Meet a Rehabilitation Nurse

Some prospective healthcare workers may wonder, “What is a rehabilitation nurse?” This page explores job responsibilities for these nurses and includes information on how to become a rehabilitation nurse.

Along with an interview with a rehab nurse, this page explores a typical rehabilitation nurse job description, salary expectations, and the pros and cons of the career.

The following conversation with rehabilitation nurse Ashley Cress, RN, BSN, CBIS, describes her role and includes advice to anyone considering this line of work, such as the most challenging and most rewarding aspects of the job.

Rehabilitation nursing was not initially a specialty of interest for me. However, while working in acute care, I wanted to be more involved in the post-acute phase of recovery. I found the idea of assisting patients in regaining their independence and improving their overall quality of life to be rewarding.

I’ve always been interested in the neuroscience field, especially stroke-related care. Assisting patients recovering from brain injuries, whether mild or severe, is a challenging feat, but rewarding beyond measure.

The Centre for Neuro Skills offers a comprehensive approach to brain injury recovery. Services include physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, as well as case management and medical oversight.

The different disciplines collaborate and devise a treatment plan to maximize a patient’s recovery. Outside physician consultations are essential for diagnosing specific conditions that we can treat during the rehabilitation process, including vestibular impairments, visual deficits, etc. We encourage families to participate in the rehabilitation process as much as possible.

With rehabilitation nursing, you are treating not just the patient, but the families, as well. By getting the families involved in their loved ones’ care early on, you can assist with decreasing caregiver burden and also provide vital brain injury education, setting families up for success once a patient discharges.

At the Centre for Neuro Skills, clinical case managers are responsible for managing patients’ overall rehabilitation programs. A typical day may include ensuring that patients’ authorizations are up to date, discussing patient programs with the therapists, communicating with insurance and workers’ compensation carriers, and providing an additional support system to patients and their family members.

You can wear many hats as a clinical case manager, not only assisting with the medical care of your patients, but also by assisting with social work duties, including setting up outside services like Medicaid benefits.

Stepping aside from my comfort zone in bedside nursing was a challenge at first, but my nursing background has proven essential in understanding and managing our patients’ complex medical care and needs.

One of the biggest challenges in brain injury rehabilitation nursing is making sure that you are maximizing a patient’s program within the insurance-authorized timeframe. For example, it can be challenging starting a patient’s program knowing that you only have seven authorized days, but understanding how to manage those seven days is the important part.

By far, the greatest reward of rehabilitation nursing is watching the progress of your patients. Witnessing your patients arrive at the facility in a wheelchair and leave walking without an assistive device is the best feeling. All of our patients are inspirational, and I am truly in awe of their perseverance and strength.

The best advice was given to me by our previous medical director. To paraphrase, he said, “Always be a patient advocate. You can never go wrong when fighting for what is best for your patient.” These words are true in every aspect of nursing. When your patient is in their most vulnerable state, it is the nurse’s responsibility to ensure they are receiving the best care and therapy.

It takes 2-4 years to become a rehabilitation nurse and an additional two years to earn rehabilitation nurse certification.

The average annual rehabilitation nurse salary is $68,300, with an average hourly pay of $30.12, according to PayScale as of July 2021. This figure dips lower than the average annual wage ($75,330) or hourly pay ($36.00) of all RNs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

However, nurses with certification, advanced degrees, or extensive experience can earn considerably more than the average rehabilitation nurse salary. Many rehabilitation nurses also find the work tremendously rewarding.