About Massage Therapist Jobs Connected to Nursing

As of 2010, there was a trend toward registered nurses also becoming credentialed in massage therapy. The reasons nurses seek massage certification include wanting to be even more involved in patient care, patient requests for non-traditional treatments and improved employment opportunities, according to Northwest Technical College in Minnesota, which offers both nursing and therapeutic massage classes. Some RNs leave nursing for private practice in massage therapy, incorporating the knowledge and skills acquired as a nurse. More, however, use massage within the context of their nursing jobs as an additional healing tool. The disciplines fit together well; both are hands-on. Nurse massage therapists work in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, hospices and wellness centers.

History of the Nursing/Massage Connection

• In the early days of modern nursing in the latter part of the 19th century, massage was an integral part of a nurse's training. Florence Nightingale, credited with establishing the first organized cadre of nurses during the Crimean War, began including massage techniques in her nurses' training courses as early as 1860. When Dr. John Harvey Kellogg opened the first formal U.S. nursing school at the sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan, in 1883, massage therapy was an important part of the curriculum. In 1895 Dr. Kellogg wrote "The Art of Massage," which would be used as a textbook at the school. Massage training in nursing schools began to decline in the 1920s until it had virtually disappeared by the 1950s, according to Massage Magazine.

Present Training Programs

• To become certified in massage therapy, a registered nurse must complete 500 hours of courses in therapeutic massage and bodywork, as well as pass the licensing examination for the state where she will practice. Students may learn Swedish massage, the most common type practiced in spa settings, but they will probably spend more time on mastering medical techniques, such as trigger point therapy, soft-tissue mobilization and acupressure. The therapies learned are generally used in combination with other medical treatments and nutrition plans. Technical colleges, some nursing schools and accredited massage schools offer units that count toward the required 500 hours.

Uses of Medical Massage

• The techniques a nurse may apply depend on the individual patient's needs. Manual lymph drainage may be necessary or soft tissue mobilization employed to aid joint function and range of motion. Myofascial release can improve blood circulation and boost healing in various locations. Additionally, trigger point therapy is often used for chronic pain, like fibromyalgia.

Differences from Spa Treatments

• Unlike Swedish massage and other techniques focused exclusively on relaxation, medical massage is performed over the patient's clothes or sleepwear. Neither dimmed lights nor massage oils are included in the procedure. The nurse's objective is to balance all the body's systems and help the patient recover more quickly from his illness, injury or surgery, according to the Massage Therapy 101 site. Relaxation often results, but that is not the main purpose of the therapy.

The Future for the Discipline

• In the early 1990s, there was enough renewed interest in incorporating massage therapy into nursing that the National Association of Nurse Massage Therapists (NANMT) was established. The goal of the association is to promote this specialty among the medical establishment. Robert Calvert says in his Massage Magazine article that "massage has secured its historic place within the ranks of nurses, but it is still on the outer edges of mainstream medical practice." As patients experience the benefits of nurse massage therapy, those involved in the work hope it will play an even greater part in medical treatment.