What is a step-down nurse and how to become one

Key steps to become a step-down nurse

1. Explore step-down nurse education requirements

   Most common step-down nurse degrees

   Bachelor's

   55.9 %

   Associate

   32.0 %

   Master's

   5.5 %

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2. Start to develop specific step-down nurse skills

   Skills	Percentages
   Patients	29.82%
   BLS	14.66%
   Acute Care	8.22%
   Life Support	7.08%
   Acls	6.17%

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3. Complete relevant step-down nurse training and internships

   Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New step-down nurses learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a step-down nurse based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real step-down nurse resumes.

4. Obtain the necessary licensing

   Becoming a licensed step-down nurse usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed step-down nurse in most of states. 43 states require step-down nurses to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

   State	Education	Exam	License Url
   Alabama	Degree required	State exam required	Registered Nurse (RN)
   Alaska	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Nurse, Registered
   Arkansas	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Registered Nurse (RN)
   California	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Nurse, Registered
   Colorado	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Registered Nurse

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5. Research step-down nurse duties and responsibilities

   • Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
   • Work with EKG monitor technicians to evaluate and interpret EKG strips.
   • Interpret laboratory results and cardiac tests, and proactively educate patients in health promotion and disease prevention.
   • Initiate intravenously therapy, administer medications, provide care for post-operative open-heart patients and post cardiac catheter patients.

6. Prepare your step-down nurse resume

   When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your step-down nurse resume.

   You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a step-down nurse resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

   Choose From 10+ Customizable Step-Down Nurse Resume templates

   Build a professional Step-Down Nurse resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Step-Down Nurse resume.
   

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7. Apply for step-down nurse jobs

   Now it's time to start searching for a step-down nurse job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

   1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
   2. Consult your professional network
   3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
   4. Watch out for job scams