Registered Nurse Jobs in North Carolina
Registered Nurse jobs in North Carolina are consistently in high demand, with active hiring concentrated across hospital systems, outpatient clinics, long-term care facilities, and community health centers at every level from new graduate to senior charge nurse. The busiest hiring markets are Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greensboro, where major employers like Atrium Health, UNC Health, and Novant Health maintain large networks of facilities and steady recruitment pipelines. Critical care, emergency nursing, and med-surg remain the most in-demand specialties statewide. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
Find Registered Nurse JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 195+ Registered Nurse jobs









Description
- This position may qualify for our UNC Health Johnston Incentive Program, which offers up to a $20,000.00 Commitment Incentive and Relocation Assistance may be available. Please ask your recruiter for more details.
Your passion belongs at UNC Health. Join more than 56,000 teammates working together to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve across North Carolina.
Summary:
Provides competent clinical nursing care consistent with professional standards. Reporting and accountable to the Nurse Manager/Director, the Clinical Nurse is responsible for coordinating and delivering patient care utilizing the nursing process in a hospital setting.
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT
- Two-campus (Smithfield and Clayton) Emergency Departments with a combined total of 64 beds, offering diverse patient populations and acuity levels
- 4:1 nurse-to-patient ratios, supporting safe, high-quality patient care
- Strong team-based environment with a culture of collaboration and mutual support
- Chest Pain Accredited facility, delivering evidence-based cardiac care, along with being an interventional STEMI center M-F 7a-5p
- Primary Stroke Center, providing rapid, coordinated stroke response and treatment
- Three (3) 12-hour shifts per week, promoting work-life balance and schedule flexibility
Responsibilities:
-
Education - Participates in identifying and meeting learning needs of self. Attends education programs based on identified learning needs. With assistance, uses patient education materials relevant to patient population. Assesses readiness to learn of the patient/family/caregivers. Assesses developmental level of patient and factors affecting ability to learn.
-
Evaluation of Care - Identifies expected patient outcomes. Seeks guidance as needed in revision of plan of care. Participates in discussion with members of the interdisciplinary team in evaluation of patient care. Communicates relevant information to promote continuity of care.
-
Implementation - Demonstrates competence in care of patients with complex problems, including population-appropriate physical, psychosocial, educational and safety aspects of care. Performs bedside point of care testing as required for patient care plan. Utilizes healthcare organization and nursing standards, policies and procedures in delivery of care. Organizes and prioritizes care according to patient/family needs. Consults with appropriate resources in a timely fashion regarding patients with complex care issues, unusual teaching needs and/or those at high risk for discharge planning.
-
Leadership - With assistance, develops goals to promote professional growth or minimize limitations. Achieves goals and objectives within identified time frame or renegotiates with supervisor. Is knowledgeable about activities which facilitate intra/interdepartmental collaboration. Participates in development and achievement of unit goals and performance improvement activities. Effectively uses communication systems. Participates in promoting cost-effective care. Gives feedback to co-workers. Is aware of public policy and regulatory guidelines affecting the health care environment. Promotes a safe, clean and secure hospital environment for all.
-
Patient Assessment - Recognizes data from complex situations to determine priorities for care. Includes appropriate physical, psychosocial, education and safety needs. Synthesizes assessment data into meaningful whole prior to communication to others. Assesses and anticipates discharge needs of individual patients and families. Develops relationships with families that promote their ability to advocate for the patient and their own needs.
-
Planning - Collaborates with patient/family to prepare or update the plan of care. Makes use of available multidisciplinary resources in planning care. Begins to use full range of communication as a means to convey planning. Identifies and addresses cultural and ethnic issues in planning patient care. Demonstrates ability to prioritize tasks for patients with complex problems.
-
Research - Reads journals that contain studies or articles that may be applicable to practice. Brings ideas and questions to the staff at large for assessment of applicability.
Other Information
Education Requirements:
- Graduation from a school of professional nursing.
Licensure/Certification Requirements:
- Licensed to practice as a Registered Nurse in the state of North Carolina.
- Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Provider certification
Professional Experience Requirements:
- One (1) year of nursing experience.
Knowledge/Skills/and Abilities Requirements:
Job Details
Legal Employer: NCHEALTH
Entity: Johnston Health
Organization Unit: Emergency Department -
Work Type: Full Time
Standard Hours Per Week: 36.00
Salary Range: $34.22 - $48.38 per hour (Hiring Range)
Pay offers are determined by experience and internal equity
Work Assignment Type: Onsite
Work Schedule: Night Job
Location of Job: US:NC:Smithfield
Exempt From Overtime: Exempt: No
This position is employed by NC Health (Rex Healthcare, Inc., d/b/a NC Health), a private, fully-owned subsidiary of UNC Heath Care System. This is not a State employed position.
Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran or political affiliation.
UNC Health makes reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as applicants and employees with disabilities. All interested applicants are invited to apply for career opportunities. Please email applicant.accommodations@unchealth.unc.edu if you need a reasonable accommodation to search and/or to apply for a career opportunity.
See All 195+ Registered Nurse Jobs in North Carolina
Find roles in North Carolina that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Registered Nurse JobsRegistered Nurse Jobs by City in North Carolina
Where North Carolina roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Registered Nurse Job Market in North Carolina
A snapshot from current North Carolina openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- UNC Health22

