Cruise line nursing? Worth a shot?

LightCommaStix · Mar 3, 2008

I wish I had pursued something like this when I was single. I'd love to hear someone's experience with nursing on a cruise ship!

RNperdiem, RN · Mar 3, 2008

While not a cruise ship, I had an aunt who worked at as a nurse at a beach resort in Jamaica in her young and single days.

Some days, that sounds like a good job.

Katnip, RN · Mar 3, 2008

I worked with a nurse who did work on a cruise ship. It was one of the larger lines, I can't remember which though. She was on that ship for 6 months at a time. Yes, she got to rotate shore leave once in a while.

She also said you really are it when you're far from the nearest port and someone has a heart attack. And since there tends to be a lot of elderly, you can count on seeing a few. Also broken bones from falls down stairs. Most ships, at least back then didn't have help pads, so you really need to know what to do in an emergency. Sometimes it's just one doc and one nurse.

If I remember correctly, she also had a roommate, and all crew members had small, interior cabins.

She did say it was an experience that she wouldn't have traded, though.

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Mar 4, 2008

There are physicians on board as well on all the major cruise lines.

skipaway · Mar 4, 2008

With the Norwalk virus rampant on cruise lines, you'll undoubtably be treating alot of vomiting and diarrhea cases.. :barf02:

pagandeva2000, LPN · Mar 4, 2008

I think I would worry about being the only medical professional on the ship, especially based on what katnip shared. However, if I am with a physician, at least, I would probably sail off myself if it were not for my loving husband and son.

nghtfltguy, BSN, RN · Mar 4, 2008

one of my good friends does the cruise line nursing thing...

in my opinion.. if you can get the job... TAKE IT!!...

all i have heard about it is amazing!!

of course every cruise liner is different of course.. but he said that he has went on many cruises w/out ever really treating anyone for anything other than the sniffles.. and.. as mentioned above... there is a doc too.. in most cases...

i would love to have that job!!!

:cool:

spiritmagejkt · Mar 4, 2008

It would be a serious temptation for me and if I were younger and single I'd probably do something like that. At one point I seriously considered working in Central America or Mexico. It was really hard to immigrate legally though. I did a couple short term assignments down south of the border.

One thing to remember if your in the carribean your are not in the US you may have to deal with different drugs and equiptment. Mexican made medications are sometimes quite different than those made up north. When i was down there I could not find an English drug reference and had to rely heavily on the pharmacist.

THis was many years ago so things probably have changed since then. You're more on your own though experience and confidence will help. Sounds like a doc will be there too which will help of course.

Second language skills might be helpful depending on where your working.

benBELLA94 · Oct 6, 2012

Dear friends, I have just started my LPN training. My aim is to work on a Cruiser Line after my RN. It is a dream I have had for the past 10 years I'm also into Physical fitness, I would like to practice that too on the Ship.

Any advice on what courses or preps that I need to realize this dream.

roser13, ASN, RN · Oct 6, 2012

No courses to recommend. Just a couple years' ER /ICU work so that you truly would be capable of being the sole health care worker on a cruise ship.

brillohead, ADN, RN · Oct 7, 2012

First of all, you're not going to be the only health care worker on a cruise ship, unless it's an EXTREMELY small ship. Most of the major lines consider nurses and doctors (yes, they have doctors too) to be officers, not just crew members. Most lines give you a private room, although it will be small (ALL cabins are small on a ship, even the ones that the passengers get -- it's NOTHING like "The Love Boat" on tv!).

Most lines will have you be "on call" on a rotation basis with the other nurses on board, and your time is your own when you're not on call and the clinic isn't open (it's usually only open for a couple hours in morning and a couple hours in the afternoon) unless there is a patient in the infirmary, in which case you would "work your shift" in the infirmary when it's your turn to be on call.

In addition to the passengers, you are also a nurse for the crew. First aid for cuts/sprains, fluids for gastrointestinal bugs, and tracking and administering vaccinations for the crew members also falls to the doctors and nurses on the ship.

Most lines do require critical care experience, meaning ICU or ER. I assume this is because they want someone who is able to work semi-independently. While there is a physician on board (and often more than one), there is not a charge nurse there to help out when needed, and you need to be able to follow protocols and think critically on your feet. Nurses in the ICU and ER are allowed a lot more autonomy than nurses in most other units. Certifications that would probably come in handy would be ACLS and CCRN.