Cruise Ship Nursing Anyone?

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Specializes in ED, Pedi Vasc access, Paramedic serving 6 towns.

Hi all,

I enjoy cruises and I was wondering if any nurses out there have worked as nurses on ships?

Is it enjoyable? What are the hours like? What are you sleeping quarters like? Do you get to go into guess areas during time off?

Which cruise line do you or did you work for (if you don't mine revealing that info)?

Thanks for any info!

HPRN

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Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.

I'm sorry, but all I can think of is norovirus! Eeeek! I know it's ignorant to assume that every cruise ship has problems, but with all the news stories about people getting stuck out in the ocean with no power, etc., I would be reluctant to say the least!

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I heard that cruise nurse hired from military because they are trained with emergency especially ships and most of them are male. It might big help if you have experience in military.

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Specializes in ICU and EMS.

Yup— been there, done that. You'll learn real quick that US employment standards are pretty posh! I worked 100-120 hours per week on less money than I made landside. Living quarters were tiny although not as terrible as the staff lower on the totem pole. You can get off in port as long as you aren't scheduled to work, attend training, or participate in a drill. As essential personnel, alcohol is forbidden and you are always on-call.

It it may sound like I hated it, and that is far from the truth. I very much enjoyed it and am glad I did it. Just don't go into it thinking that it will be anything like when you are a paying passenger. You are there to work and are not granted access to the luxury amenities that the passengers are.

A ship nurse does 99% primary care for crew members. The rest of your time is spent catering to the passengers minor (and rarely not so minor) injuries and illnesses. You also maintain and submit a ton of data for the Coast Guard and CDC. And the list goes on...

That being said, I was better respected for simply being a nurse (by the crew, not the doctors) than I ever have been and most likely ever will. I met some amazing people from around the world that I never would have met otherwise. The limited amount of time that I managed to get off the ship while in port, I was able to take in some beautiful sights. I learned to live simply (very limited storage space and living quarters were about as big as the foot print of a king bed), to rely on my assessment skills (very limited diagnostic tools), and to appreciate the modern medicine that we easily have access to here in the US (nothing quite like debarking a STEMI in Hondoras to a BLS crew without any medical equipment and the closest hospital is a 2 hour drive).

It was a long 4 months that I'm glad I did, but would not sign up to do again. I recommend that you do your homework. I sense that you think it will be a "dream job." It's hard work with little compensation and pampered relaxation doesn't exist.

Feel free to PM me if you want more info.

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Specializes in ER.

I worked cruise ships for a while, but ended up so bored I quit.

Cruise ship passengers often tend to be elderly, or unhealthy, most could not take a vacation an other way. So they roll onto the ship with their supply of meds, leg ulcer dressings, foleys, stoma bags, etc.

You have a walk in clinic twice a day, its mostly primary care stuff, INR and accucheck testing, dressing changes, etc.

Then there are the wonderful ship infections, room visits to the RTIs who get ill from the AC, and the diarrhea that spreads through ship like wildfire.

Cabin is ok, its by the medical center, so either around or below the water line. Yes, you can go to guest areas, the shows and bars.

Ports gets boring after a while, as you often only get ashore for 2 or 3 hours, hardly enough to leave the port itself, never mind go exploring. I had one hour in Jamaica, one in Mexico, two in Cayman. . . .

I am from an ER background, and was required to have ACLS and TNCC, but in all honesty I never came close to using the skills.

Its all diarrhea and leg ulcers, and mostly it felt more like a submarine than a ship.

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I had to smile reading the posts. My sister just got back from a cruise. She described her fellow passengers as mainly from the newly-wed, nearly-dead, or over-fed people.

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Specializes in ED, Pedi Vasc access, Paramedic serving 6 towns.
I had to smile reading the posts. My sister just got back from a cruise. She described her fellow passengers as mainly from the newly-wed, nearly-dead, or over-fed people.

LOL!

Thanks for the information... I figured it would be more acute emergencies, but thank you for clarifying, I think I would truly be bored as I am not a fan of taking care of the chronically ill.

HPRN

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