Registered Nurse Jobs in Virginia Beach, VA
Registered nurses in Virginia Beach earn a metro median of about $43 an hour, and Sentara alone runs two hospitals in the city, Virginia Beach General and Princess Anne. Here are the current RN openings, followed by who is hiring, what it pays and how to get licensed in Virginia.
Current registered nurse Openings in Virginia Beach, VA
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Registered Nurse Work in Virginia Beach
Nursing in Virginia Beach runs through one dominant system and a ring of competitors a short drive up I-264. Sentara Healthcare is the city's largest private employer, with about 5,200 workers here, and staffs Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital off First Colonial Road and Sentara Princess Anne Hospital near the Princess Anne and Dam Neck corridor. Many Virginia Beach nurses also commute to Norfolk, where Sentara Norfolk General and the CHKD main hospital sit, or to Chesapeake Regional Medical Center on Battlefield Boulevard.
The military shapes demand too. With NAS Oceana, Dam Neck and Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story in the city, veterans across the region are served by the Hampton VA Health Care System, and military spouses often arrive already licensed in another state. Virginia's membership in the nurse licensure compact makes that move easier.
Top Virginia Beach Employers Hiring Registered Nurses
These Hampton Roads health systems hire RNs for hospitals, clinics and outpatient centers that Virginia Beach nurses commute to every day:
- Sentara Healthcare - the city's largest private employer hires nurses in all specialties at Sentara Virginia Beach General, Sentara Princess Anne and its Norfolk hospitals.
- Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters (CHKD) - the pediatric system hires RNs for its Norfolk hospital and 40-plus outpatient sites, including the Health and Surgery Center on Concert Drive.
- Bon Secours Hampton Roads - the Catholic health system recruits registered nurses across its Hampton Roads hospitals and practices.
- Chesapeake Regional Healthcare - the independent hospital in neighboring Chesapeake runs an RN residency and a clinical ladder for experienced nurses.
- Hampton VA Health Care System - the federal VA system hires outpatient and specialty care RNs for veterans across Hampton Roads.
Registered Nurse Salaries in Virginia Beach
- Entry level: about $30 to $37 per hour for new graduates and nurses early in their careers.
- Experienced: roughly $37 to $47 per hour, around the metro median of $43.
- Senior and specialty: $47 to $55 or more per hour for critical care, charge and specialty nurses.
These are estimates based on federal wage data for the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk metro, where the median RN salary is about $89,450 a year, slightly below the state median. Shift differentials, specialty certification and employer type move pay the most. A 2026 VA specialty care RN posting in Hampton listed $83,000 to $146,000 a year, and Chesapeake Regional advertises a nursing commitment bonus of up to $15,000 that varies by unit and experience.
How to Become a Registered Nurse in Virginia Beach
You need an associate or bachelor's degree from a state-approved nursing program, a passing score on the NCLEX-RN, and a license from the Virginia Board of Nursing, part of the Virginia Department of Health Professions. Tidewater Community College offers its Associate of Applied Science in Nursing at the Portsmouth Campus, with transition paths for LPNs, paramedics and respiratory therapists. Old Dominion University's Ellmer School of Nursing is based at the Virginia Beach Higher Education Center on University Drive and offers the BSN plus graduate degrees. Virginia belongs to the nurse licensure compact, so a nurse whose primary residence is another compact state can work here on that multistate license.
What the Job Involves
Registered nurses assess patients, give medications and treatments, monitor vital signs and changes in condition, and coordinate care with physicians, therapists and families. Hospital RNs typically work 12-hour shifts on a unit such as med-surg, ICU, emergency or labor and delivery, while clinic and outpatient nurses handle triage, patient education and care coordination on a weekday schedule. Charting in the electronic health record is part of every shift.
Skills Employers Look For
- An active Virginia or multistate compact RN license
- BLS certification, plus ACLS or PALS for acute and pediatric units
- Strong clinical assessment and critical thinking
- Electronic health record charting
- Clear communication with patients, families and care teams
- Flexibility for nights, weekends and 12-hour shifts
Career Path and Advancement
Many Virginia Beach nurses start in a new-graduate residency, such as CHKD's New Graduate RN Residency or Chesapeake Regional's Nurse Residency Program, then move into a specialty unit after their first year. From there the ladder runs to charge nurse, clinical educator, nurse manager or case manager. A BSN, often finished while working, and graduate study at ODU open the path to nurse practitioner and leadership roles across Hampton Roads.
Related Careers in Virginia Beach
If nursing interests you, start with the full overview of healthcare work in Virginia Beach:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a Virginia license to work as an RN in Virginia Beach?
You need either a Virginia RN license from the Virginia Board of Nursing or a multistate license from another compact state where you keep your primary residence. If you move here and make Virginia your home state, you apply for Virginia licensure by endorsement. Federal VA jobs accept a full, active, unrestricted license from any U.S. state.
How much do registered nurses make in Virginia Beach?
Federal wage data puts the median RN salary in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk metro at about $89,450 a year, or roughly $43 an hour. The middle half of nurses earn between about $77,000 and $97,000, and the top 10 percent earn more than $114,000.
Where can I study nursing near Virginia Beach?
Tidewater Community College offers an associate degree in nursing at its Portsmouth Campus, and Old Dominion University's Ellmer School of Nursing teaches its BSN and graduate programs at the Virginia Beach Higher Education Center. Both prepare you for the NCLEX-RN.
Are there new graduate nurse programs in Hampton Roads?
Yes. CHKD runs a New Graduate RN Residency Program, and Chesapeake Regional Healthcare offers a Nurse Residency Program for new graduates. Residencies pair you with preceptors and structured classes during your first year.
Can a military spouse transfer a nursing license to Virginia?
If your primary state of residence stays in another compact state, your multistate license from that state lets you work in Virginia. If you are licensed in a non-compact state, or make Virginia your primary residence, you apply to the Virginia Board of Nursing for licensure by endorsement.
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