How to hire a staff nurse

How to hire a staff nurse, step by step

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

What does a staff nurse do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The staff 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 staff nurse's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, staff 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 staff nurse salaries for various roles:

   Type of Staff Nurse	Description	Hourly rate
   Staff 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.	$20-52
   Emergency Department Registered Nurse	An emergency registered nurse is first in line for patients who need a response. These nurses are first to respond to emergency cases such as trauma, allergic reactions, and injuries... Show more	$23-64
   Registered Nurse Charge Nurse	A registered charge nurse is responsible for supervising nurses' workflow in a particular department or area, ensuring every patient gets the proper care that they need. A registered charge nurse has the discretion to direct tasks, arrange schedules, and monitor patients, such as in the aspects of admission and discharge... Show more	$22-52

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • BLS
   • CPR
   • Acls
   • Acute Care
   • Direct Patient Care
   • Patient Safety
   • IV
   • Surgery
   • Critical Care
   • Telemetry
   • Family Education
   • Infection Control
   • Medication Administration

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and further help stabilize elective and urgent care surgical patients in their post-operative/post PACU admission to the floor.
   • Accomplish extensive critical care course with EKG interpretation and yearly critical care medication exam.
   • Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
   • Participate in discharge planning including teaching family members and patients wind care and medication administration process after discharge.
   • Provide direct nursing care to patients in a variety of settings with an emphasis in critical care and PACU settings.
   • Prepare patients for surgery and endoscopy procedures including initiating intravenous lines, physical assessments and administering medications.

   More staff nurse duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your staff nurse job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A staff nurse salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a staff nurse in Rhode Island may be lower than in California, and an entry-level staff nurse usually earns less than a senior-level staff nurse. Additionally, a staff nurse with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average staff nurse salary

   $68,342yearly

   $32.86 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level staff nurse salary

   $42,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 18, 2026

   Average staff nurse salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$109,688	$53
   2	Oregon	$87,776	$42
   3	Washington	$86,712	$42
   4	Nevada	$85,440	$41
   5	Texas	$67,105	$32
   6	Nebraska	$64,285	$31
   7	Louisiana	$60,890	$29
   8	Georgia	$58,705	$28
   9	Alabama	$54,045	$26
   10	Missouri	$51,271	$25
   11	Kansas	$51,071	$25
   12	Minnesota	$50,271	$24
   13	Tennessee	$46,821	$23
   14	Ohio	$44,409	$21
   15	Wisconsin	$43,807	$21
   16	Iowa	$43,716	$21
   17	Illinois	$43,457	$21
   18	Michigan	$42,314	$20
   19	New Jersey	$37,918	$18
   20	New York	$37,047	$18

   Average staff nurse salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Washington Hospital Healthcare System	$119,521	$57.46
   2	Dignity Health	$109,927	$52.85	787
   3	Highland General Hospital	$103,215	$49.62
   4	Westways Staffing	$97,244	$46.75	16
   5	PROFESSIONAL NURSING SERVICES	$95,405	$45.87
   6	Rowan University	$95,007	$45.68
   7	Commonwealth	$94,332	$45.35	29
   8	Senior Living Properties	$93,356	$44.88	2
   9	Rutgers University	$92,838	$44.63	95
   10	Columbia University in the City of New York	$92,186	$44.32	19
   11	Los Alamos Retirement Community	$91,609	$44.04
   12	Alameda Health System	$91,554	$44.02	20
   13	Tenet Healthcare	$91,092	$43.79	1,373
   14	Cisco	$91,038	$43.77	30
   15	New York University	$88,393	$42.50	3
   16	Northpointe Behavioral Healthcare System	$88,259	$42.43	1
   17	Bestcare	$87,538	$42.09	40
   18	Acadia Healthcare	$87,014	$41.83	510
   19	University of Vermont	$86,734	$41.70	39
   20	Student Conservation Association	$86,208	$41.45	10

4. Writing a staff nurse job description

   A job description for a staff 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 staff nurse job description:

   Staff nurse job description example

   The primary purpose of the Staff Nurse position is to be accountable for the care activities, safety and goal achievements of assigned patients through assessing, diagnosing, planning and intervening in actual or potential health problems and evaluating patient’s response to the care. These responsibilities also include patient education and discharge planning. The Registered Professional Nurse places emphasis on mobilizing patients and preventing skin break down, falls and implements the appropriate measures to achieve this. The Registered Professional Nurse is a member of a designated care team and collaborates, coordinates and guides team members in planning patient care in a safe environment and achieving patient care goals according to the patient/family developmental stage and cultural expectations.
   
   The competent practice of the Professional Registered Nurse is evidenced by patient/family goal achievement, patient/family satisfaction, care and services demonstrated and thoroughly documented in accordance with American Nurses Association Standards of Clinical Practice, Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Organization Standards Sentinel Event Alert Recommendation, Patient/Family Centered Principles, Department of Health Standards and University Hospital Policies and Procedures. As a professional licensed staff and member of an interdisciplinary team, the Registered Professional Nurse exemplifies the behavioral expectations articulated for this role and the Nursing Department Philosophy.
   
   Licensed as a Registered Nurse in the State of New Jersey required. BSN preferred. Adult Medical/Surgical experience preferred. ACLS and BLS required. Must maintain valid certification by the American Heart Association in basic life support (BLS). Ability to employ problem solving techniques and critical thinking. Effective interpersonal skills. Ability to lift and move patients with/without reasonable accommodations. Ability to organize care/activities of multiple patients. Successful completion of a Progressive Care Course or Progressive Care Certification, preferred but must be achieved within first six (6) months of hire. Phlebotomy Certification or IV Certification is preferred but must be achieved within first six (6) months of hire. Proficiency in the English language is required. FIT Testing required. Successful completion of a Critical Care Course or CCRN Certification preferred.
   
   University Hospital offers a competitive salary & comprehensive benefits package. Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer, M/F/D/V. For more information, visit www.uhnj.org/hrweb.
   Banner Position Number: H99840
   External Company Name: University Hospital, Newark NJ
   Street: 150 Bergen St
   Telecommute: No
   Salary Range: UB01D: Min. $36.99 Mid. $46.25 Max. $53.72

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right staff nurse for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with staff nurses they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit staff nurses who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your staff nurse job on Zippia to find and recruit staff nurse candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with staff nurse candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 staff nurse

   Once you have selected a candidate for the staff 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 important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new staff nurse first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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 staff nurse?