Registered Nurse Jobs in Nashville, TN
Registered nurses in Nashville earn a median of $40.40 an hour, and the city's hospital systems, from Vanderbilt University Medical Center to HCA's TriStar hospitals, run nurse residencies to bring new grads in. Here are the current RN openings, followed by who is hiring and how to get licensed in Tennessee.
Current registered nurse Openings in Nashville, TN
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Registered Nurse Work in Nashville
Nashville is a hospital town, and RNs are the backbone of it. The heaviest concentration of nursing jobs sits in the West End and Midtown medical district: Vanderbilt University Medical Center on Medical Center Drive, Saint Thomas Midtown on Church Street and TriStar Centennial on Patterson Street, a 741-bed campus with its own heart, women's and children's hospitals. Beyond that core, TriStar Skyline on Dickerson Pike is a comprehensive stroke center and provisional Level I trauma center, TriStar Summit serves Hermitage off I-40, TriStar Southern Hills covers south Nashville from Wallace Road, and Nashville General Hospital on Albion Street serves North Nashville.
That density works in a nurse's favor. With several competing systems inside Davidson County and more along I-24 in Murfreesboro and I-65 in Williamson County, Nashville RNs can change employers without changing their commute much, and hospitals compete with residencies, bonuses and float pools to keep units staffed.
Top Nashville Employers Hiring Registered Nurses
These Nashville hospital systems are recruiting registered nurses now or through standing nursing programs:
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center - the academic medical center and Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital, recruiting nursing applicants and nurse residents.
- TriStar Health - HCA Healthcare's Centennial, Skyline, Summit and Southern Hills hospitals, with RN and med-surg openings, new-grad roles and a Nurse Residency Program.
- Ascension Saint Thomas - the system behind Saint Thomas Midtown and Saint Thomas West, where Midtown has advertised RN roles with bonuses of up to $16,000.
- Nashville General Hospital - the city's safety-net hospital, hiring experienced RNs for its RN Pool in the ER, labor and delivery and ICU, plus a 9-month residency for new grads.
Registered Nurse Salaries in Nashville
- Entry level: about $33 to $39 an hour, roughly $69,000 to $81,000 a year, for new graduates and nurses early in their careers.
- Experienced: about $39 to $50 an hour, roughly $81,000 to $103,000 a year, for most staff nurses.
- Senior and specialized: $50 to $54 an hour and up, about $103,000 to $112,000 or more, for specialty, charge and highly experienced nurses.
These are estimates based on BLS wage data for the Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin metro, May 2025. Pay moves with your unit and specialty, night and weekend differentials, a BSN versus an associate degree, and the employer, and sign-on bonuses can add thousands in the first year.
How to Become a Registered Nurse in Nashville
You need a nursing degree from a program approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing, then a passing score on the NCLEX-RN and a Tennessee license from the Board. Nashville State Community College's White Bridge campus offers a two-year Nursing A.A.S. and an LPN to RN Pathway for practical nurses. Belmont University's Inman College of Nursing runs a four-year BSN, Tennessee State University offers a BSN in North Nashville, and Vanderbilt School of Nursing's Master of Nursing takes career changers with no nursing background to RN licensure in four full-time semesters. Tennessee is a Nurse Licensure Compact state, so a multistate license from another compact state is valid here.
What the Job Involves
Registered nurses assess patients, give medications and IV therapy, monitor vital signs and changes in condition, carry out physician orders, and teach patients and families how to manage care at home. Hospital RNs usually work three 12-hour shifts a week, chart everything in an electronic health record, supervise LPNs and nursing assistants, and coordinate with doctors, therapists and case managers.
Skills Employers Look For
- A current Tennessee or multistate RN license
- BLS, plus ACLS or PALS for critical care and pediatric units
- Clinical judgment and quick assessment skills
- Electronic health record charting
- Clear communication with patients, families and physicians
- Willingness to work nights, weekends and holidays
Career Path and Advancement
Many Nashville RNs start in a hospital nurse residency on a med-surg floor, then move into specialty units such as ICU, ER, labor and delivery or the OR. From there the ladder runs to charge nurse, nurse educator and nurse manager. Associate-degree nurses often finish a BSN while working, and nurses aiming higher can return to Vanderbilt School of Nursing for an MSN or DNP to become a nurse practitioner, nurse-midwife or nurse anesthetist.
Related Careers in Nashville
If nursing interests you, these Nashville guides are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do registered nurses make in Nashville?
BLS data for May 2025 puts the median RN wage in the Nashville metro at $40.40 an hour, about $84,000 a year. Most RNs fall between about $39 and $50 an hour, and the top tenth earn $53.86 or more.
Who licenses registered nurses in Tennessee?
The Tennessee Board of Nursing, part of the Tennessee Department of Health, licenses RNs. You must graduate from an approved nursing program and pass the NCLEX-RN before the Board issues your license.
Can I work in Nashville with a nursing license from another state?
Yes, if it is a multistate license from a Nurse Licensure Compact state, since Tennessee belongs to the compact. Nurses licensed in a non-compact state apply for a Tennessee license by endorsement through the Tennessee Board of Nursing.
Do Nashville hospitals hire new graduate nurses?
Yes. TriStar Health advertises new-grad RN roles and a Nurse Residency Program, Vanderbilt University Medical Center recruits nurse residents, and Nashville General Hospital runs a 9-month Nurse Residency Program for new graduates.
How long does it take to become an RN in Nashville?
The fastest route is Nashville State's two-year Nursing A.A.S., while Belmont's BSN takes four years. Career changers with no nursing background can finish Vanderbilt's Master of Nursing in four full-time semesters before sitting the NCLEX-RN.
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