The Top 10 Best Nursing Career Specialties
Once finishing a training program or school, many nurses are surprised at the wide selection of healthcare occupations that are available in the nursing sector. Becoming a Registered Nurse will not only provide you with job security but flexibility too. Going into the nursing field will not only provide you with job security but flexibility too. With a vast selection of career path options and specialties to look into, it can be hard to know where to start, so here are 10 of the best nursing career specialties to help make your final decision easier.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
A Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) is an advanced practice nurse who is solely responsible for maintaining and administering anesthesia. Some of the roles of a CRNA include:
- Performing physical assessments
- Preparing patients for anesthesia
- Administering anesthesia pain-free
- Maintaining the sedated state
- Supervising the recovery period
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists work alongside several health care professionals such as surgeons, dentists, and anesthesiologists. CRNA’s can work in clinics, hospital operating rooms, as well as private offices.
Family Nurse Practitioner
The main duty of a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) is to see patients of all ages and backgrounds and treat them for a variety of medical ailments, such as mild illnesses and serious conditions. Family Nurse Practitioners are expected to help their patients manage chronic and acute illnesses, as well as carry out physical examinations and perform diagnostic procedures and tests. If you are interested in becoming an FNP, you may want to visit Carson-Newman University’s website who can give you more information on what is a family nurse practitioner.
Nurse Researcher
If you are interested in an advanced non-clinical career in the nursing sector, a nurse researcher is one of the most popular choices among nurses. The main role of a nurse researcher is to study different aspects of illnesses, human anatomy, as well as general health care. Nurse researchers also:
- Identify research questions
- Analyze data
- Design scientific students
- Report their findings to improve health care services
Nurse researchers can work in hospitals, research organizations, universities, and laboratories. When starting out as a Nurse Researcher, you can expect to earn $95,000 per annum, with this number increasing into six figures as you gain more experience.
Nurse Educator
A nurse educator is given the rare chance to combine their love of teaching alongside their clinical nursing career expertise, which helps to educate the newest aspiring and passionate nurses into the field. A nurse educator is also responsible for:
- Developing lesson plans
- Evaluating students’ performance
- Supervising students
- Teaching courses
- Serving as a role model for students
Nurse educators tend to work on a nine-month academic calendar at colleges, universities, technical schools, and teaching hospitals. With the US experiencing a shortage of nurse educators and nurses, the job outlook for a nurse educator is highly promising. Additionally, travel nursing is becoming more popular since you can travel and work in the US, and internationally. If this is your dream, get in touch with the best travel nurse company and make your dream come true!
Certified Nurse Midwife
A Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) is an advanced practice nurse who specializes in providing prenatal, labor, and gynecological care for the birthing of children. The main duties of a midwife are to:
- Perform physician examinations
- Order laboratory diagnostic tests
- Prescribe contraception or medications
Certified Nurse Midwives are employed in a range of different settings, such as hospitals, private practices, birth centers, clinics, as well as home health services. If you have a caring personality and want to help guide moms-to-be every step of the way, the role of a CNM may be the perfect choice for you.
Nurse Informatics Analyst
The main role of a Nurse Informatics Analyst is to manage health care data for their patients, as well as doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals. Nurse information Analysts need to know how to communicate effectively, manage their time well, and be confident in their abilities to succeed in this position. Nurse Information Analysts are always striving to find new ways to enhance computer technologies and documentation for seamless access to crucial patient records.
Pediatric Endocrinology Nurse
If you enjoy working with children of all ages, you may be interested in becoming a Pediatric Endocrinology Nurse. Helping to treat children from birth to young adults who are suffering from a variety of endocrine diseases can help ensure they get the care and support they need throughout their childhood. A Pediatric Endocrinology Nurse plays a vital role in educating families and their children about how to cope with their disease, as well as what healthy choices they can make.
Clinical Nurse Specialist
A Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) is an advanced practice nurse who has undergone a high level of specialization in a certain field. There are many fields that a CNS may have expertise in, such as:
- Pediatrics
- Gynecological health
- Critical care
- Geriatrics
- Rehabilitation
- Psychiatry
Clinical Nurse Specialists are also responsible for diagnosing and treating various illnesses, conditions, and injuries in their specialized field across a number of different health care settings.
Certified Legal Nurse Consultant
A Certified Legal Nurse Consultant (CLNC) utilizes their broad knowledge and experience of the complex health care system to engage with attorneys on medical-related lawsuits. Certified Legal Nurse Consultants tend to perform:
- Medical research
- Identify health care standards
- Prepare reports
- Review client medical records
Law firms, government agencies, insurance companies, and hospitals employ legal nurse consultants who become a crucial component of the legal team. While most CLNC’s have no legal background, they are expected to possess a valid RN license.
Certified Dialysis Nurse
Known as a renal nurse or nephrology nurse, a Certified Dialysis Nurse is responsible for helping patients whose kidneys are no longer functioning like they once were, as well as relying on dialysis equipment to remove waste. Whether the patient suffers from chronic or acute kidney failure, a Certified Dialysis Nurse is responsible for conducting this life-saving process to ensure that toxins don’t build up within the patient’s body.
No matter what kind of nursing career path you would like to go down, it’s important that you hold the right skill set, credentials, and experience in order to meet entry requirements. If you’re the type of person that likes to help make a difference to other people’s lives, a career in nursing may be the right option for you.
