The role of the registered nurse (RN) is constantly evolving. With continual advancements in healthcare technology, telemetry nursing remains a key technology-centered field. Let’s review the steps to becoming a telemetry nurse and explore the career advancement that this specialty promotes.
What Is Telemetry Nursing?
A telemetry nurse is a type of RN who specializes in treating acute patient conditions that require telemetry tools to monitor patient vital signs.1
The word telemetry derives from the Greek root words tele, meaning remote, and metron, meaning measure. In medical settings, telemetry machines measure a patient’s vital signs, body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate and breathing rate, through sensors and transmit that data to a central machine.1
The telemetry unit of a hospital is reserved for patients who need continuous electronic monitoring of their condition.1 For example, hospitals use electrocardiograph machines to monitor patients with cardiovascular abnormalities, such as those recovering from cardiac surgery or complications. Telemetry nurses work in this unit and have extensive knowledge of how to interpret the data displayed by these tools to assess patients’ conditions and risks.1
Reasons to Choose a Career in Telemetry Nursing
In the United States, there is a critical nursing shortage of telemetry nursing staff and beyond. The projected job growth rate for RNs, from 2023 to 2033, is 6%.2 With global health challenges on the rise, healthcare systems require more skilled and qualified telemetry nurses who can become certified in this specialty.1
With heart disease still the leading cause of death in the United States, telemetry nursing units are essential for cardiac patient care.3 Life-extending treatment relies heavily on technology and the telemetry nurses trained to use it.1 Most importantly, a telemetry nurse plays an invaluable role in emergency response. They are trained to provide early intervention with medication, cardioversion or defibrillation as appropriate during a patient’s cardiac crisis.4,3
If you work well under pressure, are comfortable using technology and are drawn to helping patients with acute needs, telemetry nursing may be the right specialty for you.
How to Become a Telemetry Nurse
Before becoming a telemetry nurse, you must fulfill educational and training prerequisites.5
Step 1: Earn Your Nursing Degree
The first step on the telemetry nurse career path is to become an RN. To do so, earn an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from an accredited program. A BSN is required to be a telemetry nurse.
Step 2: Receive Your RN Certification/License
Once you graduate from your nursing program, you must take the National Council Licensure Examination for RNs (NCLEX-RN). Applicants with an associate degree (ADN) or a bachelor’s degree (BSN) in nursing are eligible for the exam. You must register for the NCLEX-RN in the state where you wish to practice.
Every U.S. state has a board of nursing that sets eligibility requirements that candidates must meet before taking the exam. Once the board validates your eligibility, you will register for the NCLEX-RN with Pearson VUE, the company that administers the test. Upon scheduling the date and time of your exam, you must pay the $200 registration fee.6
After you pass the NCLEX-RN and obtain your license from your state’s Board of Nursing, you are officially an RN—your first step toward pursuing a specialty field, including telemetry nursing.
Step 3: Gain Relevant Experience: Training and Courses
Some telemetry nursing specialty certifications, such as the PCCN, require RNs to have at least 1,750 practice hours working in progressive care with acutely ill patients. 7
A good way to build knowledge and skills while working is to take courses and get hands-on training in telemetric duties. Many such courses are available through the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), including Essentials of Critical Care Orientation and Essentials of ECG.8
Step 4: Obtain a Telemetry Nurse Certification and Credentials
Once you have the necessary clinical hours, many hospitals will require you to earn one of the following accredited certifications from the AACN:
PCCN Certification
The Progressive Care Certified Nurse (PCCN) is a specialty certification that permits registered nurses to provide direct care to acutely ill patients in any location.9
Cardiac Medicine Certification
The Cardiac Medicine Certification (CMC) is a subspecialty certification administered by the AACN for RNs to provide direct care for acutely ill adult cardiac patients.10 With this certification, nurses can work in telemetry units, medical ICUs, cardiac care units and more.
What Does a Telemetry Nurse Do?
In addition to their standard nursing duties, telemetry nurses work with a variety of technical equipment that monitors a patient’s vital signs. As a core member of the care team, a telemetry nurse can identify abnormalities of patient vitals in real time and take appropriate action. A typical telemetry nurse job description may include the following duties and skills.
