The Nurse remains one of the most terrifying Killers in Dead by Daylight, even years after her introduction. With her unique Blink ability, Sally Smithson ignores walls, windows, and pallets—breaking the core Survivor strategy of looping. But her high skill ceiling means she’s not for the faint of heart. Whether you’re just starting out or pushing into high-level play, this guide covers the best builds for The Nurse in 2025.
Is The Nurse a Good Killer for Beginners?
Technically, yes—but expect a steep learning curve. The Nurse’s Blink teleport mechanic requires:
- Mastery of map layouts
- Predicting Survivor movement
- Controlling post-Blink fatigue penalties
Beginners may feel overwhelmed at first. Tools like Plaid Flannel help by showing your Blink destination, but you’ll want to phase it out eventually to build true skill.
Plaid Flannel can be a valuable learning tool early on, but make it your goal to remove it once you develop consistent Blink intuition. Overreliance on visual aid can slow your growth with the Killer.
Best Early-Game Nurse Build (Beginner-Friendly)
This build is focused on base perks and easy-to-access add-ons, ideal for learning Blink control and Survivor tracking.
Perks:
- A Nurse’s Calling – Reveals healing Survivors within 28m. Perfect for punishing heal attempts after a chase.
- Thanatophobia – Slows Survivor action speeds for each injured teammate, rewarding constant pressure.
- Stridor – Boosts the volume of injured breathing, helping you locate hidden Survivors.
- Spies from the Shadows (Optional) – Cawing crows reveal nearby movement.
Add-Ons:
- Plaid Flannel – Shows where your Blink will land. Great for learning.
- Pocket Watch – Delays fatigue from chained Blinks, reducing punishment for misfires.
This loadout emphasizes game sense and reaction speed, two core elements of effective Nurse play.
Tip: As you grow more confident with Blink distance and collision, aim to transition away from Plaid Flannel and Pocket Watch to add-ons that improve recovery or map control.
Best Mid-Game Nurse Build (Intermediate Survivability Pressure)
As you progress in the Bloodweb, this build introduces more control over objectives while maintaining information flow.
Perks:
- Scourge Hook: Monstrous Shrine – Converts basement hooks into Scourge Hooks, boosting sacrifice speed when distant.
- Hex: No One Escapes Death – Turns the tide in endgame by exposing Survivors once all gens are complete.
- Whispers – Subtly guides you toward hidden Survivors when no obvious chases are available.
- Thanatophobia / A Nurse’s Calling – Still strong here, depending on your comfort level.
Note: While Monstrous Shrine affects all basement hooks, it works best when you’re pushing Survivors toward the basement. Don’t tunnel into this strategy on large maps with difficult hook spacing.
Add-Ons:
- Wooden Horse – Reduces fatigue after a successful Blink attack.
- Ataxic Respiration – Improves recovery time from missed Blink attacks.
This build encourages quick decision-making and snowball pressure mid-match, rewarding prediction and hook efficiency.
Best Late-Game Nurse Build (High-Level Play)
Once you’ve unlocked teachable perks from other Killers, you can lean into devastating aura-reading and generator regression tools.
Perks:
- Hex: Ruin (The Hag) – Automatically regresses unworked generators at high speed.
- Barbecue and Chilli (The Cannibal) – Reveals distant Survivors after a hook, ideal for cross-map Blinks.
- Infectious Fright (The Plague) – Exposes nearby Survivors when one is downed—perfect for multi-down chains.
- Discordance (The Legion) – Alerts you when multiple Survivors work on a single generator.
Scourge Hook perks like Pain Resonance only activate on white-colored Scourge Hooks, so learning their spawn locations early in the match is key to maximizing generator control. Barbecue and Chilli also synergizes with Lethal Pursuer, extending aura visibility by 2 extra seconds—giving you 7 seconds instead of 5 when both are equipped.
Add-Ons:
- Fragile Wheeze – Inflicts Mangled for 70 seconds, greatly slowing healing.
- Torn Bookmark – Grants a third Blink at the cost of slower recharge, enabling faster downs if you’re accurate.
This is a snowball-heavy setup where one down can lead to a complete team collapse.
Advanced players can also swap in Jenner’s Last Breath to warp back to their starting Blink location. This allows you to patrol gens or defend a hook while avoiding proximity camping penalties.
Best “Toxic” Nurse Build (Aggressive Pressure from Start)
This aggressive build aims to end games quickly by removing wasted time and maximizing early info.
Perks:
- Lethal Pursuer (The Nemesis) – Shows all Survivor auras at match start and boosts other aura perks.
- Predator – Reveals the aura of a Survivor after breaking chase.
- Agitation – Increases your carrying speed and Terror Radius, useful for fast hooks and pressure.
- Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance (The Artist) – Instantly regresses the most progressed generator on a hook, making Survivors scream.
This setup enables rapid mobility, fast hook cycling, and hard generator control—all key to winning fast games.
Pain Resonance activates only once per unique Survivor on a Scourge Hook, so to get full value, it’s best to avoid hooking the same person multiple times unless necessary; pairing it with Lethal Pursuer further enhances its effectiveness by extending all aura-reading effects—including Pain Resonance, Barbecue, and Nowhere to Hide—by an additional 2 seconds.
Add-Ons:
- Jenner’s Last Breath – Return to your original Blink location after using all charges—great for disrupting unhooks and defending high-value areas.
- Heavy Panting – Increases your lunge after chained Blinks, helping to secure hits on evasive Survivors.
Best Non-Teachable Build (No Prestige Required)
Ideal for beginners or free-to-play users, this version relies entirely on universal and base Nurse perks.
Perks:
- Thanatophobia
- A Nurse’s Calling
- Bitter Murmur – Reveals Survivors near completed generators.
- Spies from the Shadows
A surprisingly effective combo when played well, this build rewards smart play and map awareness.
Don’t underestimate Spies from the Shadows—crow activity can reveal healing spots, totems, or sneaky escapes if tracked properly.
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The Nurse is not a forgiving Killer, but she is one of the most rewarding. No other Killer breaks the Survivor loop quite like her. With precise Blink execution and smart perk synergy, you can control the pace of any match.
Whether you’re phasing through walls to intercept heals or locking down gens with Pain Resonance, every match offers new opportunities to improve. Commit to learning her, and she’ll carry you far in the Fog.
Tip: The more familiar you become with each map layout, the stronger your Blink accuracy and chase predictions will become. Practice on large maps like Eyrie of Crows and mid-sized maps like MacMillan Estate to build spatial awareness.
