There are now over 29 million nurses and midwives around the globe. About 3.9 million of these individuals are in the US. Unfortunately, upwards of one million additional nurses are needed.
Are you thinking of pursuing a career in nursing? You might want to consider your nursing placement first. After all, there are many different types of nursing jobs to consider.
Here are 12 potential careers you might want to explore before contacting a placement agency. Reviewing these different career paths can help you make a more informed choice. You can choose a nurse placement based on your interests and passions.
Read on to discover the many different types of nursing you can choose from today.
There are now over 2,986,500 registered nurses (RN) across the US. Registered nurses are responsible for:
They also help care for injured, ill, disabled, or convalescent patients. While helping patients, they may offer advice regarding health maintenance or disease prevention.
With a potential shortage of RNs, this career path is growing with new employment opportunities. You can work as an RN in various healthcare facilities, too.
You’ll need a college degree before working as an RN. You might want to get your Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). For this nurse placement, you’ll also need to pass the NCLEX-RN exam.
Before pursuing other nursing placement opportunities, you might want to become a Licensed Practical Nurse first. LPNs work alongside physicians and other nurses. They help provide basic care by:
LPNs can work in nursing homes, hospitals, and schools. You can also explore nurse placement in residential treatment centers, rehab centers, and hospices.
Working as an LPN will give you the hands-on experience you need before exploring other types of nursing jobs. Then, you can determine what track you want to follow when advancing your career.
Before exploring other career paths, you’ll need an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, too. Then, you’ll need a Diploma in Practical Nursing (DPN).
You’ll need a Master’s Degree or Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree (DNP) to become a Nurse practitioner. These professionals are primary and specialty care providers. You can provide advanced nursing services in hospitals and doctor’s offices.
Becoming a nurse practitioner is a great way to advance your career.
Advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) have post-graduate education and training. These nurses often work as specialists or in a general capacity. Clinical nurses specialists are a type of ARPN.
These nurses strive to improve the quality of care patients receive on a daily basis. You can choose to take a leadership role or educate nursing staff.
If you prefer to work with senior citizens, consider a nursing placement as a geriatric nurse. You can help other patients and provide care for their illnesses or injuries.
You can also help anticipate the future care your elderly patients might require.
If you’re interested in anesthesia, consider becoming a certified registered nurse anesthetist. CRNAs assist with anesthesia during surgical procedures.
To follow this career path, you’ll first need a degree from a graduate-level program.
If you prefer to remain busy and enjoy thinking on your feet, consider becoming an emergency room nurse. This nursing placement is fast-paced, meaning you’ll never have a boring day at work.
ER nurses provide urgent care to patients suffering from life-threatening injuries or illnesses. You can work alongside first responders to offer immediate care.
Anyone who chooses this nurse placement needs to have critical thinking and communication skills. You’ll need to work among other professionals to provide immediate care to patients in need.
You can choose different settings for this career track, including level 1 trauma centers and hospitals.
Nurses who work in emergency rooms are RNs, but some hospitals require Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC) certification, too.
Perhaps you would prefer not to remain rooted in one spot. Consider becoming a travel nurse.
You can travel to areas with workforce gaps to provide care in hospitals and other organizations around the globe.
If you would prefer to work in an operating room, you can become a surgical, med-surg, or OR nurse. For these types of nursing jobs, you need to think quickly under pressure while remaining calm.
You’ll work on the medical or surgical floor of a hospital. Time management and organizational skills are crucial. Chances are, you’ll help many different patients at once.
If you have an interest in childbirth, pregnancies, or women’s health, consider this nursing placement. These types of nursing jobs require an Associate’s Degree or Bachelor’s of Science Degree and RN.
With this nursing placement, you’ll attend to pregnant patients who require prenatal care. You might help during labor and delivery, too.
Nursing administrators oversee nursing teams. It’s your job to ensure everything runs smoothly on a daily basis. You’ll need your Registered Nurse License for this nurse placement.
Mental health nurses are responsible for diagnosing and treating patients who have psychological disorders. You can follow this clinical placement if you want to offer counseling to patients.
This nursing placement will give you the chance to develop meaningful relationships with your patients. You’ll focus on all-encompassing levels of care.
Don’t miss the opportunity to advance your career in nursing. Instead, take the time to consider these 12 types of nursing jobs. Exploring your options can ensure you find the right fit.
Then, you can work with a placement agency to find your dream job.
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