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Become a Rehabilitation Nurse

Learn about the many opportunities for rehabilitation nurses.
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The Basics: Rehabilitation Nurse

What you'll do: Rehabilitation nurses specialize in helping patients of any age recover from debilitating injuries or chronic illnesses. In addition, they provide essential support to patients and their families or caregivers as they move from health care facilities back into their daily lives.

Minimum degree you'll need to practice: Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (BSN)

Certification: After two years of experience in rehabilitation nursing, you qualify to sit for the Rehabilitation Registered Nurse certification exam that the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses administers.

Median annual salary: Certified rehabilitation registered nurses (CRRNs) earn a median entry-level annual salary of $61,000. Rehabilitation CNSs who are certified can start their careers making a median income of $70,000 per year.

Cities where jobs are often found: Austin, Philadelphia, Houston, Atlanta, Baltimore and Denver

 
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Rehabilitation Nurse Career Overview

rehabilitation nurse and patient

A rehabilitation nurse follows a philosophy of care based on helping restore patients to active, independent lives. Among their job tasks, rehabilitation nurses create individual care plans that establish rehabilitative goals for patients, educate patients or caregivers on restorative care, and collaborate with specialists regarding patient conditions.

As the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) describes, rehabilitation nurses take a holistic approach in helping patients meet not just their medical needs, but also their educational, environmental and spiritual needs so that they can fulfill their maximum potential.

Rehabilitation nurses work as administrators, case managers, researchers and educators in the following settings:

  • Freestanding rehabilitation facilities
  • Specialty hospitals
  • Long-term acute care facilities
  • Home health care agencies
  • Clinics
  • Schools
  • Private practice
 
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Rehabilitation Nursing Education

Rehabilitative nurses are registered nurses (RNs) who typically hold at least a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and demonstrate not just the medical knowledge to do the job, but an extraordinary level of patience, innovation and teamwork. Many nurses choose to earn a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in order to become a clinical nurse specialist (CNS). And the advantages of earning your MSN include not just advancing your knowledge of rehabilitative nursing but broadening your career opportunities.

While certification is not required for the job, after two years of experience in rehabilitation nursing, you qualify to sit for the Rehabilitation Registered Nurse certification exam that the ARN administers. Rehabilitation CNSs who have one year of relevant practical experience can also take the exam.

 
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Rehabilitation Nursing Career Outlook

Technological advances, an emphasis on preventive care and a number of other factors contribute to the anticipated growth of the nursing profession. And advanced practice nurses, such as certified rehabilitation CNSs, will be needed to fill vacancies in clinical practice and in nursing education as a result of experienced nurses retiring or simply leaving the profession.
Sources
RehabNurse.org, 2009
DiscoverNursing.com, 2009
NursingSpectrum.com, 2009
Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2009
PayScale.com, 2011

 
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Rehabilitation Nurse Career at a Glance

A Rewarding Career

Rehabilitation nurses get to watch their patients recover and reach health goals set during the rehabilitation process. Patients and their families are very grateful for rehabilitation nurses encouragement, expertise and support.
 

There Is A Demand

There is not only a need for rehabilitation nurses in the athletic and progressing senior citizen populations, but also in the everyday people population—full of people recovering from injuries and surgeries.

Nursing Careers at a Glance

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How to Pay for Nursing School

  • As nursing school tuition has increased, a rising number of nursing scholarships and grants have become available for qualifying candidates. Nursing school is expensive, but there are many grants, loans, scholarships, work-study and loan forgiveness programs available to hard-working students. Gain access to nursing school financial first aid.