53 nursing jobs in Thornton, CO
Thornton sits just north of Denver, offering Colorado newcomers a family-friendly suburban base with easy access to the metro area's hospital networks. Residents enjoy sweeping Rocky Mountain views and a relaxed pace, making it a solid choice for nurses who want quieter living without losing big-city proximity.
Find a nursing job in Thornton
Hiring here: HCA HealthONE Mountain Ridge (8) · Enhabit Home Health & Hospice (7) · Ernest Health (5) · Enhabit (4) · TGN - A.T. Staffing (4) · Vibra Healthcare (3)

HCA HealthONE Mountain Ridge
4 open roles · Per Diem
HCA HealthONE Mountain Ridge
4 open roles · Per Diem
- RN
- Employee and Occupational Health
- Per diem
- RN
- Per diem
- Compact license OK
- New grads welcomed
- RN
- Tuition reimbursement
- RN
- GI/Endoscopy
- Per diem
- Sign-on bonus
- LPN
- CEU allowance
- RN
- Fridays (Primary) + PRN
Health Services Coordinator
$30–$36/hr
- Sign-on bonus
- RN
- Rotating shift
- Per diem
Hospice Nurse After Hours Triage
$75,000–$100,000/year
- RN/LPN
- Wednesday 5p-2a Thursday 5p-2a Friday 10p-8a Saturday 10p-8a
- LPN
- Night shift
Registered Nurse Surgical Telemetry
$37–$54/hr
- RN
- Compact license OK
- ADN accepted
Registered Nurse
$146,000–$187,000/year
- Sign-on bonus
- RN
- Per diem
- Sign-on bonus
- RN
- Day shift
- Tuition reimbursement
RN Skilled Nursing Visits
Posted last week
- New grads welcomed
- RN
- RN
- Ratio 1:5
- 12-hour nights
- Sign-on bonus
- RN
- RN
- Night shift
- Travel contract
Registered Nurse
$39–$55/hr
- RN
- Flexible shifts including mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays
- ADN accepted
RN LTAC Registered Nurse Traveler
$2,521/week
- RN
- RN LTAC DAYS 0630-1900, 3x12, 13 weeks
Travel RN PCU
$1,763–$1,856/week
- RN
- 12-hour days
- Travel contract
Registered Nurse-RN ICU - ICU
$1,915/week
- RN
- 12-hour nights
- Travel contract
- LPN
- Night shift
Registered Nurse NICU II
$37–$56/hr
- RN
- Rotating shift
- Compact license OK
- Sign-on bonus
- RN
- Day shift
- Tuition reimbursement
- Sign-on bonus
- LPN
- RN
- Day shift
- Travel contract
Travel RN PCU
$2,023–$2,129/week
- RN
- 12-hour nights
- Travel contract
- RN
- 8-hour days
- Travel contract
Registered Nurse (RN) - Clinical Team Leader - Home Health
$80,000–$90,000/year
- RN
- CEU allowance
Registered Nurse Full Time Nights
$38–$46/hr
- RN
- Night shift
- ADN accepted
- RN
- Compact license OK
- Tuition reimbursement
- LPN
- Night shift
- +$5/hr differential
- Sign-on bonus
- RN
NUCLEAR MED TECH - Radiology
$2,736/week
- 8-hour days
- Travel contract
- LPN
- CEU allowance
Registered Nurse Full Time Days
$38–$46/hr
- RN
- Day shift
Registered Nurse-RN LABOR & DELIVERY - L&D
$2,107/week
- RN
- 12-hour nights
- Travel contract
RN House Supervisor Full Time Nights
$38–$46/hr
- RN
- Night shift
- +$5/hr differential
Working and living in Thornton
· 53 open roles
Posted hourly pay
- RN
- $38/hr median
- $37–$50/hr middle half · 21 postings
- LPN
- $29/hr median
- $27–$30/hr middle half · 5 postings
Living costs
- Median gross rent
- $1,895/mo
- Rent and tenant-paid utilities
- Median household income
- $103,088/yr
- All local households, not nurse pay
New to our board this week
1 current postings first appeared here in the past seven days.
Credentials accepted
- RN46
- LPN7
One posting may accept more than one credential.
Shifts listed
- Nights12
- per-diem12
- Days11
- Rotating3
Postings may list several shifts or leave the shift unspecified.
Living in Thornton
Thornton functions as a practical, amenity-rich anchor in the north Denver metro, offering healthcare professionals newer residential construction and straightforward regional access.
More about life hereShow less
Situated roughly ten to fifteen miles north of downtown Denver, the city allows commuters to toggle between Interstate 25, E-470, and the RTD N Line commuter rail, which connects directly to Denver Union Station. Housing choices range from modest mid-century residences in South Thornton to master-planned family enclaves in Quail Valley, Hunters Glen, and Trail Winds north of 120th Avenue.
