Cruise Ship Nursing

Most employees wait until retirement to travel extensively, but cruise ship nurses (CSN) can travel while working. While this deal sounds irresistible, cruise ship nurses need extensive education and experience to serve on board. Most cruise ships require nurses that have the ability to work well with other people and solid ER and ICU skills to meet the challenge of medical emergencies at sea.

Duties of a Cruise Ship Nurse

CSNs deal with colds, flu, chronic illnesses, work-related injuries, births, deaths and medical emergencies. And, they face these challenges with a minimal staff. A ship that carries 2,500 passengers and 1,000 crew typically carries two physicians and three nurses as mandated by law. Smaller ships may employ just one doctor and two nurses. Additionally, cruise ship nurses often need to go through security and ship evacuation training since they are expected to organize emergency medical evacuations and accompany a crew or passenger by helicopter to a hospital. Another requirement is paperwork as ship nurses do not have clerical staff support. Ship nurses typically file insurance claims and keep a set of medical records on every crew member and passenger.

Related Types of Nurses

A person with the educational and work experience that would qualify him or her for a job as a cruise ship nurse might also be interested in careers or jobs as a traveling nurse. These jobs are offered through various nurse employment agencies, and they provide qualified nurses with part-time jobs in various states and/or countries. Other considerations include overseas, development, volunteer, missionary or refugee nursing.

Another route to consider that includes travel is the military nurse. Army ROTC Nurse Cadets have an opportunity for a unique summer nursing experience. The paid, three-week Nurse Summer Training Program assigns Cadets to Army hospitals throughout the U.S. and Germany. The program introduces you to the Army Medical Department (AMEDD) and to the roles and responsibilities of an Army Nurse Corps Officer. Under the supervision of an experienced Army Nurse Corps Officer, you will obtain hands-on experience.

Cruise Ship Nursing Degrees

Most cruise lines require a diploma from an accredited nursing school with a minimum of two years’ recent hospital experience. Some cruise lines require up to ten years of experience, especially in ICU. Experience with simple laboratory and x-ray procedures is recommended, and a proficiency with IV cannulation and venipuncture is a priority. Additionally, the International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL), the industry’s governing body, requires all cruise ship nurses to be certified in, or have equivalent training in, advanced cardiac life support. In all cases, experience with cardiac care, trauma, internal medicine and fluent English language skills are required. According to a recent ad for a ship’s nurse for Carnival, their applicants must pass a medication administration exam, demonstrate adequate experience with nursing procedures on their skills check list and must pass a pre-employment physical examination and be deemed fit for duty at sea.

Find a Nursing Degree

Top 10 Online Nursing Schools

LPN to BSN RN to BSN	Indiana State University — LPN to BSN and RN to BSN. Indiana State offers concentrations in the areas of family nurse practitioner, nursing administration, and nursing education.
BS in Nursing MSN - Acute Care	Liberty University — RN to BSN Degree and MSN Degree. The Department of Nursing at Liberty prepares students for baccalaureate level nursing, putting strong emphasis on Christian ethical standards and viewing nursing as a ministry of caring.
RN to BSN RN to MSN MSN - Nurse Administration More...	Kaplan University — Bachelor's, and Master's Nursing Degrees. Kaplan's School of Nursing offers specializations for nurse administrators and nurse educators.
RN to BSN MSN - Nurse Education MSN - Nurse Leadership More...	Grand Canyon University — BS in Nursing (BSN) and MBA/MS in Nursing. Grand Canyon University offers a unique MBA/MS in nursing degree program that teaches students about the business aspect of healthcare, specifically nursing healthcare. Current nurses who want more business experience will find this may be an ideal fit.
RN to BSN MS in Nursing Nursing Healthcare Certificate More...	University of Phoenix — BSN, MSN, and Certificate. The University of Phoenix is the nation's largest online university and currently offers several nursing programs at three different degree levels, based on previous nursing education and experience.
RN to BSN MSN - Nurse Educator PhD - Nurse Educator More...	Capella University — BSN, MSN, and PhD in Nursing Education. Capella prides itself on being an accredited online college. With its nurse education programs, Capella offers two levels, master's and PhD. Either is optimal for the working nurse who wants to enter a role as educator in the field.
BS in Nursing RN to MSN BSN to MSN More...	Walden University — M.S. in Nursing (RN Track), M.S in Nursing (BSN Track). Walden offers a wide variety of nursing degrees and certificates that are all accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
MSN - Adult Nursing MSN - CNS/Educator MSN - Nurse Administrator More...	University of Cincinnati — Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN). The University of Cincinnati College of Nursing prepares its nursing students for working with 21st century healthcare technologies to improve patient quality and administer healthcare procedures.
RN to BSN MS in Nursing MSN - Nurse Education More...	South University — RN to BSN and MS in Nursing. The nursing programs at South University prepares its student for professions in a wide variety of healthcare settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, and school health clinics.
RN to BSN MS in Nursing	Chamberlain College of Nursing — MSN and BSN. Because of the Web-based education that Chamberlain provides, students are able to earn their nursing degree at their own pace. From Chamberlain, students can choose from either a bachelor's degree level or master's degree level, depending on previous experience.
Click here to find more nursing degrees...