Registered Nurse Jobs in Kansas City, MO
Registered nurses in Kansas City can choose between half a dozen competing hospital systems, from Hospital Hill to the Northland, and the competition shows in pay. Children's Mercy posts new graduate RN pay from $29 an hour, and the Kansas City VA lists RN salaries up to $134,618 a year. Current openings are below.
Current registered nurse Openings in Kansas City, MO
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Registered Nurse Work in Kansas City
Few metros give an RN this many employers within a short drive. Hospital Hill, just south of downtown, holds University Health Truman Medical Center and Children's Mercy's Adele Hall campus beside UMKC. Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City sits near the Country Club Plaza, Research Medical Center anchors the Meyer Boulevard area in south Kansas City, the Kansas City VA Medical Center is on Linwood Boulevard, and Saint Luke's North and Liberty Hospital cover the Northland along Barry Road and in Liberty.
The state line matters more here than almost anywhere. The University of Kansas Health System runs its main hospital a few minutes away in Kansas City, KS, and Children's Mercy has a Kansas campus. Because Missouri and Kansas are both Nurse Licensure Compact states, a Missouri multistate license lets you take a job on either side of State Line Road, and hospitals compete for the same nurses.
Top Kansas City Employers Hiring Registered Nurses
Every system in the metro is hiring RNs, from new graduates to specialty nurses:
- Saint Luke's Health System - now part of BJC, with hospitals on the Plaza, in Lee's Summit and the Northland, and a nurse residency for BSN and ADN graduates.
- University Health - the public academic system behind Truman Medical Center downtown and Lakewood Medical Center in eastern Jackson County, with a clinical career ladder.
- Children's Mercy Kansas City - the pediatric system hires graduate nurses and specialty RNs for its Adele Hall campus on Gillham Road.
- HCA Midwest Health - Research Medical Center posts RN roles from the ER to the OR with a $10,000 sign-on for experienced nurses, and the network also runs Centerpoint in Independence and Lee's Summit Medical Center.
- The University of Kansas Health System - the academic medical center across the state line hires clinical nurses and ambulatory clinic RNs.
- Kansas City VA Medical Center - the Linwood Boulevard hospital keeps an open RN announcement for inpatient nursing on USAJOBS.
- Liberty Hospital - the Northland hospital in Liberty runs a nurse residency for new BSN and ADN graduates.
Registered Nurse Salaries in Kansas City
- Entry level: about $29 to $35 an hour for new graduate RNs.
- Experienced: roughly $36 to $45 an hour for staff nurses with a few years on a unit.
- Senior and specialty: $45 to $60 or more an hour for ICU, OR and senior nurses, with the VA's Nurse III range reaching about $134,600 a year.
These are estimates built from pay posted by local employers. Night and weekend differentials, a BSN, specialty certification and critical care experience all raise pay, and federal VA nursing grades are set by education and experience.
How to Become a Registered Nurse in Kansas City
You need an associate or bachelor's degree in nursing and a passing score on the NCLEX-RN. Locally, Metropolitan Community College offers a two-year Associate Degree in Professional Nursing at MCC-Penn Valley, with an LPN-to-ADN bridge. For a BSN, the UMKC School of Nursing and Health Studies is on Hospital Hill, and Rockhurst University's Saint Luke's College of Nursing and Health Sciences, near the Plaza, offers traditional and accelerated BSN tracks. Your license comes from the Missouri State Board of Nursing, and because Missouri is a compact state, a multistate license issued to a Missouri resident also covers Kansas. Some employers add their own rules: Children's Mercy asks for Missouri and Kansas privileges within 90 days of hire, and KU Health System asks ADN hires to finish a BSN within five years.
What the Job Involves
Registered nurses assess patients, give medications and IV therapy, carry out physician and provider orders, and watch for changes in condition across a 12-hour shift. They chart in the electronic health record, coordinate with the care team, teach patients and families, and supervise nursing assistants.
Skills Employers Look For
- An active RN license, or a Missouri or Kansas compact license
- BLS certification, plus ACLS or PALS for critical care and pediatrics
- Strong clinical assessment and medication safety habits
- Electronic health record charting
- Clear communication with patients, families and care teams
- Flexibility for 12-hour, night and weekend shifts
Career Path and Advancement
Most Kansas City RNs start in a new graduate residency at Saint Luke's, Children's Mercy, Liberty Hospital or another system, then move to a specialty unit after a year or two. From there the ladder runs to charge nurse, clinical educator and nurse manager, or to advanced practice through a graduate degree at UMKC.
Related Careers in Kansas City
For a wider look at the local medical job market, see:
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work in Kansas City, KS with a Missouri nursing license?
Yes, if it is a multistate license. Missouri and Kansas both belong to the Nurse Licensure Compact, so a multistate license issued by your home state lets you practice on either side of State Line Road. If you live in Missouri, your multistate license comes from the Missouri State Board of Nursing.
How much do registered nurses make in Kansas City?
New graduate RNs generally start around $29 to $35 an hour, experienced staff nurses earn about $36 to $45, and specialty or senior nurses can pass $60 an hour. The Kansas City VA posts RN salaries from $74,594 to $134,618 a year depending on grade.
Do Kansas City hospitals hire nurses with an ADN?
Yes. Saint Luke's and Liberty Hospital run residencies for both ADN and BSN graduates, and MCC-Penn Valley's ADN prepares you for the NCLEX-RN.
What shifts do Kansas City RNs work?
Hospital nurses usually work three 12-hour shifts a week, days or nights, with rotating weekends. Clinic roles are more often weekday days, and systems such as Research Medical Center also hire PRN and float pool nurses.
How long does it take to become an RN in Kansas City?
An associate degree at MCC-Penn Valley takes about two years after prerequisites, and a traditional BSN takes about four. Rockhurst's accelerated BSN is faster if you already have college credit, and every route ends with the NCLEX-RN.
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