What is an Endocrinology Nurse? Endocrinology Nursing is related to diabetes nursing but involves many more disease processes. So, its only fitting that it gets its own article. Many nurses have diabetic knowledge but there are many more obscure diseases that fall under the endocrine nursing domain. This is where the specialized endocrinology nurse comes in. #Diabetes #Endocrine Diseases #Endocrinology Nurses 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. 4 Likes About traumaRUs, MSN, APRN, CNS (Member) 14-yr RN experience, ER, ICU, pre-hospital RN, 12+ years experience Nephrology APRN. 165 Articles 21,045 Posts Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheMoonisMyLantern, ADN, LPN, RN Specializes in Mental health, substance abuse, geriatrics, PCU. Has 14 years experience. Feb 22 Nice article and intro to endocrinology nursing. It is so nice to see you post, I miss your wisdom and experience on these forums! 2 Likes
2BS Nurse Thursday On 2/21/2021 at 1:11 PM, traumaRUs said: 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. The salary above is for a NP. We definitely aren't making $90,000/ year as clinic RNs! 0 Likes