What is a Trauma Nurse Practitioner? (Duties, Steps to Become, & Salary)


Written By: Pattie TrumblePattie Trumble, MPP, MPH

Pattie Trumble is a nurse who worked in both California and New York for many years as an emergency room nurse. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and an Associate Degree in Nursing from the Samuel Merritt Hospital School of Nursing. Read Full Bio »»
, MPP, MPH


Are you someone who keeps your cool even in emergencies, calmly doing what needs to get done even when the scene around you crackles with chaos, confusion, and tension? Then, you may have what it takes to become a trauma nurse practitioner. What is a trauma nurse practitioner? Trauma nurse practitioners are first responders within hospitals and medical centers who care for the victims of motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries, natural disasters, gunshots, explosions, and a host of other events that result in the types of life-threatening injuries 911 was implemented to deal with. This article is an in-depth look at the role of the trauma nurse practitioner – what do they do, steps-to-become, and salary.


What Does a Trauma Nurse Practitioner Do? – 6 Main Duties and Responsibilities


Trauma nurse practitioners have a single mission: to help stabilize the patients in their care. They work collaboratively with members of the facility’s trauma team, a multidisciplinary group of medical professionals with expertise in specialties like surgery, emergency medicine, and intensive care, working together under the direction of a designated team leader. Trauma nurse practitioner responsibilities include:

1. Briefing: Since trauma nurse practitioners are typically already in the emergency room when they receive communication that a trauma patient is on the way by ambulance or helicopter, they are often the ones who receive information about that patient’s condition from the transport team. It is their responsibility to pass on that information accurately to other members of the trauma team.


2. Assessment, Primary Survey: Trauma nurse practitioners participate in the “primary survey,” the initial assessment and management of a patient that’s designed to detect life-threatening conditions like large-volume blood loss, airway obstruction, and neurological deterioration. Medical trauma facilities use trauma care checklists as a tool to ensure that patients are assessed systematically so that no life-saving intervention a patient may need is missed.

3. Assessment, Secondary Survey: Trauma nurse practitioners also participate in the “secondary survey,” a head-to-toe examination that optimally includes a complete medical history containing information about any medications the patient may be on and any allergies the patient may have that might interfere with medical interventions.

4. Administration of medications: The trauma nurse practitioner is often responsible for administering and recording medications given during primary and secondary surveys. Trauma NPs will also order and help interpret necessary lab tests and imaging studies.

5. Procedures: Trauma nurse practitioners perform many procedures needed during primary and secondary surveys. These procedures can include intubation, chest tube insertions, and central intravenous line placements.

6. Continuity of care: Once a trauma patient is stabilized and transferred to the acute care unit for recovery, the trauma NP may continue to work as a liaison with the intensive care unit team, attending trauma team and ICU rounds and helping to coordinate follow-up care.


Where Do Trauma Nurse Practitioners Mostly Work? – Top 3 Work Settings


Trauma nurse practitioners provide care in a number of different medical environments, including:

1. Trauma Centers: Many trauma nurse practitioners work in trauma centers, which are healthcare facilities that meet specific criteria established at the regulatory level by state and local authorities. The American College of Surgeons evaluates trauma centers at three-year intervals to ensure they meet these government-mandated requirements.

2. Hospital Units: Trauma NPs frequently work in emergency departments, intensive care units, and specialty acute critical care departments, such as cardiac or burn units.

3. Ground and Air Medical Transport Services: TNPs often serve as members of medical transport teams that deliver critical medical services while conveying patients between medical facilities or from the scene of an accident to a medical facility.


What is the Typical Work Schedule and Work Hours of a Trauma NP?


A trauma nurse practitioner’s work schedule depends upon where they work. TNPs who work in Level 1 trauma centers typically work 12.5-hour shifts that often involve overtime because you can’t walk away in the middle of a life-saving intervention just because your shift is through. Trauma centers are open 24/7, so TNPs will either work day shifts (7:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.) or night shifts (7:00 p.m. to 7:30 a.m.) Similarly, Trauma NPs in hospital acute care units also work 12.5-hour shifts.

