, those with wanderlust and experience in emergency nursing or ICU nursing may find this an exciting career path.

If you’re a Registered Nurse (RN) or nursing student who would like to travel, a career as a Cruise Ship Nurse could be the perfect solution for you. Not only will you receive a paycheck and voyages to worldwide destinations, but you will have the unique opportunity to live at sea, save on living expenses, and avoid the 9-to-5 lifestyle. Nurse practitioners (NPs) can treat patients with more independence, often without direct physician supervision. Find out what makes this career path special and how to become a travel nurse. The working shifts for medical staff are shifts of 12 hours, 12 hours on duty followed by 12 hours off. Additionally, becoming a Nurse Practitioner would also open more doors.

You will be flown from your nearest international airport to an airport close to where the ship is docked. This guide covers the states, cities, specializations, and workplaces that offer the highest pay for RNs. 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. Nurses can opt for industry-specific training from organizations like the Institute of Cruise Ship Medicine.

Very experienced RNs may find staff positions on privately owned luxury yachts, meeting the healthcare needs of a small number of guests. While salaries tend to run higher than cruise ship nursing, nurses working on yachts may have to perform supplemental duties as stewards, housekeepers, or deckhands. You can also contact employment agencies that specialize in placing cruise ship medical personnel. Employers are particularly interested in hiring RNs with experience in emergency medicine, intensive care, or other acute care settings. Speaking a language in addition to English will boost your chances to land a position. While licensing requirements differ across the states, all nurses are responsible for keeping their licenses current.

Promote excellence in nursing by enabling future and current nurses with the education and employment resources they need to succeed. If you meet the basic requirements of a nurse at sea and you’re ready to start applying, you’ll need to do the following. Learn how to become a registered nurse, whether you are straight out of high school or have taken some college courses.

You need to pass a multiple-choice exam and fulfill practice requirements to get these certifications. The ship nurse reports and works under the direction of the ship's lead nurse, ship's physician and ship's chief doctor. Cruise Ship Nurses provide one-on-one medical care for guests or crew members on the ship. Typically, Cruise Ship Nurses are part of a small but efficient team who cares for everyone on the boat.

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. The Chief Doctor/ Physician is the highest ranking Medical Officer and a head of the Medical Department aboard the ship. He/ she oversees and supervises the work activities of the ship's physician, lead nurse, nurse practitioners and nurses.

If an RN has worked in emergency rooms and intensive care units, they have likely gotten used to long shifts and irregular hours. The working life of a nurse onboard a yacht or cruise ship is very different than most healthcare settings. Shifts can be anywhere from 4-12 hours along with the expectation of taking calls for emergencies after hours. The medical personnel, although typically considered professional staff, are not "allowed" to mingle or fraternize with the guests onboard the ship. Most cruise lines offer nurses their own cabin and meals as part of the position. Both cruise ship and yacht nurses perform basic first aid skills, administer medications, and occasionally handle emergency medical care.

This means they may need to share small living quarters with other crew members and work beyond what is considered "nursing duties". However, the ability to travel, experience new places, and meet new people is enough to attract nurses into the field of yacht nursing. At the RN level, expect to spend 1-4 years earning a diploma or degree and an additional 2-3 years working as a nurse in a clinical setting. If you’re interested in travel and adventure, and don’t mind working under short-term contracts, find out how to become a cruise ship nurse and more.