Top Types of Nursing Careers to Consider

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(Newswire.net — November 23, 2021) — There are tons of alluring reasons to opt for a career in nursing. Not only is nursing a well-paid field in the medical sector, but it’s also more accessible than ever to study nursing. Because nursing is among the education fields that have primarily shifted to online institutions, you can now study to be a nurse online. 

With education facilities like Wilkes University MSN, you can obtain your Master of Science in Nursing and easily work your studying in with your other responsibilities due to the general flexibility that online learning offers. Studying nursing online allows you to work part-time while studying or managing other commitments. 

That said, if you are thinking about pursuing a nursing career, you might be wondering what your options are. While some assume that there is only one type of nurse, there are more than 15 different types of nursing career opportunities to choose from. So, we’ve listed some top choices for you to consider.

Registered Nurse

A registered nurse works within hospitals, nursing care facilities, and ambulatory care services. These medical professionals rake in a pretty high annual income of about $75,000. However, you can earn even more as this is only the entry-level salary estimation. 

As a registered nurse, your job responsibilities will include things like assessing patients, administering treatments and medications, assisting with diagnostic tests, and providing emotional support to your patients and their families while also providing health education at the same time. 

That said, to start practicing as a registered nurse, you will need either an Associate’s Degree in Nursing or a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing. 

Surgical Assistant Registered Nurse

A surgical assistance registered nurse has the primary responsibility of assisting surgeons during procedures. This type of nurse is also vital in post-surgery patient care and primarily works in hospitals and private surgical practices. 

You can expect to earn around $100,000 per year when you start practicing as surgical assistance registered nurse. However, to enter this particular career path, you will need to obtain a BSN. This qualification will take four years to earn. 

Labor And Delivery Nurse

Working in a maternity ward can be exceptionally enriching, and labor and delivery nurses are key players in this regard. As a labor and delivery nurse, you can earn about $75,000 per annum when you start practicing. 

You can expect to work primarily in hospitals or in private maternity facilities and private care facilities. This career is also relatively high in demand.

A labor and delivery nurse has job responsibilities that include assisting mothers through the process of labor and delivery while also performing cognitive tests on newborns and assisting new parents in selecting care plans. These nurses also help with post-delivery care for both the mother and the newborn child. 

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse

An APRN is a highly sought-after type of nursing practitioner. These nurses make as much as $120,000 in starting positions and typically work in physician offices, outpatient care centers, and hospitals.

The job role responsibilities include diagnosing patients, ordering tests, prescribing medications, and managing treatments. The projected job growth for this type of nursing practitioner is a staggering 45% by 2030, which suggests that the annual median salary will likely increase dramatically due to the increasing need for these professionals.

To start working as an advanced practice registered nurse, you will need to obtain your MSN (Masters of Science in Nursing), which can be done online. 

Clinical Nurse Specialist

Clinical nurse specialists make around $110,000. The responsibilities of the job role include improving patient care plans by collaborating with social workers, doctors, or other healthcare practitioners. Additionally, clinical nurse specialists occasionally provide patient bedside care. 

You will need to obtain your MSN to start practicing in this lucrative nursing career. The program can take between eighteen months and three years.

Nurse Practitioner

Nurse practitioners projected growth for the next ten years is over 50%, which means these nurses will never be without a well-paid job. A nurse practitioner earns around $110,000 per annum, and this is expected to increase along with industry demand growth. 

With that said, you will need to obtain an MSN or another relevant master’s degree in a specialty role. 

As a nurse practitioner, your job responsibilities will include examining and diagnosing patients, analyzing test results, and also administering both treatments and medications. Nurse practitioners typically work in hospitals and physicians’ offices. 

Nurse Educator

Nursing educators are an often overlooked career option for many thinking about pursuing this field. The annual salary for this nursing position is around $100,000, and you will need to have an MSN qualification or a Doctor of Nursing (DPN). 

These nurses work primarily in academic settings, hospitals, and clinics. The job responsibilities include tasks like developing ongoing education programs, providing educational resources for staff, facilitating training programs, and developing educational initiatives that aim to improve patient care. 

As an educator, you will have a lot more work-life balance in this position than in other nursing careers. However, the job is still demanding.

Deciding to pursue a nursing career is an exceptional idea for students who have a passion for helping others. Because it’s become quite flexible and a lot more affordable to study nursing online, nursing is an accessible career option for many. 

In most cases, you must obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, at the very least, to start practicing. And this program will take you about four years to complete. However, when studying online, you can complete the course in a more extended period to afford the fees or allow other responsibilities in your day-to-day schedule. 

That said, you will still need to devote years of your life towards education and training to reach the position you are after, as with any career in healthcare, devotion to the industry is vital. But because the industry will always be high in demand, careers in healthcare are a wise choice for several reasons that go beyond a high annual pay.