Emergencies happen when they’re least expected, so trauma nurse practitioners working with transport teams generally have highly variable schedules that often include being on call at night, on weekends, and on holidays. Shift lengths can range anywhere from eight to 24 hours. In rural communities, it’s not unusual for TNPs to spend 24 hours at their job, followed by 24 hours on call.


What Education is Required to Become a Trauma Nurse Practitioner After High School?


Becoming a trauma nurse practitioner will take you five to nine years. You must have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (three to four years) to enroll in a graduate nursing program. To become accredited as an advanced practice RN, you’ll need to earn either a Master’s of Science in Nursing degree (one to two years) or a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree (three to four years.)

Trauma is not one of the specific health specialty areas outlined in the APRN consensus model. While a handful of programs offer post-master’s certifications in emergency/trauma nurse practice, a nurse who goes on to become a trauma NP trains either as adult-gerontology acute care or pediatric acute care nurse practitioner or as a family nurse practitioner. No specific certification test exists dedicated to trauma nurse practice. However, there are certification tests for emergency nurse practitioners and trauma-certified registered nurses, both of which require approximately two years of professional experience in the field.


How Long Does it Take to Become a Trauma NP After High School?


Program TypeProgram Length
BSN36 to 48 Months
BSN-to-MSN (NP)12 to 24 Months
BSN-to-DNP (NP)36 to 48 Months


How Much Does it Cost to Become a Trauma NP After High School?


Program TypeProgram Cost
BSN$8,730 - $219,450
BSN-to-MSN (NP)$20,740 - $201,980
BSN-to-DNP (NP)$28,390 - $277,320


What is the Step-by-Step Process of Becoming a Trauma Nurse Practitioner After High School?


(The following is a step-by-step process to become a Trauma NP after high school.)


STEP #1: Become a registered nurse

All trauma nurse practitioners begin their professional journeys as registered nurses. In nursing school, focus on acute care. Graduates of both associate nursing degree pathways and BSN programs are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam.


STEP #2: Pursue relevant certifications

See below.


STEP #3: Enroll in an ER Nurse Fellowship program

See below.


STEP #4: Work as an RN in an emergency department

Landing a job in an ER as a new graduate may be challenging. Your best bet is to apply to teaching hospitals or smaller hospitals that are less likely to have intense competition for positions they post.


STEP #5: Earn Trauma Certified Registered Nurse accreditation

Once you have two years of professional experience working in an ER, you’ll be eligible to take the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing’s (BCEN) Trauma Certified Registered Nurse exam.


STEP #6: Become a nurse through an MSN or a DNP program

MSN and DNP programs are both routes to becoming a nurse practitioner. Although a push exists to make the DNP the terminal nurse practitioner program, MSN programs are shorter and generally more clinically oriented.


STEP #7: Purse a post-master’s certificate in emergency/trauma nurse practice

Drexel University offers a 25-credit online post-master's certificate in emergency/trauma nurse practice.


STEP #8: Join professional trauma nurse practitioner organizations

Professional trauma nurse practitioner organizations can keep you abreast of current trends in your chosen field and are an affordable source for the continuing education courses you will need to maintain your NP and other certifications. They are also great for networking, which will help you find employment.


STEP #9: Find employment as a trauma nurse practitioner

Trauma nurse practitioners are in high demand across diverse practice settings in many locations.


What are the Required or Recommended Certifications for Trauma Nurse Practitioners?


At the very least, you’ll need Basic Life Support (BLS) for healthcare professionals, Advanced Cardiac Life (ACLS), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support certifications to become a trauma nurse practitioner.

Although it wasn’t specifically developed for advanced practice RNs, BCEN’s Trauma Certified Registered Nurse accreditation is highly relevant to the field of first response. BCEN also offers qualifying exams for Certified Emergency Nursing (CEN), Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN), Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN), Certified Transport Registered Nurse (CTRN), and Certified Burn Registered Nurse (CBRN.)

Other useful certifications include Neonatal Resuscitation Certification (NRP), the STABLE neonatal post-resuscitation/pre-transport certification, Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC), Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course (ENPC), Advanced Trauma Care for Nurses (ATCN), and Trauma Care After Resuscitation (TCAR.)


