Why should I work as a rehab nurse?

If you’re first embarking on your nursing career, or if you’re considering a change in your nursing specialization, there’s never been a better time to consider the rewarding career of rehabilitation nursing.

If you love collaborating with a team, are inspired to keep learning, and aren’t afraid to take on a leadership role when it comes to your patients’ care, rehab nursing might be the perfect next step in your career.

Rehab nurses help patients with disabilities, chronic illnesses, and debilitating injuries recover and resume daily activities, so the role you play as a rehab nurse can have an astounding effect on your patients’ lives. And best of all, since rehab nurses often work with patients over several weeks or months, you get to watch your patients’ progress and experience the gratification that comes with their successful recovery of function.

What is a Rehab Nurse?

Rehabilitation nurses are a critical part of the recovery care team for patients with chronic illnesses, and patients healing from debilitating injuries. Rehab nurses can work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, community and home health facilities, and rehabilitation centers such as Brooks Rehabilitation.

As a rehab nurse, you’ll work alongside a dynamic team of healthcare specialists, including physical therapists, occupational therapists, psychiatrists, speech therapists, and more. Your team of professional colleagues will depend on the needs of your individual patient — and as a rehab nurse, you will play a huge role in determining your patient’s care and recovery plan.

Roles and Responsibilities of Rehab Nurses

One of the most gratifying aspects of rehab nursing is directing the care of your patients, and seeing them progress in their healing and recovery over time.

In addition to directing patient care, as a rehab nurse, you can also take on responsibilities such as developing and implementing learning resources and discharge plans, coordinating care with other team members, and serving as a resource and leader for nursing and healthcare staff, as well as an educator in your community.

Because of the variety of roles you might take on as a rehabilitation nurse, this career path is especially suited for curious problem-solvers who prefer to avoid monotonous work. As a rehab nurse, no two days on the job will ever be quite alike.

Inpatient and Outpatient Rehab Nursing vs. Nursing Home Settings

Rehabilitation nurses can work in both inpatient and outpatient settings, including hospitals, community settings, and rehabilitation centers. Some rehab nurses work with patients in their own homes.

Regardless of the setting in which it takes place, rehab nursing differs from the care given in long-term, inpatient nursing homes. While in nursing home settings, RNs often direct patient care, but the goals of the daily care given to patients differs from those of rehabilitation nursing.

Rehab nursing is defined by its intention to help the patient regain the skills or function necessary to move out of treatment and back into the community. In contrast, nursing homes provide long-term residential care for patients who are unable to take care of themselves due to medical, cognitive, or functional issues.

Can LPNs work as Rehab Nurses?

Licensed Practical Nurses, or LPNs, are a necessary part of the care team in many rehabilitation settings. While LPNs do not require the same degree of education and accreditation as RNs, LPNs perform vital functions for patients recovering from illness or injury. At Brooks Rehabilitation, in addition to hiring RNs, we are currently hiring LPNs in multiple locations throughout Central and Northeast Florida.

If you’re interested in transitioning into a career in healthcare, becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse is a great option. You can often gain the necessary training and accreditation to begin your LPN career in only one to two years at a community college or vocational school. Once you finish your coursework and accreditation, LPNs can immediately begin making an average of around $50,000 per year.

If you decide you want to become a Registered Nurse after working as an LPN, there are many bridge programs that can help you gain the next degree level, which generally comes with a significant salary boost; registered nurses make an average of nearly $80,000 per year.

Benefits of a Career in Rehab Nursing

Rehab nurses are in high demand in today’s healthcare settings. In addition to attractive workplace benefits such as healthcare coverage, paid holidays, and competitive remuneration, rehab nurses also experience many less tangible benefits, such as high career satisfaction and numerous opportunities for career variety and advancement.

Satisfaction

Rehab nurses often work with patients over a prolonged period of time as they recover from illness or injury. As a result, as a rehab nurse, you are able to see the gains a patient makes throughout the recovery process.

Each patient’s needs and goals are unique, and you will work as part of an integrated care team to enable patients to return to their regular life. Aiding a patient as they regain independence and return to their community is one of the most satisfying and rewarding aspects of rehabilitation nursing.

Longevity

Rehab nurses are highly in demand in contemporary healthcare settings. As a result, when you embark on your career as a rehab nurse, you are certain to gain career stability. Because there are so many potential directions to take, even if you move on from one aspect of rehabilitation nursing, you will have other opportunities to explore.

At Brooks Rehabilitation, team members are celebrating 20, 25, and 30 year anniversaries of working with us. The team-oriented culture at Brooks allows for a truly rewarding, long-term career in rehabilitation nursing.

Variety and Advancement

Rehab nurses are constantly encountering new problems to solve as they guide the care for each patient’s optimal recovery. As a result, rehabilitation nursing offers opportunities for continued learning and workplace variety at each step of your career.

Advanced specializations in different areas of rehabilitation nursing offer RNs multiple paths for continuing to advance their education and careers. Specialization opportunities include wound care, gerontology, pain management, and case management, as well as other education and leadership roles.

Service

If you are a community-oriented person, rehabilitation nursing is a great fit for you. In addition to working within a community of healthcare professionals to enable patients’ recovery, rehab nurses sometimes serve as community educators and legislative advocates.

With these kinds of service and outreach efforts, rehab nurses can make an impact on their patients as well as their communities.

Rehab Nursing at Brooks

Team members at Brooks Rehabilitation work together to provide the best patient care. The culture at Brooks is guided by our values of accountability, compassion, and continuous learning. As a rehab nurse at Brooks, you will join a dynamic team to help patients recover from illness or injury.

In addition to the rewarding experience of helping your patients regain life skills and independence as they heal, as a rehabilitation nurse with Brooks, you will enjoy the gratifying team-oriented culture and numerous benefits that come with a career at Brooks. Brooks currently has opportunities for both RNs and LPNs in a variety of locations throughout Central and Northeast Florida.

Brooks Rehabilitation Benefits

As a nurse at Brooks Rehabilitation, you will enjoy the robust employee benefits that Brooks offers, including medical insurance with dental, vision, and prescription coverage, plus life insurance. In addition to competitive pay, some roles include a sign-on bonus!

The benefits of embarking on your rehab nursing career at Brooks don’t end there, though. Brooks Rehabilitation also offers team members tax-advantaged flexible spending and health savings account (HSA) options. Brooks will even contribute to employee’s HSAs. Additionally, Brooks offers free counseling sessions through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

In addition to health benefits, Brooks provides team members plenty of paid time off, as well as paid holidays. After being a part of the Brooks team for a year, employees are also eligible for tuition reimbursement.

Nurses can take advantage of this educational benefit in order to gain a new specialization or advanced degree. As a nurse at Brooks, you will have countless opportunities to continue to advance in your nursing career and in your education.

Submit Your Resume Today

Brooks Rehabilitation is currently hiring Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, and Certified Nursing Assistants for both full- and part-time positions in Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, Gainesville, Fernandina Beach, and other cities throughout Central and Northeast Florida.

With so many flexible options for hours and locations, plus lucrative sign-on bonuses offered for multiple positions, you can’t go wrong with a new career as a rehab nurse at Brooks.

Begin a gratifying career in rehabilitation nursing with Brooks Rehabilitation today. Apply today!