Transplant nurses can treat patients at any stage of organ transplant. Some care for patients before they are matched with a donor and work with transplant coordinators to add candidates to a transplant list. Others might work in the operating room alongside transplant surgeons. Many transplant nurses work with patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) or a non-critical post-operative unit where patients can recover after surgery and learn about their new medications and recovery plans.
Where Do Transplant Nurses Work?
Patients who need transplants are often quite ill and may need to be hospitalized until they receive their new organ. Most transplant surgeries are done in hospitals, and post-operative recovery requires a multi-day hospital admission. Because of these details, most transplant nurses work in hospitals. However, some also find work in ambulatory surgical units or specialized organ transplant facilities.
When working in the ICU, transplant nurses typically have one or two patients. Often, in the immediate hours following transplant surgery, patients have one dedicated nurse to carefully monitor their progress. After a patient is deemed stable, they may transfer to a non-critical hospital unit. Transplant nurses who work on units like these typically have four to five patients at a time. Their focus is continued monitoring, education, and preparing patients to return home.
What Does a Transplant Nurse Do?
Transplant nurses work with organ donors as well as transplant candidates and recipients to ensure best practices that lessen the chances of organ rejection. Depending on their workplace, transplant nursing duties may include:
Administering medications
Assisting surgeons during transplant procedures
Central line management (like ports and PICCs)
Checking lab tests for donor match and surgical eligibility
Completing pre-surgery checklists for transplant recipients
Collecting blood and other bodily fluids for laboratory testing
Coordinating care between organ recipients and living donors
Counseling patients in need of transplants on healthy lifestyle choices while they wait for an available organ
Educating living donors about what to expect during and after surgery
Emergency resuscitation
Inserting and maintaining IVs
Monitoring for organ rejection
Monitoring vital signs
Obtaining medical histories for donors and recipients
Preparing a deceased donor’s body for organ retrieval
Preparing the operating room for transplant surgery
Transplant nurses help to keep potential organ recipients as healthy as possible while they wait for their donor match. After surgery, transplant nurses know exactly what to look for to catch organ rejection early. Through all the tasks listed above, transplant nurses offer exceptional care to patients before, during, and after this life-saving procedure.
How Do I Become a Transplant Nurse?
Aspiring transplant nurses have to start where every other nurse does: by earning a nursing degree from an accredited nursing program. Transplant nurses can graduate with an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), although many facilities are starting to require a BSN for transplant units. An ADN usually takes two years to finish, while a BSN can take four. However, both options have accelerated programs and can be finished in as little as 18 months.
New graduates can apply to work in a transplant setting as graduate nurses (GNs). They can practice as GNs while training on their units under a nurse preceptor. These experienced nurses take new graduates under their wing and teach them the ins and outs of their chosen unit. After they pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN), their state licensing exam, GNs become registered nurses (RNs). After orienting on the unit with their nurse preceptor, transplant nurses can practice on their own.
When transplant nurses have gained some experience in this specialty, they can seek out certification. Through the American Board for Transplant Certification, nurses can take an exam to become Certified Clinical Transplant Nurses. To be eligible for this certification, nurses must have:
A current RN license
12 months of experience as an RN
An additional 12 months of experience as a transplant nurse
Some transplant nurses return to school for an advanced practice degree. After graduating with a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a focus on transplants, nurses can practice as nurse practitioners (NPs). An MSN can be finished in two years, but nurses may also take longer if they want to continue working full-time during the program.
How Much Does a Transplant Nurse Make Per Year?
Transplant nurses earn the same annual wage as RNs in most areas, which comes to an average of $82,920 per year as of 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Salaries can change with location and experience, with a low-end average of $61,250 and a high-end of $129,400.
The West Coast, New England states, and Alaska pay their nurses the best, but the cost of living in these areas can also be high. The lowest paying states are in the Midwest and some southeastern states.
The salaries for transplant nurse practitioners, on the other hand, are higher than RNs, with average annual earnings of $148,960, according to BLS data from 2022. The BLS reports a low-end average of $87,340 and a high-end of $165,240. The location of employment can affect transplant nurse practitioners as well, with differences similar to RNs.
The top paying areas for transplant nurses and nurse practitioners include:
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
Napa, CA
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
Yuba City, CA
Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA
Are Transplant Nurses in High Demand?
In the United States, all nursing specialties are currently in high demand. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 24% of U.S. hospitals have reported critical staffing shortages. The United Network for Organ Sharing reports that 42,800 organ transplants were performed in 2022, which broke all previous records. With organ transplants on the rise, transplant nurses have a positive job outlook.
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