Are There any Fellowship or Residency Programs Available for Trauma Nurse Practitioners?


The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) has developed an emergency nurse fellowship program to help new RN graduates transition to competent emergency department practice. Presently, some 62 hospitals in the U.S. implement ENA’s model, and that number is growing. Among the hospitals implementing ENA’s ER nurse fellowship format are two Kaiser Permanente medical centers, five Penn State University medical centers, Yale New Haven Hospital’s Saint Raphael Campus, University of Vermont Medical Center, University of Rochester Medical Center, and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center- Chautauqua.


What is the Starting Salary of a New Grad Trauma Nurse Practitioner?


When you’re just beginning your career as a trauma nurse practitioner, you can expect to earn $94,280 annually. That breaks down to $45.33 an hour, $1,813 a week, or $7,860 a month.

Hourly$45.33
Weekly$1,813
Monthly$7,860
Annual$94,280


What is the Average Salary of a Trauma Nurse Practitioner?


The average trauma nurse practitioner salary is $134,580 a year, equivalent to $64.70 an hour, $2,588 a week, or $11,220 a month. Trauma nurse practitioners typically achieve this milestone in their tenth professional year.

Hourly$64.70
Weekly$2,588
Monthly$11,220
Annual$134,580
(Source: Nursingprocess.org)


What is the Salary by Level of Experience of a Trauma NP?


Time is the critical factor in the initial care of a trauma patient, and the more experienced you are as a trauma NP, the more efficiently you work. Thus, TNPs with one to four years of experience earn 18 percent more than TNPs when they first start—$111,450 compared to $94,280. TNPs with five to nine years of experience earn $131,270 or 39 percent more. After two or more decades on the job, trauma nurse practitioners’ salaries rise to $178,360, nearly twice the entry-level wage.

Level of ExperienceHourlyWeeklyMonthlyAnnual
Entry-Level$45.33$1,813$7,860$94,280
1-4 Years of Experience$53.58$2,143$9,290$111,450
5-9 Years of Experience$63.11$2,524$10,940$131,270
10-19 Years of Experience$70.30$2,812$12,190$146,230
20 Years or More Experience$85.75$3,430$14,860$178,360


What is the Average Salary of a Trauma NP by State?


StateHourlyWeeklyMonthlyAnnual
Alabama$55.33$2,213$9,590$115,080
Alaska$60.40$2,416$10,470$125,630
Arizona$63.00$2,520$10,920$131,050
Arkansas$55.58$2,223$9,630$115,610
California$82.06$3,283$14,220$170,690
Colorado$60.43$2,417$10,470$125,690
Connecticut$68.24$2,729$11,830$141,930
Delaware$62.57$2,503$10,850$130,140
Florida$57.25$2,290$9,920$119,070
Georgia$59.91$2,396$10,380$124,610
Hawaii$66.59$2,663$11,540$138,500
Idaho$61.09$2,444$10,590$127,070
Illinois$63.47$2,539$11,000$132,020
Indiana$63.17$2,527$10,950$131,400
Iowa$66.52$2,661$11,530$138,360
Kansas$57.95$2,318$10,050$120,540
Kentucky$56.72$2,269$9,830$117,970
Louisiana$61.35$2,454$10,630$127,600
Maine$61.39$2,456$10,640$127,690
Maryland$62.09$2,484$10,760$129,150
Massachusetts$71.98$2,879$12,480$149,710
Michigan$59.04$2,362$10,230$122,810
Minnesota$66.51$2,660$11,530$138,340
Mississippi$60.85$2,434$10,550$126,570
Missouri$58.74$2,349$10,180$122,170
Montana$62.25$2,490$10,790$129,490
Nebraska$61.74$2,470$10,700$128,420
Nevada$70.70$2,828$12,250$147,050
New Hampshire$65.27$2,611$11,310$135,770
New Jersey$74.34$2,973$12,890$154,620
New Mexico$67.24$2,689$11,650$139,850
New York$73.41$2,937$12,730$152,700
North Carolina$59.39$2,376$10,300$123,540
North Dakota$59.13$2,365$10,250$122,990
Ohio$60.95$2,438$10,560$126,770
Oklahoma$63.18$2,527$10,950$131,410
Oregon$70.71$2,828$12,260$147,070
Pennsylvania$62.56$2,502$10,840$130,120
Rhode Island$65.00$2,600$11,270$135,200
South Carolina$56.63$2,265$9,820$117,800
South Dakota$60.00$2,400$10,400$124,790
Tennessee$51.55$2,062$8,940$107,220
Texas$64.69$2,588$11,210$134,560
Utah$60.00$2,400$10,400$124,790
Vermont$60.51$2,421$10,490$125,870
Virginia$60.71$2,428$10,520$126,270
Washington$70.37$2,815$12,200$146,360
West Virginia$55.42$2,217$9,610$115,270
Wisconsin$62.90$2,516$10,900$130,830
Wyoming$59.80$2,392$10,370$124,380


