The demand for nurses will increase exponentially. The cause of this statistic comes from the expanding population. It is one of the most lucrative careers with many career paths. As a nurse, if you specialize in various areas, you become useful for your employers and increase your market value. For your interest, we have compiled a list of specializations for you to explore. Here’s a list of disciplines you can enjoy:
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Certified Nurse Midwife
As a certified midwife, you work alongside obstetricians while visiting patients. You guide patients through their pregnancies by directing them about their diet and advising them to have routine follow-ups. This job includes prescribing vitamins and helping them set a schedule. Your guidance is pivotal for your patient’s health and educating them on prenatal care. The main goal is a healthy mother and child. In individual states, you can deliver a baby yourself. However, you have to check with your state’s requirements. As a midwife, you will work 37.5 hours a week and may need to pull part-time and evening shifts in case of emergencies.
- Education. After obtaining your bachelor’s in nursing (BSN), you must pursue an advanced degree such as a master’s in nursing degree (MSN) or any relevant certification. You will then appear for your licensing exam, and once you’ve successfully obtained it, you are ready to be a midwife. The more experience you gain, the better suited you are as a midwife.
Clinical Nurse Specialist
As a nurse specialist, you will work with patients in clinical settings. Your skills and expertise make you suitable for diagnosing and treating patients with health issues that require medical prescriptions, such as diabetes. You may work in a healthcare practitioner team and do routine checkups without a physician. You may even administer tests such as a CAT scan and have the authority to carry them out. You may sometimes step in when there is shortness of physicians. You will work more than 40 hours a week and have to pull extra shifts in times of emergency.
- Education. After getting your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), the next step as a clinical nurse specialist is pursuing an advanced degree. You may get a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or look into a nursing practice doctor (DNP). With technological advances, you can pursue this degree online, such as an online DNP, and expand your portfolio. With these credentials, you must appear for your state’s exams and earn your license.
Critical Nurse Care
As a critical nurse worker, you will work beyond the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). You must specialize in one area of expertise, such as cardiac and neurological issues. Hospitals may need your expertise in critical cases. You will have various venues to choose from and polish your skills. You will work in team settings and make sure that you treat patients with the utmost care and priority. You must spend time in the ICU monitoring patients and checking their illness signs and symptoms. In an emergency, you will need to carry out the appropriate career. You will chart a report; doctors will consult it to form and modify treatment routes. You will work 36 hours a week with three 12-hour shifts.
- Education. Like every other nursing professional, you must start with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). You will then advance with a diploma from an approved nursing program or earn a trained specialist certification. However, you must work two years in an acute care unit before reaching a critical care certification. The hospital you work in will inform you about further educational endeavors or ask you to earn more certificates.
family nurse practitioner, you may leave a hospital and start your independent practice. Patients may ask you to pay personal visits, and you may administer care in their houses. You will work 40 hours; unless necessary, you won’t need to pull over time and even evening shifts.
- Education. To become an FNP, you must earn a bachelor’s and master’s in nursing and pass your Registered Nurse (RN) examination. With a master’s degree, you can apply for a family practitioner certificate and comfortably practice your career.
Informatics Nurse
You will collect and interpret necessary medical information and data as an informatics nurse. This information stems from the hospital’s database, which connects to clinics, doctor’s offices, and nursing homes. You will need to analyze the data, attach a relevant medical code, and convert it into useful mathematical data that you can use for billing. These bills are sent to medical insurance companies to cover a patient’s health costs. As a nurse informaticist, you may work beyond a hospital’s settings, such as pharmaceutical research companies and government agencies. You have to work more than 40 hours a week and pull overtime if the hospital administration calls you in for work.
- Education. To become a full-fledged informaticist, you will need to become a registered nurse (RN) and have a bachelor’s degree in nursing. You will also need to gain formal experience in the clinic and spend some time as a clinical RN. While working, you will need to take informatics courses, and once you have sufficient training, you can apply for your certification.
Wrap Up
Nursing is a highly viable career. You can choose many fields and start your job immediately with the right education and certificates. As a certified midwife, you will help care for pregnant patients and their babies. As a clinical nurse and family nurse practitioner, you can work as an independent healthcare practitioner and directly with patients. As a critical care nurse, you may work in the ICU and may need to specialize in a specific field. As an informaticist, you will be at the forefront of billing. So choose your career and start today!
