Most nurses flock to hospitals after finishing college and stay there for their entire careers. But what about a more exciting and possibly fulfilling career path…a cruise ship nurse. This is not for a nurse that is fresh out of nursing school, but a nurse who has been in the field for a few years. While life at sea is not everyone’s first choice, if you have an adventurous spirit and a love for traveling, this may be the job for you. You can treat patients for a variety of vacation-related illnesses, which is quite different from your typical day at the hospital.

If you are willing and able to be away from family and friends for months at a time, this will take your nursing profession in a whole new direction. You will make many friendships along the way with other nurses who are doing the same. Some nurses like the consistency of working in a hospital, and that is okay, but if want to spend your next day off in St. Lucia, keep reading. Here are the requirements for becoming a cruise ship nurse.

Your Typical Day

Cruise ship nurses have 12-hour shifts, similarly to nurses that work in hospitals. On a daily basis, you will be providing medical care to cruise ship passengers and crew members as needed. Nurses will spend most of their time helping passengers recover from sunburn and sea-sickness related injuries. They can also be seen helping the staff if an accident in the kitchen occurs. The cruise ship itself contains diagnostic testing like X-rays in case of more serious injuries. If an accident or damage were to happen to the ship, the nurse would keep passengers calm and assist with any injuries. 

Education and Requirements 

To be able to work on a cruise ship, of course, you need to be a registered nurse (RN). However, you can’t apply to this position right out of college. Cruise ships prefer to hire candidates with at least a few years of experience in nursing before they board the ship. So, they are more prepared to handle emergency situations in the middle of the ocean. Other training requirements for becoming a cruise ship nurse include: 

• Being a Registered Nurse (RN).
• Certified in Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS).
• Certified in Basic Life Support (BLS).
• Need 1-2 years of experience in trauma and cardiac care.

Learning New Cultures

While onboard the ship and seeing new destinations, you will also learn about other interesting cultures. Most cruise ships employ a diverse background of crew members allowing you to meet some wonderful people and maybe even learn a new language. If you plan on being a travel nurse or a cruise ship nurse, it is a good idea to learn another language. On a cruise, you will encounter passengers and crew members from all over the world. You will hear people speak languages from French to Spanish to English. Making this a life experience that will truly help you grow as a nurse, and as a person.

A bilingual nurse has the opportunity to shine in a job application. Knowing multiple languages can help you communicate with passengers and crew members on the ship who need medical services. 

Contracts and Salaries

Unlike standard workers, cruise ship workers have month-long contracts. Usually, a cruise ship nurse will be hired for 6 months at a time. Then they have a few weeks off before starting a new contract. The pay is about $4,000 a month in addition to free food and your own cabin on the ship. Not a bad deal if you want to travel and work at the same time. A nurse can be promoted to Lead Nurse if his/her experience and talent prove to be outstanding.  

Other Cruise Ship Medical Jobs

If you are not a nurse but are interested in working as a medical professional on a cruise ship, there are plenty of other positions available on cruise ships. For nurses, there are opportunities for promotion on a cruise ship. The most common medical jobs on a cruise include:

• Cruise Ship Chief / Senior Doctor
• Ship Doctor / Physician 
• Lead / Nurse Chief
• Nurse Practitioner
• Nurse 

For anyone in the medical field looking to have the experience of a lifetime while working, a cruise ship position is definitely an option. Explore different ports while taking care of passengers and crew members while they are enjoying their vacation. If you love being a nurse but dread working in a hospital or clinic, this might be the career path for you.