- Education: In this patient-facing role, you’ll educate patients and families about heart health, lifestyle changes and home care, helping them take control of their health after discharge.
- Monitoring: You’ll track EKGs and vital signs to detect complications or treatment side effects, sharing findings with the care team for timely intervention.
- Treatment: Telemetry nurses administer medications, conduct diagnostic tests and provide life support when needed—drawing on broad RN experience to deliver high-quality, specialized care.
- Innovation: With constant tech advancements, telemetry nursing is a center for innovation, including tools that support remote patient monitoring and improved accessibility.
The telemetry unit, like other critical care units, can be an intense place due to the patients’ life-threatening conditions. Keep this in mind when applying for telemetry nursing roles. If you work in such an environment, make sure to take time for self-care so that you don’t experience nurse burnout.
Related Specialties
Given that the skills and certifications needed for telemetry nursing are transferable to other acute care settings, nurses looking to further their career or try something may work in ER and ICU positions.1 Similar nursing specialties include critical care nurses and neonatal nurse practitioners.
Telemetry Nurse Career Opportunities
While a telemetry nurse typically works in hospitals, they may also work in less-critical environments such as patient homes, telemetry monitoring centers, cardiac care centers and outpatient care centers. Career opportunities in telemetry nursing are available in almost any facility that uses electrocardiography and similar technology to monitor a patient’s condition.1
After gaining a few years of experience, some telemetry nurses may decide to further their education. Earning advanced degrees such as a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) can open doors to more advanced clinical roles and leadership opportunities within the specialty.5
Telemetry Nurse Salary
According to Payscale, the average telemetry nurse salary is $70,000 per year ($39.50/hr) as of March 2025.***11
Telemetry nursing can be a demanding yet rewarding role for RNs who want to positively impact patient lives. If you’re looking for exposure to technology and intensive patient care, telemetry nursing is a promising career path.
The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) offers a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Post-Graduate Nursing Certificates designed for working nurses. Our degrees are offered online, with optional on-campus immersions.* Role specialties include Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)** and Nurse Executive. The MSN and DNP have options to accelerate your time to degree completion. Earn your advanced nursing degree while keeping your work and life in balance.
*The FNP role specialty includes one required hands-on clinical intensive as part of the curriculum. The PMHNP role specialty includes one required virtual clinical intensive as part of the curriculum.
**The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner role specialty is not available for the DNP program.
***The information provided on this website is based on self-reported data and is intended for general informational purposes only. Payscale is a limited data source that relies on voluntary submissions from individuals and employers. Please be aware that the accuracy, completeness, and reliability of the data may vary due to its voluntary nature and limited scope. While efforts are made to maintain the data’s accuracy, we cannot guarantee its absolute correctness or currency.
Salary data may not reflect starting pay for recent graduates.
Sources
- Telemetry Nurse Career Guide, Johnson & Johnson, 2025, https://nursing.jnj.com/specialty/telemetry-nurse.
- Registered Nurses, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Bureau of Labor Statistics, April 18, 2025, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Leading Causes of Death,” CDC, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm.
- Wikipedia, “Coronary care unit”, Wikipedia, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronary_care_unit#Subacute_coronary_care.
- McCoy, A., “How to Become a Telemetry Nurse,” NursingEducation, October 14, 2024, https://nursingeducation.org/careers/telemetry-nurse/how-to-become/.
- Pearson Vue, “Pearson Vue,” Pearson Vue, 2025, https://home.pearsonvue.com/.
- American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, “PCCN (Adult)”, AACN, 2025, https://www.aacn.org/certification/get-certified/pccn-adult.
- American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, “American Association of Critical-Care Nurses,” AACN, 2025, https://www.aacn.org/.
- American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, PCCN (Adult), AACN, https://www.aacn.org/certification/get-certified/pccn-adult.
- American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, “CMC (Adult)”, AACN https://www.aacn.org/certification/get-certified/cmc-adult.
- Payscale, “Average Telemetry Nurse Hourly Pay,” Payscale, March 5, 2025, https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Telemetry_Nurse/Hourly_Rate.
