by our College Data Analytics TeamStudying Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing involves the study of Emergency Room/trauma Nursing. A Program That Prepares Registered Nurses To Deliver Advanced, Direct Patient Care In Emergency And Trauma Settings. Includes Instruction In Advanced Health Assessment, Pharmacology, Physiology, Emergency Management, Trauma Conditions, Trauma Assessments And Acute Care. Examples: [Emergency Nursing], [Emergency Nurse Practitioner], [Trauma Nursing], [Trauma, Critical Care And Emergency Nursing]. Continue reading for the key facts every emergency room/trauma nursing major should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering emergency room/trauma nursing programs.
In the U.S., emergency room/trauma nursing is a popular field of study, with 57 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing Schools ranking analyzes these 9 schools to determine the best overall colleges for emergency room/trauma nursing students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of emergency room/trauma nursing programs later in this article.
Coursework for Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing emphasize a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations emergency room/trauma nursing graduates commonly enter.
Skills developed in a emergency room/trauma nursing program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
According to O*NET, a emergency room/trauma nursing major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several emergency room/trauma nursing degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 50 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 7 |
People currently working in careers related to emergency room/trauma nursing tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Master’s degree | 44.5% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 24.3% |
| Doctoral degree | 10.0% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 8.9% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 7.8% |
| First professional degree | 1.4% |
| Post-doctoral training | 1.4% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 1.3% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 0.3% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 0.2% |
View the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in emergency room/trauma nursing careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Studying emergency room/trauma nursing can lead to many career paths. Here are some of the most common occupations related to emergency room/trauma nursing.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to emergency room/trauma nursing.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 3,793,806 | 10.2% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 2,031,912 | 3.3% |
| Clinical Nurse Specialists | 1,937,405 | 12.3% |
| Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses | 1,349,827 | 0.0% |
| Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary | 790,445 | 5.7% |
| Critical Care Nurses | 590,563 | 14.4% |
| Acute Care Nurses | 191,452 | 4.1% |
The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of emergency room/trauma nursing graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $83,453 |
| 4 years | $80,149 |
| 5 years | $90,156 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for emergency room/trauma nursing graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers emergency room/trauma nursing grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Nurse Practitioners | $147,651 |
| Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses | $143,854 |
| Registered Nurses | $105,741 |
| Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary | $69,718 |
| Critical Care Nurses | $65,103 |
| Acute Care Nurses | $56,247 |
| Clinical Nurse Specialists | $52,889 |
With 9 different emergency room/trauma nursing programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased emergency room/trauma nursing school rankings to help you.
Students interested in emergency room/trauma nursing, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | 256,965 |
| Family Practice Nurse/Nursing | 14,847 |
| Nursing Practice | 9,206 |
| Nursing Administration | 7,911 |
| Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing | 4,379 |
| Nursing Science | 4,245 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Other | 4,125 |
| Adult Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,457 |
| Nurse Anesthetist | 1,960 |
| Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing | 1,505 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
