How to hire a registered health nurse

How to hire a registered health nurse, step by step

Here's a step-by-step registered health 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 registered health nurse job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new registered health nurse
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a registered health nurse do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the registered health nurse you need to hire. Certain registered health nurse roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A registered health nurse's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, registered health 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.

   Here's a comparison of registered health nurse salaries for various roles:

   Type of Registered Health Nurse	Description	Hourly rate
   Registered Health 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.	$24-53
   Staff Nurse	Staff nurses are registered nurses who are usually assigned to work in a care home, a company, or in a clinical setting. They advise the physical assessments of patients, employees, and residents... Show more	$20-52
   Clinical Research Nurse	A clinical research nurse is responsible for conducting research studies on various health conditions, illness treatments, and healthcare methodologies, analyzing existing scientific research to make new reports. Clinical research nurses also communicate with other health professionals and health organizations for their insights and recommendations for a specific medical study, ensuring to report their findings to doctors and medical researchers for further validation and clinical trials... Show more	$21-39

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Home Health
   • CPR
   • Quality Care
   • Mental Health
   • Compassion
   • Infection Control
   • Rehabilitation
   • Physician Orders
   • Community Resources
   • Discharge Planning
   • Direct Patient Care
   • IV
   • Patient Safety

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Operate specialize equipment such as cardiac monitor, EKG, DEA, managing nasal pharyngeal and gastric suction.
   • Manage ventilator settings and complete tracheostomy care on chronically ill patients.
   • Manage patient care monitoring vital signs, performing physical assessment, checking patients medications for effectiveness.
   • Participate in manage care activities to produce health change, specifically providing diabetes education and lifestyle counseling in chronic disease areas.
   • Deliver a complete range of care to general Medicare, Medicaid home care patient's.
   • Obtain knowledge of medical diagnostic and billing codes used for private insurance, Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements.

   More registered health nurse duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the registered health nurse job description is a good way to get more applicants. A registered health nurse salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a registered health nurse in Nebraska may be lower than in Rhode Island, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level registered health nurse. Additionally, a registered health nurse with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average registered health nurse salary

   $75,713yearly

   $36.40 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level registered health nurse salary

   $50,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 7, 2025

   Average registered health nurse salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$113,662	$55
   2	Massachusetts	$96,202	$46
   3	Oregon	$93,173	$45
   4	Washington	$92,651	$45
   5	New York	$90,991	$44
   6	Maryland	$89,676	$43
   7	Nevada	$86,911	$42
   8	Pennsylvania	$79,137	$38
   9	Michigan	$77,699	$37
   10	Virginia	$77,334	$37
   11	Maine	$76,469	$37
   12	Texas	$74,639	$36
   13	Kentucky	$73,122	$35
   14	Arizona	$72,843	$35
   15	Illinois	$71,320	$34
   16	North Carolina	$70,052	$34
   17	Georgia	$69,591	$33
   18	West Virginia	$69,408	$33
   19	Colorado	$67,063	$32
   20	Indiana	$67,034	$32

   Average registered health nurse salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Baptist Health Care	$112,200	$53.94	45
   2	Dignity Health	$111,693	$53.70	719
   3	Therapy Resources Management	$107,717	$51.79	6
   4	Scripps Health	$106,712	$51.30	50
   5	Sharp HealthCare	$105,072	$50.52	24
   6	AdventHealth	$104,789	$50.38	1,674
   7	Accountable Healthcare Holdings Corp.	$104,746	$50.36	12
   8	Yuma Regional Medical Center	$104,076	$50.04	5
   9	MAS Medical Staffing	$103,519	$49.77	528
   10	United Hospital District	$103,182	$49.61	3
   11	Medical City Arlington	$102,813	$49.43	133
   12	The Arora Group	$101,885	$48.98	37
   13	Express Healthcare Professionals	$100,232	$48.19
   14	Favorite Healthcare Staffing	$99,777	$47.97	1
   15	Jackson Nurse Professionals	$99,628	$47.90
   16	Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center	$98,529	$47.37	1
   17	Ambulnz	$97,336	$46.80	1
   18	Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital	$95,760	$46.04	8
   19	Mission Health Services	$95,431	$45.88	52
   20	Belle Fountain Nursing & Rehab	$95,069	$45.71

4. Writing a registered health nurse job description

   A job description for a registered health nurse role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a registered health nurse job description:

   Registered health nurse job description example

   Now Hiring Full-Time Nurses for our Behavioral Health Unit (BHU) and Med Psych Unit at St. Charles Parish Hospital.
   We Offer: Sign On Bonus Incentive Relocation Assistance Paid Holidays Paid Time Off
   While pay, medical plans, and vacation time are very important, and Ochsner offers very competitively, there are many other benefits you may not know we have available: Infertility benefits cover 50% of the cost of fertility treatments Paid Parental Leave Adoption Assistance Free Counseling 50% off the cost of Weight Watchers Discounted Auto, Home, and Pet Insurance Tuition and Student Loan Assistance
   Education Required - Registered Nurse Diploma Preferred - Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Nursing
   Work Experience
   Required - None.
   Certifications Required - Current RN License in the state of practice. Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification from the American Heart Association. Preferred - Certification in the clinical specialty area
   Job Duties Effectively uses the Nursing Process in the delivery of patient care. Assesses learning needs and implements teaching strategies appropriate for the diverse needs of the patient, family, and other groups or disciplines. Communicates, delegates and manages nursing team resources (human and fiscal) properly and serves as a leader and partner on the Interdisciplinary Team. Utilizes data, information, and knowledge to evaluate and promote change to achieve optimal outcomes. Embraces concepts and behaviors that enhance customer satisfaction and employee morale and improvement in the profession of nursing.
   Other related duties as required. The above statements describe the general nature and level of work only. They are not an exhaustive list of all required responsibilities, duties, and skills.
   Ochsner is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status.
   
   About Ochsner Health:
   
   Ochsner Health is a system that delivers health to the people of Louisiana, Mississippi and the Gulf South with a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate. Ochsner Health is a not-for-profit committed to giving back to the communities it serves through preventative screenings, health and wellness resources and partnerships with innovative organizations that share our vision. Ochsner Health healed more than 876,000 people from across the globe in 2019, providing the latest medical breakthroughs and therapies, including digital medicine for chronic conditions and telehealth specialty services. Ochsner Health is a national leader, named the top hospital in Louisiana and a top children’s hospital by U.S. News & World Report. As Louisiana’s leading healthcare educator, Ochsner Health and its partners educate thousands of healthcare professionals annually. Ochsner Health is innovating healthcare by investing in new technologies and research to make world-class care more accessible, affordable, convenient and effective. Ochsner's team of more than 26,000 employees and 4,500 providers are working to reinvent the future of health and wellness in the region. To learn more about Ochsner Health, please visit www.ochsner.org. To transform your health, please visit www.ochsner.org/healthyyou.

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right registered health nurse for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit registered health nurses, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to 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 registered health nurse

   Once you have selected a candidate for the registered health nurse position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   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 registered health 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.)

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How much does it cost to hire a registered health nurse?