How To Become A Telemetry Nurse: What It Is and Career Path

What is a telemetry nurse and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Lisa Rebeschi Ph.D.,

Kim Raines

In the medical field, telemetric equipment is used to monitor a patient's vital signs. Equipment like an EKG machine is used to watch over patients, especially those who've suffered dangerous conditions like a heart attack and immediately alert the medical team to any changes in their condition. Telemetry nurses are nurses who specialize in monitoring this equipment.

Often, a telemetry nurse spends their shift in a telemetry unit, a place where patients are beginning to recover from a stroke or heart attack but still need constant monitoring. They monitor the vital signs of several patients at once, and if they notice a change, they immediately spring into action to save the patient's life.

Like any other nurse, a telemetry nurse usually needs a bachelor's or associate's degree in nursing, a passing grade on the nursing exam, and an official license from their state. Although it helps to have some experience working with telemetry machines, most telemetry nurses develop their skills on the job. On average, telemetry nurses earn $66,647 a year, similar to the average salary for all nurses.

What general advice would you give to a telemetry nurse?

Lisa Rebeschi Ph.D.

Associate Dean of the School of Nursing Professor of Nursing, Quinnipiac University

One of the suggestions for new graduates is the importance of self-care. We have long known of the demanding nature of the nursing practice. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the nursing role's critical importance and the unique contributions made by nursing professionals. As the healthcare environment is extremely complex and challenging, nurses must remember to advocate for themselves and prioritize self-care.

ScoreTelemetry NurseUS Average

Salary

6.0

Avg. Salary $77,351

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

10.0

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.44%

Asian 8.92%

Black or African American 11.90%

Hispanic or Latino 8.72%

Unknown 4.24%

White 65.77%

Gender

female 83.50%

male 16.50%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.1

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.8

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a telemetry nurse

Explore telemetry nurse education requirements

Most common telemetry nurse degrees

Bachelor's

46.7 %

Associate

39.4 %

Master's

6.4 %

Start to develop specific telemetry nurse skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	24.13%
BLS	16.03%
Acls	11.49%
Blood Pressure	7.37%
Acute Care	5.14%

Complete relevant telemetry nurse training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New telemetry nurses learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a telemetry nurse based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real telemetry nurse resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming a licensed telemetry nurse usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed telemetry nurse in most of states. 43 states require telemetry nurses to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License url
Alabama	Degree required	State exam required	Registered Nurse (RN)
Alaska	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Nurse, Registered
Arkansas	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Registered Nurse (RN)
California	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Nurse, Registered
Colorado	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Registered Nurse

Research telemetry nurse duties and responsibilities

Care for patients with a variety of cardiac issues and manage disease through drip management and interpretation of EKG's.
Organize and manage regular clinics involving external physicians, including ophthalmology, ENT, Med/Surg, orthopedics, and podiatry professionals.
Apply the nursing process in a teaching hospital to patients in an ICU setting.
Discharge patients; disconnect IVs/telemetry devices and provide patient teaching on wind care, medication regimens, rehabilitation and other topics.

Prepare your telemetry nurse resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your telemetry nurse resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a telemetry nurse resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable telemetry nurse resume templates

Build a professional telemetry nurse resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your telemetry nurse resume.