How to be a nurse at the happiest place on Earth
Nurses can take their skills anywhere, so why not take them to the happiest place on Earth?
Disney hires nurses to treat guests and employees at its parks not only in Orlando and in Anaheim, California, but also in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Paris and its other resorts.
What does a Disney nurse do?
“Having a large population of people in the resort on any given day means the medical staff can see and respond to just about anything,” according to nurse.org.
In addition to providing basic first aid, Disney nurses:
- provide nursing care, basic life support and initial trauma care for all employees and visitors presenting with injuries/illnesses.
- assess occupational and non-occupational injuries and illnesses.
- respond to onsite medical field emergencies and provide care and referral as needed.
- document medical records in the current electronic medical record system used by the corporate medical clinics.
Making the magic happen
Cheryl Talamantes spent the first half of her 34-year career working in oncology, pediatrics, home health and several other departments. Now, she’s the guest health services manager at Disneyland Resort.
“We are fortunate to meet guests from all over the country and the world, and there are situations where we are working through language barriers as well as cultural traditions when it comes to medicine,” she said.
But, she continued, “I don’t know of any other type of nursing specialty you can work and be able to have Mickey Mouse or a Princess come by to make an ill guest feel better. Disney nurses understand the magic and do everything they can to provide it for our guests.”
How much Disney nurses make
According to Indeed.com, the average nurse salary for the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida is $33.97 an hour, with an average of $10,500 in overtime a year.
Based on experience, Disney nurses make, per hour:
- Less than 1 year: $30.70
- 1-2 years: $33
- 3-5 years: $34.64
- 6-9 years: $35.89
- 10+ years: $40.13
How to get a Disney nursing job
“We have Disney Nurses at each site: Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disney Resort, Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Disney Resort. We hire year-round for various roles at the Disneyland Resort,” Melissa Britt, manager for media/external communications public affairs, told nurse.org.
Open positions are posted on the Disney careers site. According to Disney Careers, qualifications include,
- 3+ years of occupational health or related public health field experience
- Current RN license in state of employment
- Current CPR/BLScCertification
- Excellent personal communication and diplomacy skills
- Excellent computer, social media and presentation skills
- Seasoned medical professional with the ability to manage sensitive and/or complex situations
- Must have the physical agility and strength to respond to medical field emergencies, including in a production studio environment or multistory office building
- Must have the physical stamina to stand for long periods of time to walk, climb, lift, squat, push, pull and/or carry heavy objects, up to 30 pounds
- Must have knowledge of OSHA regulations
- Must be familiar with electronic medical record systems
Because you’ll be working with guests of all ages, Disney looks for nurses who are calm and outgoing, and who demonstrate a friendly demeanor, kindness and empathy.
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About the Author
Nancy Clanton is a lead producer for The AJC's platforms team, but also writes stories about health, travel, events and entertainment. A native of Knoxville and graduate of the University of Tennessee, she has worked at the AJC for 24 years.