While Thornton lacks a historic central downtown core and endures notorious highway construction, it counters with robust recreation hubs like Carpenter Park, the Big Dry Creek Trail system, and local taprooms including Satire Brewing and Mother Tucker Brewery. For nurses seeking larger layouts, suburban quiet, and an easy jump to both Front Range mountain trails and metro Denver medical centers, Thornton delivers functional convenience with an honest suburban tradeoff.
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Neighborhoods
Original or South Thornton features established mid-century layouts with mature shade trees, representing the city's most accessible entry point for housing. Moving northward, Quail Valley and Hunters Glen offer established subdivisions centered around community lakes and interconnected walking paths.
Farther north past 120th and 144th Avenues, master-planned developments like Trail Winds showcase newer construction, community recreation facilities, and contemporary floor plans, while Eastlake provides attached townhomes and transit-oriented options clustered near commuter rail access.
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Housing
Housing stock splits along chronological lines, with South Thornton featuring modest mid-century ranch-style single-family homes on mature lots, whereas northern areas above 120th and 144th Avenues are defined by larger master-planned developments. Modern subdivisions offer attached multi-car garages, newer HVAC systems, and open-concept layouts, alongside attached transit-oriented townhomes near the RTD rail stations in Eastlake.
Prospective buyers and renters typically gain larger floor plans and newer finishes than in Denver proper, though home shoppers are strongly advised to inspect roof integrity given regional hail exposure.
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Getting around
Automobile commuters rely primarily on Interstate 25, Colorado E-470, and US-36 to navigate throughout the northern Denver metro, though rush-hour congestion along I-25 remains a notorious daily bottleneck. For transit riders and those heading toward central Denver, the Regional Transportation District (RTD) N Line commuter rail serves Thornton with direct service terminating at Union Station.
While off-peak car trips to central Denver can take around twenty to thirty minutes, local healthcare workers commuting to facilities across Adams County or the broader Front Range often budget extra time for ongoing highway construction and corridor slowdowns.
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Food and dining
Thornton’s local culinary circuit balances suburban commercial centers with independent community gathering spots, including the daytime favorite Bluebird Cafe for breakfast and Colorado comfort fare. Craft beer enthusiasts frequent Satire Brewing, known for creative rotational pours, an expansive outdoor patio, and shareable hot breads stuffed with local meats and cheeses, as well as Mother Tucker Brewery, which focuses on unfiltered, additive-free traditional styles.
Entertainment complexes along the northern edge feature options like Topgolf, though residents often travel south into Denver or west toward Arvada and Westminster for late-night food scenes after late hospital shifts.
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Outdoors
Outdoor recreation centers on extensive municipal green space, led by Carpenter Park with its recreational lake, fishing docks, pedal boat rentals, skate park, splash pad, and historic carousel. Trail Winds Park and Open Space provides athletic fields, an expansive dog park, and running paths set against panoramic Front Range views, complemented by the broader Thornton Trail System, East Lake Trail, and Big Dry Creek Trail.
For regional day trips, anglers and paddle enthusiasts head east to Barr Lake State Park, while scenic foothill routes like the Peak to Peak Highway and Poudre Canyon are accessible weekend getaways.
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Arts and culture
Cultural life in Thornton is community-focused and understated, highlighted by a civic collection of more than 250 public art installations integrated across municipal facilities, parks, intersections, and transit stations. The Thornton Community Band regularly performs classical and contemporary concerts for the public across various local venues, while the Thornton Veterans Memorial provides a dedicated space for community reflection.
For major performing arts venues, stadium athletics, and expansive collections like the Denver Art Museum, residents take advantage of the short drive or commuter rail ride into central Denver.
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Seasons and weather
Thornton experiences a semi-arid Front Range climate marked by more than 300 days of sunshine each year. Winters deliver cold snaps and periodic snowfalls followed by freeze-thaw cycles where intense high-altitude sunlight clears neighborhood roadways relatively quickly, though icy early morning commutes remain a winter reality.
Spring brings volatile weather patterns, including severe hail storms that frequently impact vehicles and building exteriors, while late summers are dry and warm, occasionally affected by regional drought conditions and wildfire haze sweeping along the mountain corridor.
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For families
Thornton is well-suited for family living thanks to extensive civic recreation infrastructure, including the Trail Winds Recreation Center, splash pads, skate parks, and large outdoor community hubs like Carpenter Park. The public school footprint is served primarily by the Adams 12 Five Star Schools district, with northern sections falling into District 27J, requiring families to review specific attendance zones that can vary street to street.
Neighborhoods situated north of 120th Avenue are predominantly quiet, master-planned subdivisions that attract families seeking newer construction and well-maintained local parks.
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What locals say
Residents frequently praise Thornton for delivering spacious floor plans, attached garages, and well-maintained modern parks compared to denser parts of central Denver. However, locals also describe the city as a sprawling suburban expanse that lacks a traditional, walkable downtown center.
Community discussions note a distinct contrast between older sections in the south and newer subdivisions north of 120th Avenue, with common resident complaints centering around persistent highway construction, corridor traffic congestion, and severe regional hail that drives up home maintenance and property insurance.