- American Traveler19

- Atrium Health18

- Advocate Aurora Health15

- Novant Health11

Top Industries Hiring
- Healthcare & Medical Services
- Insurance
What North Carolina Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in registered nurse jobs across North Carolina.
- Active registered nurse license issued or recognized by the North Carolina Board of Nursing
- Associate or bachelor's degree in nursing from an accredited program required
- Current BLS certification and ACLS certification for acute care and critical care roles
- Minimum one to two years of clinical experience preferred for specialty and charge nurse positions
- Proficiency with electronic health record systems such as Epic or Meditech
- Strong patient assessment, care planning, and interdisciplinary communication skills
Registered Nurse Jobs in North Carolina: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a registered nurse in North Carolina?
To become a registered nurse in North Carolina, you must complete an accredited nursing program, either an Associate Degree in Nursing or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, then pass the NCLEX-RN exam administered through Pearson VUE. Licensure is granted and maintained by the North Carolina Board of Nursing, which also handles endorsement applications for nurses licensed in other states who want to practice in North Carolina.
How much do registered nurses make in North Carolina?
Registered nurses in North Carolina earn a median of about $84,350 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $67,660 for the lowest 10% to over $110,220 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire registered nurses in North Carolina?
Employers hiring registered nurses in North Carolina right now include UNC Health, American Traveler, and Atrium Health, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. North Carolina's large integrated health systems, including those anchored in Charlotte and the Research Triangle, account for a significant share of ongoing registered nurse recruitment across the state.
Which North Carolina cities have the most registered nurse jobs?
The North Carolina cities with the most registered nurse openings are Charlotte, Asheville, and Wilmington. Charlotte and Raleigh drive the highest volume given the large academic medical centers and multisite health systems headquartered there, while smaller cities on the list typically reflect the presence of regional hospital campuses or expanding outpatient networks tied to those same major employers.
Are there remote registered nurse jobs in North Carolina?
Yes, but they're rare. Registered nursing is a primarily hands-on clinical role, so the vast majority of positions require an on-site presence. About 18% of registered nurse openings tied to North Carolina are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, and those tend to concentrate in telephone triage, utilization review, and case management functions that don't require direct bedside care.
How can I get hired as a registered nurse in North Carolina with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is a new graduate nurse residency program, which large North Carolina health systems like UNC Health, Atrium Health, and Novant Health run specifically for nurses with limited clinical experience. These structured programs place new graduates in supervised cohorts across med-surg, telemetry, and general acute care units. Holding an active North Carolina Board of Nursing license and a completed NCLEX-RN before applying gives candidates a clear advantage over those still awaiting results.
Where can I find and apply to registered nurse jobs in North Carolina?
You can find and apply to registered nurse jobs in North Carolina on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from employers actively hiring in the state. Search the listings for roles that match your specialty and experience level, then apply directly to the ones that fit.
See All 195+ Registered Nurse Jobs in North Carolina
Find roles in North Carolina that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Registered Nurse Jobs