Bariatric nurses care for obese patients in surgical settings. To become a certified bariatric nurse, one must attend nursing school, gain experience with morbidly obese patients, and pass the bariatric nursing exam. Recertification is required every four years.
Bariatric nurses focus their careers on caring for obese patients in bariatric surgical settings. Students looking to become a bariatric nurse will need to follow the same academic and licensure path as any other entry-level nurse. After gaining experience caring for obese patients, a Registered Nurse can apply for certification to become a Certified Bariatric Nurse. By gaining certification, a registered nurse can specialize in bariatric nursing and make their career through continuing education and recertification. Nurses working in bariatric surgery can expect to work with patients before and after surgery to help physicians care for morbidly obese patients.
The first step to becoming a bariatric nurse is to attend nursing school. This usually consists of attending an associate’s or a bachelor’s degree program in nursing. Both options should allow you to earn an associate degree after your first two years of school. Upon successful completion of the Associate in Nursing program, students are eligible to take the licensure exam in most states to pursue the necessary license to practice registered nursing.
Licensure exams in most states are administered by the state board of nursing. Students who graduate will need to contact the respective licensing board in their state for information on application procedures and what to expect from the exam. After the student passes the exam and all the necessary checks, he is given a license as a nurse. That license, however, is just one more step towards becoming a bariatric nurse.
Specializing as a bariatric nurse will require you to pursue certification from the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. To qualify to register and take the exam, in addition to a current license as a registered nurse, candidates also need at least two years of experience working with morbidly obese patients, preferably in a surgical setting. After graduation and licensure, nurses who want to become bariatric nurses should immediately begin looking for job opportunities to gain this experience.
Current license as a registered nurse and two years of experience caring for morbidly obese patients will allow those who wish to become a bariatric nurse to sit for the bariatric nursing exam. Successfully passing the exam will earn the nurse the Certified Bariatric Nurse (CBN) credential. With this certification, you can choose to specialize in the field and focus on job opportunities working with the morbidly obese. Recertification is a requirement every four years to retain the CBN title. In addition, nurses must demonstrate units of continuing education before qualifying for the recertification exam.
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