RN looking for info. on hyperbaric certification

[osiris7]

Hi, I'm an RN with six years of experience, primarily in ICU and telemetry. I am interested in becoming certified in hyperbaric nursing. Any information would be appreciated. TNx!

------------------

wherever you go, there you are.

[diverjed]

What do you know about Navy trained hyperbaric RN's. I am a new BSN and application is in for Navy. Is this a good opportunity to get hyperbaric cert'd? With so few chambers out there, are there enough jobs and is the pay good if I get out?

Chris

[bajamedic]

I see it was many years ago u posted this have you found a Hyperbaric gig yet.

It is nice to see you use your P-medic designation in your title. Thanks.

[djaychris]

Hyperbarics is certainly a tiny but exciting speciality. I run a tiny hyperbaric center with monoplace chambers. I have been considering pursuing certification, but it is not easy for those of us who don't live near large bodies of water. It would seem that all the classes and courses are offered near coastal facilities. This means most classes are often cost prohibitive by the time you pay for travel costs, lodging for an entire week, and course registration and materials. Then, once your ready to take the exam, it can be tricky to even find a place to test in certain states. This can mean additional travel expenses to test out of state. I've found that my center is unique in that it offers critical care capacity, which many do not. Managing an intubated patient with an arterial line on multiple drips inside a mono-place chamber can be quite challenging, but I absolutely love it. I do believe that in the future there will be a higher demand for nurses who have a background in hyperbarics, and even higher demand for those that have experience treating critically ill hyperbaric patients. Good luck to you.

[DanMacRN]

I have a Question. According to the Hyperbaric nurse Association guidelines you have to be practicing hyperbaric nursing before you can become certified in it. Isn't that a catch-22? I want to become certified as a hyperbaric nurse but I do not currently work as a hyperbaric nurse. What do I do?

[ascnbe, ADN, RN]

Like all fields of nursing, you don't have to be certified to do the job. You can get the job as a nurse in a hyperbaric unit without the certification. If you want to work hyperbarics, learn wound care. It is a big part of the job and if you have that background it will help get you in the door of a hyperbaric unit. I started out as a commercial diver before becoming a nurse. So it was an easy transition.

.