How to hire a field nurse

How to hire a field nurse, step by step

Here's a step-by-step field nurse hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a field nurse job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new field nurse
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

Post a field nurse job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The field nurse hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A field nurse's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, field nurses from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of field nurses and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Field Nurse	Description	Hourly rate
   Field Nurse	Registered nurses (RNs) provide and coordinate patient care, educate patients and the public about various health conditions, and provide advice and emotional support to patients and their family members.	$25-56
   Nurse Coordinator	A nurse coordinator is primarily in charge of overseeing all nurses and their activities in a hospital or clinic. Their responsibilities include managing and rotating schedules, assessing nurse performance, organizing nursing programs, and developing strategies to optimize procedures... Show more	$29-49
   Nurse Clinician	A nurse clinician is a health expert who provides care and assistance to patients in hospitals, clinics, or similar establishments. Among their responsibilities include preparing equipment and documents, administering medication, monitoring the patient's condition, maintaining charts, and regularly reporting to physicians... Show more	$23-42

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Home Health
   • Wound Care
   • Palliative Care
   • IV
   • Disease Process
   • Vital Signs
   • Lab Draws
   • Medication Administration
   • Medical History
   • Discharge Planning
   • Catheter
   • Health Aides
   • Patient Care

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
   • Screen prospective clients for need immunizations, implementing after evaluating patients' medical history and obtaining sign release.
   • Promote health literacy by educating patients and caregivers on disease management, diagnosis, medical interventions, and pharmaceuticals.
   • Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
   • Prepare and give injections and enemas, monitor catheters, apply dressings, treat bedsores and give alcohol rubs and massages.
   • Document patient care in a manner that complies with JCAHO standards.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your field nurse job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A field nurse can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, field nurses' average salary in iowa is 55% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level field nurses 56% less than senior-level field nurses.
   • Certifications. A field nurse with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a field nurse's salary.

   Average field nurse salary

   $78,753yearly

   $37.86 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level field nurse salary

   $52,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

4. Writing a field nurse job description

   A field nurse job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a field nurse job description:

   Field nurse job description example

   **$5,000.00 sign on Bonus for External candidates**
   
   What you do matters. And who you do it for matters even more. If you're looking for more meaningful impact, you should take a serious look at our growing organization. Since our founding in the mid-90's, Peoples Health has brought innovation and compassion to Medicare patients throughout Louisiana. Now, part of the UnitedHealth Group family of companies, our team consists of over 900 people who are experienced in all aspects of care delivery, health maintenance and administrative support. It's our goal to help guide over 60,000 Medicare recipients across the broad spectrum of health and dental services. We're committed to the highest purpose; improving lives. And that makes us the singular place to do **your life's best work.(sm)**
   
   The Nurse Practitioner holds primary responsibility to conduct clinical assessment(s) of PH members, documents and codes encounters in the authorized electronic medical record system(s), in an effort to improve our plan member's quality of life and to facilitate optimal health outcomes through cost-effective healthcare. The NP reports to the NP Manager.
   
   **Primary Responsibilities:**
   
   + Conduct assessments in a variety of settings on health plan members, including past medical history, review of symptoms, physical examination, medication review and depression screening
   
   + Responsible for checking vitals, conducting a physical exam that includes monofilament test and foot exam (as appropriate)
   
   + Identify diagnoses to be used in care management and active medical management in the furtherance of treatment
   
   + Formulate a list of current and past medical conditions using clinical knowledge and judgment and the findings of your assessment
   
   + Communicate findings in your assessment that will be used to inform the PCP of potential gaps in care
   
   + Educate members on topics such as disease process, medication and compliance
   
   + Comply with all HIPAA regulations and maintain security of protected health information (PHI)
   
   + Since all jobs may involve in-home visits, the ability to work autonomously and extensive travel will be required. You should also be comfortable working with geriatric patients who have a variety of health complications
   
   You'll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.
   
   **Required Qualifications:**
   
   + Active, unencumbered license to practice nursing in the assigned state
   
   + Nurse Practitioner Certification from either the ANCC, AANP or AACN as Adult, Geriatric, Family or Acute Care NP
   
   + 1+ years of clinical experience in highest level of education OR 3+ years of experience as a Registered Nurse
   
   + Access to reliable transportation that will enable you to travel to client and/or patient sites within a designated area
   
   + Ability to obtain prescriptive authority post-hire in states where applicable
   
   + Ability to spend at least 1 hour with a member in their home, if applicable, which may be in remote areas, in the presence of pets or individuals who are tobacco users
   
   + Ability to lift a 30-pound bag in and out of car and to navigate stairs and a variety of dwelling conditions and configurations
   
   + Full COVID-19 vaccination is an essential job function of this role. Candidates located in states that mandate COVID-19 booster doses must also comply with those state requirements. UnitedHealth Group will adhere to all federal, state and local regulations as well as all client requirements and will obtain necessary proof of vaccination, and boosters when applicable, prior to employment to ensure compliance. Candidates must be able to perform all essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation
   
   **Preferred Qualifications:**
   
   + Experience in Gerontology, Cardiology, Internal Medicine, Endocrinology or Family Medicine
   
   + Home care or home visit experience
   
   + Excellent administrative and organizational skills and the ability to effectively communicate with seniors and their families
   
   + Computer literate and able to navigate the internet
   
   _To protect the health and safety of our workforce, patients and communities we serve, UnitedHealth Group and its affiliate companies require all employees to disclose COVID-19 vaccination status prior to beginning employment. In addition, some roles and locations require full COVID-19 vaccination, including boosters, as an essential job function. UnitedHealth Group adheres to all federal, state and local COVID-19 vaccination regulations as well as all client COVID-19 vaccination requirements and will obtain the necessary information from candidates prior to employment to ensure compliance. Candidates must be able to perform all essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation. Failure to meet the vaccination requirement may result in rescission of an employment offer or termination of employment_
   
   **Careers at UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement.** The Boomer generation is the fastest growing market segment in health care. And we are the largest business in the nation dedicated to serving their unique health and well-being needs. Up for the challenge of a lifetime? Join a team of the best and the brightest to find bold new ways to proactively improve the health and quality of life of these 9 million customers. You'll find a wealth of dynamic opportunities to grow and develop as we work together to heal and strengthen our health care system. Ready? It's time to do **your life's best work.(sm)**
   
   _Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law._
   
   _UnitedHealth Group is a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment._

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find field nurses for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your field nurse job on Zippia to find and attract quality field nurse candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit field nurses, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new field nurse

   Once you've found the field nurse candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new field nurse. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a field nurse?