Trauma Nurse Job Description Template

Trauma and violence are devastating to communities and often cause pain and anxiety for patients, family members, and healthcare staff. Handling the stresses of trauma while performing essential clinical duties requires a strong, focused, and compassionate nurse. Trauma nurses are prone to burnout and have high rates of turnover, making it challenging to find a qualified employee with the skills necessary for long term success.

Crafting a well-written trauma nurse job description can help your facility attract professional nurses who have what it takes. The following sample job description template highlights the skills, qualifications, and responsibilities of an exceptional trauma nurse to help you recruit the best possible candidate for the job.

Trauma Nurse

Tips: When writing a trauma nurse job description, it’s important to start with a brief introduction to the role and patient population you serve. Some trauma nurses may work with patient transport services in ambulances and helicopters, while others work in hospital intensive care units (ICU) or emergency departments. Explaining the unique role of trauma nurses at your facility can help nurse applicants decide if your position is the right fit for them.

Outline your organization’s mission, vision, and values to give insight into what it’s like to work in your facility. List accolades, awards, and certifications to demonstrate your high-quality care. Nurses join the profession because they want to help people — show them how they can improve the lives of your patients while learning and growing with your team.

Template:

Looking to take your trauma nurse career to the next level? Here at [facility name] we’re looking to hire an experienced and certified critical care nurse to treat patients in our Orthopedic Trauma Intensive Care Unit.

At [facility name], our multidisciplinary team provides collaborative and comprehensive care to adult and pediatric trauma patients. Qualified nurse candidates will have a BSN degree and over three years of clinical experience working in emergency or intensive care settings. Our team has the expertise and motivation needed to improve care quality every day— it’s easy to see why we’ve been California’s “Safest Place to Receive Care” for the last 10 years.

Jumpstart your career as a trauma nurse and rediscover career fulfillment and satisfaction! Read below as we outline our competitive benefits, compensation, and schedule requirements. We’ll guide you straight to the job application and help you join our team.

Benefits

Tips: Keep candidates interested in your position by highlighting key perks of working with your organization. Show how you value nurses by providing details on healthcare insurance coverage, tuition assistance, paid time off, and investment opportunities. Be thorough; outlining top-tier financial and lifestyle benefits in your trauma nurse job description can place your position at the top of a candidate’s list.

Template:

• Competitive pay
• Low-cost healthcare, dental, and vision insurance
• FSA/HSA options
• 401(k) matching and access to or company’s excellent pension program
• Generous paid vacation/holiday/family leave
• Free continuing education (CE) courses — we’ll pay you up to 40 hours a year to go to classes!
• Annual scrub and non-slip footwear stipend
• Subsidized public transportation
• Tuition reimbursement of up to $8,000 per year

Duties and Responsibilities

Tips:Emergency trauma nurse descriptions should always outline clear role expectations. Because trauma nurse responsibilities differ greatly among healthcare facilities, it’s important to list the unique requirements of your position.

For example, trauma ICU nurse job descriptions may specify that nurses are expected to recover patients from surgery. Emergency room (ER) trauma nurse descriptions, however, may state that employees are responsible for triaging and admitting patients. It’s important to outline any specific demands of your organization to give nurse applicants an accurate depiction of what a work shift would look like.

Template:

Trauma nurse duties include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Triaging and admitting patients with a variety of health concerns like gun shot wounds, severe burns, bone fractures, and neurological trauma
• Assisting with medication administration, fluid resuscitation, and advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) efforts to recover unstable patients directly from the field
• Collaborating with physicians, therapists, dieticians, and assistive personnel to stabilize and transport patients to different hospital departments (radiology, inpatient care units, operating room, etc.)
• Serving as liaison between the care team and the patient/family and providing updates, education, and emotional support when possible
• Documenting vital signs, physical assessment findings, and intake/output values in the electronic health record (EHR)

Compensation and Schedule

Tips: When asked what matters most in a job description, one survey showed that nursing professionals prioritized a salary range over other aspects of a job description, including a description of benefits. Candidates like to weigh their options prior to submitting job applications. Giving a nurse clear compensation details can save them — and you — time and effort down the line.

Many nurses looking for a new job may also be wondering, “What are the trauma nurse hours and scheduling requirements for this position?” Make sure to review shift times and lengths, and outline any holiday, weekend, and on-call scheduling requirements in this section of your trauma nurse job description.

Template:

• Our trauma nurse salary starts at $86,000, with adjustments subject to education level and relevant leadership experience 
• Overtime, holiday, and incentive pay available
• Three scheduled 12-hour shifts per week. The following shifts are available: 3a-3p/3p-3a, 7a-7p/7p-7a, and 11a-11p/11p-11a
• Weekly pay periods

Trauma Nurse Qualifications and Skills

Tips: Job applicants may have questions regarding the degree, license, and certification requirements of the position. List trauma nurse education requirements and outline any specific trauma nurse skills or behaviors the nurse would need to be considered. Be sure to specify which qualifications are “required” and which are “preferred” to broaden your applicant pool.

Template:

Required Qualifications:

• Active and unencumbered RN license
• ADN required, BSN preferred
• BLS, ACLS, PALS, and NRP certified
• 3 years of experience working in a trauma setting (intensive care unit, emergency department, pre-hospital transport, or rapid response team)
• Ability to focus and communicate in a busy, high-stress setting
• Familiar with assessing and documenting using the START triage system

Preferred Qualifications:

• 8+ years experience as a trauma nurse at a Level I Trauma Center
• Previous leadership roles (charge nurse, team captain, code leader)
• Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN) certification
• Bilingual in English and Spanish

Call to Action

Tips: Finish your trauma nurse job description by guiding candidates directly to the job application. Include a call-to-action button labeled “Apply Now” or “Click Here to Apply” to send candidates to the next step. Be sure to make it fast and easy for nurses to upload their personal details, cover letters, and resume — you’d hate to lose them to technical difficulties or long, complicated forms.

Template:

Ready to make a difference in the lives of trauma patients? Join our emergency department team by clicking “apply now.” Thank you for your interest; we look forward to hearing from you!

Fill Your Open Trauma Nurse Position and Build Your Professional Team

If you’re working on developing a trauma nurse job description, you’re probably facing an array of staffing needs. Let IntelyCare help you build your nursing team quickly and efficiently by matching you with committed, professional employees to fill costly vacancies and optimize patient outcomes.