One of the greatest things about nursing is that it is such a diverse field. There are many types of nursing that you can choose to go into. Nursing is not limited to standing at the bedside of sick patients, taking their temperature and giving them medications. Nursing is so much more than that. Read on to discover a partial list of the types of nursing that you can get into.
A Guide to Different Types of Nursing
One area of nursing that you can go into is travel nursing. This is great for the single nurse who wants to see the country. She can sign up with a travel nurse agency and take assignments all over the United States. Travel nurses make a lot more than regular staff nurses and their travel expenses and housing expenses are paid for.
You may want to become a critical care nurse. You will be responsible for taking care of high risk patients. You will be employed in the emergency department or you could work in the ICU. This is a great area of nursing to get into because you will be challenged every day to use your assessment and intervention skills.
Maybe it is your desire to work someplace other than the bedside. If this is the case, you may want to try case management nursing. You will be responsible for planning for the patient’s care after hospitalization. Case managers will work with insurance providers to explore the best options for the patient’s complete recovery.
Forensic nursing is becoming a popular field of nursing. As a forensic nurse, you will be responsible for gathering evidence from assault victims. You can also work for the medical examiners office if you desire, to help investigate causes of death. Forensic nurses are the liaison between the law enforcement and healthcare system.
If you have a love for children or the elderly you can choose to specialize in either of these types of nursing. A pediatric nurse can work in any of the children’s hospitals across the nation. A geriatric nurse may choose to work in a long term care facility.
A type of nursing that you don’t hear a lot about is nursing informatics. This is a combination of computer expertise and nursing. As a nursing informatic, you could be responsible for getting a hospital started on their new computer system. You could also be a sales representative for computer systems designed to be used in hospitals. If you love nursing and are great with computers, this may be the perfect job for you.
You may want to get an advanced nursing degree and become a nurse midwife or a nurse practitioner. A nurse midwife is responsible for pre-natal care, the delivery of the baby and post partum care. A lot of women are turning to nurse midwives instead of doctors. A nurse practitioner has an advanced nursing degree and works under the supervision of a doctor. She can work in an office and assess, diagnose and prescribe medications for non-complicated illnesses and diseases. She may also choose to work in a clinic or hospital setting.
If you love kids, you may want to become a school nurse. These nurses work with students and faculty to provide medical care and other support in a school environment. The great thing about being a school nurse is that in most school systems you will have summers off.
This is just a partial list of the types of nursing that is available. As you can see, the profession of nursing is so diverse that it is impossible to get bored. If you become dissatisfied with a particular field of nursing and feel like you need a change, it is easy to switch to another area of nursing. If you are looking for a profession that will give you a boatload of opportunities, look no further than nursing.
The Nursing RN to BSN degree completion program at South University allows registered nurses with associate degrees to complete their bachelor’s degrees. The program is offered at three South University campuses and online. Learn more about South University | Request free info
The Nursing RN to BSN degree completion program at South University allows registered nurses with associate degrees to complete their bachelor’s degrees. The program is offered at three South University campuses and online.
