How to Become a Fitness Nurse

Do you love coaching people to work towards their goals? Interested in working with patients on a long-term basis to improve their health? You might consider becoming a fitness nurse. In this nontraditional nursing role, you’ll help patients with basic and complex health needs to promote wellness and physical activity.

Unlike acute care nursing specialties, fitness nursing focuses on health promotion rather than treating illness. Across the lifespan, physical activity enhances overall health. Yet many people face barriers to exercise — physical limitations, chronic illnesses, weakness, and others. Fitness nurses work to help people experience the benefits of exercising safely, by creating tailored workout plans that address individual needs.

Fitness nurses can also work with elite athletes, whose exercise regimens and goals require expert guidance. They may function as part of a sports medicine group, supporting individuals and teams in competition. If you’re interested in a career in fitness nursing, you could work in a variety of settings, such as:

• General and specialty rehabilitation centers.
• Retirement and skilled nursing facilities.
• Corporate wellness centers.
• Fitness clubs.
• Sports medicine clinics.
• Sports competitions.
• Athlete’s medical and training teams.
• Private training businesses.

What Are Fitness Nurses?

Sometimes called a wellness nurse or nurse health coach, these registered nurses (RNs) specialize in promoting health and wellness through fitness and lifestyle interventions. They combine their clinical expertise with a focus on preventive care to empower individuals and communities to adopt healthier habits and improve overall well-being.

Curious about the tasks you might do as a fitness nurse? This role involves fewer clinical skills and more coaching and health planning — you’ll need to use your critical thinking and therapeutic communication skills to give patients the best care possible. Here are some of the responsibilities of this role:

• Performing health assessments to evaluate clients’ physical fitness, nutrition habits, and overall health status
• Creating fitness plans tailored to individuals’ goals, fitness levels, and medical conditions, incorporating exercise routines, dietary recommendations, and lifestyle modifications
• Providing exercise education about the benefits of regular exercise, proper techniques, injury prevention strategies, and the importance of physical activity in maintaining optimal health
• Offering nutritional counseling to promote healthy eating habits, weight management, and balanced nutrition. This may include meal planning and dietary recommendations.
• Providing health coaching, support, motivation, and encouragement to clients to help them stay committed to their fitness goals, overcome barriers to success, and maintain long-term lifestyle changes.
• Monitoring progress towards clients’ fitness goals, documenting key health indicators, such as blood pressure, heart rate, and body composition, and adjust fitness plans accordingly
• Leading fitness classes, group exercise sessions, or wellness workshops, depending on the setting
• Teaching stress management techniques, relaxation exercises, mindfulness practices, and other coping strategies
• Collaborating with a team of other professionals, including fitness instructors, sports medicine physicians, nutritionists, and wellness coaches

Fitness Nurse Salary

On average, fitness nurses earn $80,321 per year. Your salary will depend on your education, certifications, experience, and job location. Interested in ways to boost your pay? Check out our guide on how to make more money as a nurse.

4 Steps to Enter Fitness Nursing

If you’re not a nurse yet, becoming a fitness nurse could take as little as six years. If you’re already a nurse, gaining fitness experience could take as little as a year or two.

Step 1: Nursing School

The first step to entering fitness nursing is earning a bachelor’s of science in nursing (BSN). This entry-level degree will prepare you with the foundational nursing skills and knowledge so that you can begin practicing as an RN. You’ll take nursing classes in pathophysiology, health assessment, nutrition, and psychology — all essential for a career in fitness nursing.

Step 2: Pass the NCLEX

Once you’ve graduated, you’ll need to pass the National Council Licensure Exam for RNs (NCLEX-RN) to begin practicing. This standardized test assesses your readiness to practice safely and effectively, using multiple-choice, select-all-that-apply, and other question formats. You’ll want to prepare well by studying and completing practice questions. Once you pass, congratulations! You can now apply for licensure in your state.

Step 3: Gain Nursing Experience

Many specialty nursing roles require prior nursing experience. If you have experience in athletics, this will strengthen your fitness nursing resume. Many new graduate nurses get their first years of experience in an acute care setting, such as med-surg, cardiac, orthopedics, or intensive care.

Step 4: Fitness Nurse Training

Once you’ve gained nursing experience, you might earn a fitness nurse certification to strengthen your resume. This is still a fairly new nursing specialty, so there is not yet a formal national association of fitness nurses. Still, getting additional training could make you a more competitive fitness nurse. Programs include:

• ACE Medical Exercise Specialist Certification
• NSHC Certified Health Coach (CHC)
• Certified Exercise Science Professional
• Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS)

On the Hunt for Nursing Roles?

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