Trauma Nurse Salary Guide
Trauma ICU registered nurses (RNs) work in intensive care units, caring for patients in critical condition. They typically perform the following duties:
Administering medications
Applying dressings and performing other types of wound care
Updating physicians on changes in patient status
Educating family members about what to expect as their loved one heals
Maintaining accurate medical records
Inserting intravenous lines
Preparing patients for diagnostic tests and surgical procedures
Trauma ICU nurses must be able to work well under pressure, as patients in critical condition often require emergency interventions. For example, you may have to perform CPR or work as a code team member.
How do you become a trauma ICU nurse?
You must complete an approved nursing education program to work as a trauma ICU nurse. Each program has its own graduation requirements, but you should expect a combination of classroom learning and clinical experiences.
Before starting work as a nurse, you must pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) and obtain a license from your state board of nursing. Nurse licensure requirements vary, but applicants usually must pay a fee, undergo a criminal background check and submit proof of education. According to Western Governors University, many hospitals require two years of nursing experience to work in intensive care.
What credentials/licensing does a trauma ICU nurse require?
Trauma ICU nurses must obtain Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certifications. Obtaining additional professional certifications shows you’re dedicated to providing the best patient care and committed to your career. Earning Certification in Acute/Critical Care Nursing (CCRN) through the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses or the Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN) credential offered by the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN) may help you earn raises and promotions. You can sit for the CCRN exam after completing 1,750 hours of RN practice in the direct care of critically or acutely ill adult, pediatric or neonatal patients, based on your specialty, over the past two years or 2,000 hours over the past five years. The TCRN exam requires that you have an active, unrestricted RN license. The BCEN also recommends that you have at least 2 years of experience in trauma nursing, but it's not required.
Average Trauma Nurse Salary
$47.33/hour
The average salary for a Trauma Nurse is $47.33 per hour. This is 6% higher than the nursing US average of $44.54.
Last updated on December 21, 2024. Based on active jobs on Vivian.com.
Salaries for Trauma Nurse compared to Registered Nurse National Averages
$47.33/hour
6% higher than the nursing US average.
$44.54/hour
United States
Where do Trauma Nurses get paid the most?
| State | Average Hourly Salary | Max Hourly Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $50 | $56 |
| Georgia | $43 | $48 |
| Oklahoma | $42 | $55 |
| Florida | $40 | $45 |
What are the highest paying Employers and Agencies for Trauma Nurse jobs?
| Average Hourly Salary | Max Hourly Salary | |
|---|---|---|
| Legacy Health | $69 | $69 |
| Inova Health System | $57 | $57 |
| Protouch Staffing - Permanent | $46 | $46 |
| Baylor Scott & White Health | $45 | $45 |
| Medical City Healthcare | $43 | $43 |
| HealthOne | $40 | $40 |
| BJC HealthCare | $40 | $42 |
| Atrium Health Navicent | $39 | $39 |
| HCA TriStar | $37 | $37 |
| HCA South Atlantic Division | $37 | $37 |
Last updated on December 21, 2024. Information based on active jobs on Vivian.com and pay data from BLS and around the web.
Trauma Nurse Career Guide
Use our exclusive Career Guides to research the education, qualifications, skills and responsibilities for a variety of healthcare disciplines and specialties employers are hiring now.
Go to the guideTop Trauma Nurse Jobs
Registered Nurse (RN) - Trauma
- HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital
- Orange Park, FL
- Days
Registered Nurse (RN) - Trauma
- HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital
- Orange Park, FL
- Nights
Registered Nurse (RN) - Trauma
- Trident Medical Center
- Charleston, SC
- Days
Lead Registered Nurse (RN) - Trauma
- Trident Medical Center
- Charleston, SC
- Days
Registered Nurse (RN) - Trauma
- The Medical Center, Navicent Health
- Macon, GA
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How can you increase your pay as a trauma ICU nurse?
If you have an associate degree in nursing (ADN), consider obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) to potentially earn a higher salary. If you already have a BSN, consider obtaining a master's degree.
Finally, earning a national certification may help you qualify for supervisory roles or land a job with one of your region's top-paying employers. The CCRN or TCRN are two valuable credentials for trauma ICU RNs.
How much does a staff trauma ICU nurse make?
According to Vivian Health's salary data for the week ending April 29, 2023, staff trauma ICU nurses earned an average of $42.41 per hour. If you work 40 hours, that corresponds to a weekly salary of $1,696.40.
Is trauma ICU nursing a growing career?
Analysts from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expect the demand for RNs in any specialty to increase by 6% between 2021 and 2031. This growth should add more than 195,000 RN jobs. During this period, medical facilities may need more nurses to meet the needs of older adults, many of whom have chronic diseases.
Grand View Research, a market research company headquartered in San Francisco, expects the global market for trauma care centers to grow by 7.53% between 2023 and 2030. This growth will likely contribute to the increased demand for trauma ICU nurses specifically.
What types of employers/facilities have the most trauma ICU nurses employed?
Most ICU nurses work within closed units inside acute care facilities. Within a hospital setting, trauma ICU nurses would likely work in trauma units. They could also work in a hospital’s emergency department or a standalone emergency department. Although the BLS doesn’t split up RN data by specialty, it listed hospitals account for nearly 31% of all RN employment in May 2022.
Which employers/facilities have the highest pay?
While the BLS lumps all RNs together, instead of breaking the data down by specialty, according to its May 2022 data, top-paying industries for RNs in all fields included several nontraditional settings. Pharmaceutical manufacturing paid $53.02, nonscheduled air transportation paid $52.48 and employment services paid $52.43 hourly.
Despite employing the highest percentage of RNs, hospitals paid a mean hourly wage of $43.56, much lower than many other industries. Outpatient care centers paid slightly more at $46.73 hourly. Nursing homes and residential facilities had the lowest wages at $37.11 per hour.
How does trauma ICU nurse pay compare to similar healthcare jobs?
For staff positions, trauma ICU nurse pay is at the higher end of the range compared to the wages for similar roles. For example, staff ICU nurses earned an average of $40.72 per hour, per Vivian’s salary data on April 29, 2023. This rate is $1.69 less than staff trauma ICU nurses. However, travel ICU nurses earned slightly more than travel trauma ICU nurses on the same date, averaging $2,277 per week compared to $2,156 per week.
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