What is the Job Outlook Like for This Career?


According to the Centers for Disease Control, traumatic injuries are the leading cause of death among people younger than 44. This is why the demand for trauma nurse practitioners is expected to rise nearly 45 percent between 2022 and 2032.

2022-32
+44.54%


Useful Organizations and Associations

1. Society of Trauma Nurses (STN)

2. American Trauma Society (ATS)


My Final Thoughts


After reading this article, you should have enough information about what a trauma nurse practitioner does to wonder, “Is this APRN specialty for me?” Yes, it very well could be if you are an individual who works well as part of a team and knows how to think clearlys when pressure mounts. If this piece about trauma nurse practitioner – what do they do, steps-to-become, and salary motivates you to investigate this career choice further, a great first step might be signing up for a Red Cross CPR course. That will enable you to see if you have an aptitude for quick, targeted, life-saving interventions that must be second nature for trauma nurse practitioners.


Frequently Asked Questions Answered


1. On Average, How Much Does A Trauma NP Make Per Hour?

The average salary of a Trauma nurse practitioner per hour is $64.70.

$64.70


2. On Average, How Much Does A Trauma NP Make Per Week?

The average salary of a Trauma nurse practitioner per week is $2,588.

$2,588


3. On Average, How Much Does A Trauma NP Make Per Month?

The average salary of a Trauma nurse practitioner per month is $11,220.

$11,220


4. On Average, How Much Does A Trauma NP Make Per Year?

The average salary of a Trauma nurse practitioner per year is $134,580.

$134,580


List Of Sources Used For This Article


1. Position Statement on The Role of the Nurse Practitioner in Trauma: https://www.traumanurses.org/_resources/documents/news/legislature/position_on_role_of_nurse_practitioners.pdf
2. State-Level Variability in the Number of Level 1 Trauma Centers Per Capita in the United States: https://www.annemergmed.com/article/S0196-0644(23)00370-0/fulltext
3. The WHO Trauma Care Checklist: https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/emergencies-trauma-care/trauma-congress-630_a3e8707b-6cd6-4482-a3cf-70019f677abe.pdf?sfvrsn=3a553ced_8&download=true
4. Trauma Center Levels Explained: https://www.amtrauma.org/page/traumalevels#
5. Trauma Nurse Career Guide: https://nursing.jnj.com/specialty/trauma-nurse#
6. Emergency Nurses Association: Find a Residency Program: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=10gwFNDYSCFdhDbc0O9zvO0sEvW-vT_U&%3Bll=43.47736980000003%2C-70.49034419999998&%3Bz=8&ll=39.23420773230706%2C-93.77761833745109&z=4
7. Injuries and Violence Are Leading Causes of Death: https://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/animated-leading-causes.html


Pattie Trumble, MPP, MPH
Pattie Trumble is a nurse who worked in both California and New York for many years as an emergency room nurse. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and an Associate Degree in Nursing from the Samuel Merritt Hospital School of Nursing. After 10 years of providing direct care, she went back to school and earned concurrent Master’s degrees in both public policy and public health from the University of California, Berkeley. Thereafter, she worked for various public health agencies in California at both the community and state levels providing economic and legislative analysis.