Few professions deserve as much praise and respect as nursing. From applying bandages to saving lives, registered nurses play a direct role in the medical treatment of patients at all stages of health and life around the world.
The demand for RNs across all levels of modern medicine means nurses are becoming increasingly specialized. In other words, those currently in nursing school need to think about the specific type of nurse they want to become upon graduation and certification.
If this describes your situation, then keep reading. While they aren’t the only options available, the following are six nursing career paths to consider:
ER Nurse
Do you perform well under pressure? Can you stomach the sight of open wounds and devastating injuries? If so, emergency room nursing might be the right choice. As the name suggests, ER nurses work with patients with immediate medical emergencies. While many people treat the ER like a clinic and therefore aren’t showing up with life-threatening illnesses or injuries, there’s no shortage of serious cases requiring the utmost medical acumen and expertise. Considered one of the most stressful environments to work as a nurse, the emergency room isn’t for everyone. But those who think they have what it takes have an obligation to the profession, society, and themselves to try.
OR Nurse
Operating rooms are practically the complete opposite of the ER. Everything is planned, prepared, and controlled with maximum accuracy and precision. With that said, the OR remains a high-stakes environment in which lives are on the line. RNs with exceptional attention to detail and an ability to work well under pressure should consider becoming perioperative nurses. That way, they put their specific skills to the best possible use.
Travel Nurse
The supply of qualified nurses in a specific city doesn’t always meet the demand. The result is an uptick in travel nursing opportunities. As the name suggests, travel nurses go where they are needed most. They could be in Milwaukee one week and Nashville the next. Since the typical travel nursing contract lasts for several weeks, if not months, travel nurses will likely be living in several different places over the course of a year. Travel nursing is a great choice for those who enjoy a change of scenery. But for those with families and other obligations back home, life as a travel nurse might be too difficult to pull off.
Pediatric Nurse
Do you enjoy working with children? If so, then pediatric nursing might be the right fit. Pediatric nurses must also have the self-discipline to prevent childhood trauma and juvenile disease from interfering with their judgment and professionalism. You’ll be around for the good times and the bad ones too. Will you be able to keep your composure? Resisting the urge to sob in the presence of a dying child doesn’t come naturally to most people, so it’s understandable if you’re hesitant. But anyone who thinks they have what it takes to watch over the health and well-being of sick and injured kids should consider pediatric nursing as a possible option.
Home Healthcare Nurse
People are living longer than ever before. That means there are more seniors than ever before. These elderly individuals need increasing amounts of medical attention as they get older. When combined with the number of special needs patients who require daily care, it’s no surprise there’s a growing demand for home healthcare nurses. While home health aides handle the majority of caretaking duties, there are many instances where the expertise of a registered nurse is essential. If you like the idea of visiting patients in their homes, then home healthcare nursing could be the right choice.
Hospice Nurse
Unless our lives lead us to sudden death, everyone will need someone to look after us in our final days on earth. Providing end-of-life medical care to the terminally ill requires tremendous amounts of compassion, patience, and resilience. The presence of hospice nurses means the world to those on their way to what comes next, helping them find the strength and courage needed to make the transition with grace and understanding. With this in mind, hospice nurses are perhaps the closest thing this world has to angels.
Nurses are underappreciated and arguably underpaid. But if you’re a professional nurse, you don’t do it for the credit or the money. You do it because you get to help people when they need it most. If you’re still looking to enroll in nursing school, visit https://academicpartnerships.uta.edu/programs/rn-to-bsn.aspx.
