Nursing Fields Offer More Variety Than Ever Before
Registered nurses represent the largest health care occupation with 2.4 million jobs
by: Jacquie Barry
With a shortage of nurses in so many countries around the world, including the United States, a nurse's salary is being driven higher than ever. Skilled nurses not only attract premium wages, but also:
- job opportunities;
- job security;
- signing bonuses;
- family-friendly work schedules; plus
- an enormous range of nursing fields to choose from.
Nursing is becoming a more attractive career than ever before.
There are three major educational paths to registered nursing (RN). A bachelor's of science degree in nursing (BSN), an associate degree in nursing (ADN), and a diploma. Other than the most common medical and surgical nurses, who provide basic medical care, there is also a giant variety of nursing fields available such as:
- Ambulatory care nursing - treat patients on an outpatient basis
- Critical care nurses - work in critical care with patients who have suffered from respiratory failure
- Emergency or trauma nurses - work in hospital emergency rooms providing care to patients with life-threatening conditions
- Holistic nurses - provide care to patient's mental and spiritual health as well as physical health
- Hospice and palliative care nurses - work outside the hospital with terminally ill patients
- Infusion nurses - administer medications, fluids and blood through intravenous
- Occupational health nurses - treat job-related injuries and illnesses while helping employers implement health and safety in the workplace
- Psychiatric nurses - treat patients with psychological disorders
- Radiology nurses - provide care to patients undergoing radiation procedures
- Transplant nurses - care for transplant recipients monitoring organ rejection
Still other nursing fields branch into areas of specializing in a particular disease or condition such as diabetes, neuroscience or addictions.
Ever Thought About the Forensic Nursing Field?
A relatively new, fast growing, fast paced and exciting career is the nursing field of Forensic Nursing. A Forensic Nurse is medical professional who may be called to the crime scene or accident to work with detectives, collect evidence and take tissue and blood samples. Forensic Nurses also treat survivors of assaults or violent accidents and victims of negligence, abuse or violent crimes.
Some of the more traditional nursing fields are also growing in popularity, such as school nursing, and pediatric nursing. Plus there are countless different nursing fields and positions available within hospitals even with an RN.
Many of the previously mentioned nursing fields require education and training in addition to the schooling needed to become a registered nurse (RN). Because these fields usually offer higher salaries and more autonomy than the fields available with just an RN, they are very attractive careers for a nurse.
The US Department of Labor states that job opportunities in most nursing fields and employment settings are expected to be excellent. The fast growth will be driven by technological advances in patient care and a greater emphasis on preventative care. Nursing is becoming a very good looking option to anyone interested in a medical profession.
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