Endocrinology Nursing

traumaRUs, MSN, APRN

The Endocrinology Nurse (a sub-specialty of nursing) specializes in the care of patients who have endocrine disorders such as Diabetes Mellitus, Pituitary disorders, and Cushing's disease; working across the span of age groups.

Endocrine Disorders (not all-inclusive)

pediatric growth hormone deficits
adrenal insufficiency
thyroid abnormalities
pituitary tumors
thyroid abnormalities

Work Environment

Pediatric Endocrine Clinic

Clients that have genetic disorders might start out in a peds specialty clinic. There, nurses will care for and educate patients and parents. Some of the diagnoses nurses include:

growth hormone deficits
childhood obesity
osteogenesis imperfecta
congenital adrenal hyperplasia
precocious puberty
diabetes

Adult Endocrinology Clinic

low testosterone
diabetes
hyper- or hypothyroidism
adrenal insufficiency
osteoporosis
postmenopausal hormone replacement
other bone and metabolic disorders

Hospital In-patient Unit

This will be for either adult or pediatrics. It is more common to have these patients on a medical-surgical or general medical floor.

Ambulatory Clinic

Work in research in the area of endocrinology continues to become more popular. In this job, the nurse might work in an office setting assembling and/or collecting data.

Pharmaceutical Company

These companies typically hire endocrinology nurses for specialized sales positions.

Qualities of Endocrine Nurses

Thirst for Knowledge

Many endocrine disorders might be rare or not seen often, especially for nurses who work in more rural environments. These nurses might be left to their own devices to learn about these disorders. Some resources are found at the end of this article. Some of the more rare disorders might require a lit or internet search or perhaps networking with a colleague at a specialty research facility.

Patient/Family Education

Ability to convey complex educational concepts to patients and/or families on their learning level. As above, many of these disorders are fairly rare and many are very complex so it's important that the nurse is able to talk with patients and families of many backgrounds and intellects.

Compassionate

Many of these patients can feel isolated or alone. As an endocrinology nurse, you must be able to reassure the patient that a normal or near-normal lifestyle is possible either with or without modifications.

Flexible

Patients diagnosed with endocrine disorders can have the disorder as a co-morbid condition. This can result in highly-prioritized nursing care.

Education / Licensure

Graduate of an accredited nursing program
ADN- or BSN-prepared education
Current, unencumbered RN license in the state of practice

Certification

Currently, there is no specific certification for RNs or NPs that combines pediatrics and endocrinology. There are individual specialty options available such as becoming a Certified Diabetic Educator.

Salary (2020)

According to ZipRecruiter, the average salary for an Endocrinology Nurse in the U.S. is $99,371/year. Annual salaries are as high as $149,500 and as low as $23,000; the majority of salaries currently are between $89,000 (25th percentile) to $109,500 (75th percentile) across the U.S.

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