How to Become a Transplant Nurse

Transplant nurses are at the forefront of one of the most complex and life-changing areas in healthcare—organ and tissue transplantation. From preparing patients for surgery to providing post-operative care, these specialized nurses play a crucial role in the transplant process. If you're passionate about critical care, patient advocacy, and being part of a multidisciplinary team that saves lives, becoming a transplant nurse might be your ideal career path.

Learn everything you need to know about how to become an organ transplant nurse, including education requirements, certification options, responsibilities, and how to succeed in transplant nurse jobs.

What Does a Transplant Nurse Do?

Transplant nurses are registered nurses (RNs) who specialize in caring for patients before, during, and after organ or tissue transplants. Their responsibilities can include:

• Pre-transplant care: Assessing and educating patients about the transplant process, performing diagnostic tests, and helping with medical management.
• Surgical support: Assisting the surgical team during organ transplant procedures.
• Post-transplant care: Monitoring patients for signs of organ rejection, infection, and complications; administering medications like immunosuppressants; and providing long-term support.
• Coordination and communication: Working closely with transplant coordinators, surgeons, social workers, and families to ensure seamless care.
  

Step-by-Step: How to Become a Transplant Nurse

1. Become a Registered Nurse (RN)

To start, you’ll need to become a licensed registered nurse. This requires nursing education. You must earn either an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from an accredited nursing school which will qualify you to sit for the NCLEX-RN and become licensed as a registered nurse (RN). A BSN is preferred in many specialized fields, like organ transplant nurse, and may open up more opportunities to work in transplant care.

2. Gain Nursing Experience

Transplant nursing is a specialty that requires a solid foundation in general nursing and acute care. It's common (and often recommended) to work in critical care, medical-surgical, or emergency nursing settings before becoming a transplant nurse. It’s also common for nurses to accumulate at least 2–3 years of experience before transitioning into transplant nursing roles. 

If you’re just starting down the path in an LPN to RN program or other nursing education program, you can consider working in a hospital that has a transplant program to get exposure early on in your RN career.

3. Specialize in Transplant Nursing

Once you have the necessary nursing experience, you can begin focusing your career in transplant units, such as kidney, liver, heart, or lung transplant departments, pre- and post-operative transplant clinics, or organ procurement organizations (OPOs).

4. Obtain Certification (Optional but Recommended)

While not always required, certification demonstrates your nursing expertise and dedication to the transplant nursing field. Consider earning certifications like the Certified Clinical Transplant Nurse (CCTN) – Offered by the American Board for Transplant Certification (ABTC), this credential requires at least 12 months of transplant nursing experience.

You can also look into critical care or medical-surgical certifications, depending on your patient population and setting.

5. Continue Education and Stay Current

Transplant medicine is fast-evolving, so staying updated is key. You should keep your education current by completing continuing education courses, attending transplant conferences, and joining professional organizations like the International Transplant Nurses Society (ITNS).

Key Skills for Transplant Nurses

To thrive in the role of a transplant nurse, you should have:

• Strong clinical judgment – especially when monitoring for rejection or infection.
• Excellent communication – for coordinating with patients, families, and multidisciplinary teams.
• Emotional resilience – transplantation involves life-and-death situations, complex emotions, and ethical decisions.
• Attention to detail – medications and lab values must be managed with precision.
  

Transplant Nurse Career Outlook and Salary

Transplant nursing jobs are growing, particularly with advancements in organ preservation, immunosuppressive therapy, and organ availability. 

Transplant nurses are in high demand. The increasing number of organ transplants performed, including a record-breaking 42,800 transplants in 2022, combined with the overall nursing shortage, creates a strong demand for these organ transplant nurses.

As of July 2025, the average nationwide salary for a transplant nurse is $75,233, according to Salary.com. Most of the time a transplant nurse salary falls between $66,628 and $81,004 per year. Nurses in transplant coordination or management roles may earn higher salaries. 

Why Should You Consider a Transplant Nursing Career? 

Becoming a transplant nurse is both challenging and rewarding. Transplant nursing offers the chance to work in cutting-edge medicine, form lasting bonds with patients, and literally save lives. If you're ready to combine advanced nursing skills with compassion and purpose, transplant nursing might just be your calling. 

Connect with Achieve to learn how to take the next step in your nursing education on your way to becoming a transplant nurse while you work. Fill out this form and an Education Advisor will contact you to explain how our nursing bridge pathways work and the steps you need to take to reach your nursing career goals.