1. How Your Experience Can Help
Critical Care Nurse
Critical Care Nurses make sure all critically ill patients get optimal care for their illnesses and injuries. To do that, they use their specialized skills as well as their in-depth knowledge of the human body and the latest technology in the field. Most Critical Care Nurses work in hospitals, but they can work out of nursing homes, outpatient facilities and flight units, too. As a Critical Care Nurse, you can specialize in treating adults, children, or babies.
THINGS YOU'LL DO:
Perform assessments of critical conditionsGive intensive therapy and interventionAdvocate for their patientsOperate life support systems
YOUR JOB CHARACTERISTICS:
Fast-pacedMultifacetedStructuredPatient-facing
Emergency Nurse
Emergency Nurses treat patients in emergency situations where they’re experiencing trauma or injury. These nurses quickly recognize life-threatening problems and are trained to help solve them on the spot. They can work in hospital emergency rooms, ambulances, helicopters, urgent care centers, sports arenas, and more. As an Emergency Nurse, you’ll treat a variety of conditions from sore throats to heart attacks for patients of all ages and backgrounds.
Stabilize patients experiencing traumaMinimize painQuickly uncover medical conditionsTeach patients about injury preventionYOUR JOB CHARACTERISTICS:
Fast-pacedMultifacetedStructuredPatient-facing
Flight/Transport Nurse
A Flight/Transport Nurse cares for patients in remote areas who can’t get to a hospital or are on their way to the hospital. They must be able to quickly make decisions in emergency situations, where the outcome will quite often be a choice between life and death. These nurses can work for all kinds of employers, ranging from hospitals and medical disaster teams to airlines and individual patients.
THINGS YOU'LL DO:
Help people in car accidents and natural disastersPerform medical care to airlifted patients en-route to a hospitalTravel with patients during flights
YOUR JOB CHARACTERISTICS:
Fast-pacedMultifacetedPatient-facingIndependent
Infusion Nurse
Infusion Nurses give patients medication and fluids via injection. They monitor patients, manage their tubing, maintain arterial catheters, and stay aware of potential drug complications. Infusion Nurses can be found working in a multitude of locations, including places like hospitals, long-term care centers, clinics, and home health agencies.
THINGS YOU'LL DO:
Administer fluids, medication etc. through IVMonitor patients IVs and medicationAttend to patients physical and psychosocial needs
YOUR JOB CHARACTERISTICS:
StructuredPatient-facingIndependent
Labor and Delivery Nurse
Labor and Delivery Nurses help bring people into the world every day. They care for women during labor and childbirth, monitoring the baby and the mother, coaching mothers and assisting doctors. As a Labor and Delivery Nurse, you’ll prepare women, and their families, for the stages of giving birth and help patients with breastfeeding after the baby is born.
THINGS YOU'LL DO:
Monitor the baby’s heart rate and mother’s blood pressureTime contractionsIdentify and assist with complicationsHelp administer medications and epiduralsAid in inducing laborPrepare new mothers for before, during and after pregnancy
YOUR JOB CHARACTERISTICS:
Fast-pacedMultifacetedStructuredPatient-facing
Medical-Surgical Nurse
Originally viewed as an entry level position where nurses could gain experience before entering into a specialty, Medical-Surgical Nursing requires mastering so many skills, it is now considered a specialty in and of itself. Medical-Surgical nurses provide direct care to adult patients in a variety of settings and is the largest group of nurses, accounting for almost 1/6 of the nursing profession.
THINGS YOU'LL DO:
Manage care for a large number of patientsProvide care for patients often with multiple diagnoses, across multiple medical specialtiesUnderstand complex differences in medications
YOUR JOB CHARACTERISTICS:
MultifacetedStructuredPatient-facing
Military Nurse
Military Nurses care for patients within the military, all over the globe. These nurses are no different from other nurses as they administer medication, treat wounds, and care for the sick. However, one of the more interesting things about being a Military Nurse is that your assignments can take you all over the world.
THINGS YOU'LL DO:
Setup triage in warzonesTreat soldiersHelp patients all over the world
YOUR JOB CHARACTERISTICS:
Fast-pacedMultifacetedPatient-facing
Missionary Nurse
Missionary Nurses provide physical and spiritual care to people in other countries that need healthcare. These nurses treat the illnesses and diseases of patients from other cultures, while sharing religion. Often, the work for Missionary Nurses does not end when they return home, but often includes raising awareness and money for medical supplies, clean water, schools and medical facilities in the countries where they’ve served.
THINGS YOU'LL DO:
Share your faithSetup clinicsEducate the patients on proper health and dental care
YOUR JOB CHARACTERISTICS:
MultifacetedPatient-facingManagerialIndependentMultilingual
Nurse Anesthetist
This Advanced Practice nurse gives anesthesia and anesthesia-related care to patients before, during, and after surgery. Nurse Anesthetists need to be prepared for a wide variety of situations, which is why the career path to becoming a Nurse Anesthetist is an intensive one. It’s also why Nurse Anesthetists are among the most in-demand, and highest-paid, of all nursing professions.
THINGS YOU'LL DO:
Operating Room careOutpatient proceduresEmergency Room carePain ManagementEpidurals
YOUR JOB CHARACTERISTICS:
MultifacetedStructuredIndependent
Perianesthesia Nurse
Also called Recovery Room Nurses, Perianesthesia Nurses care for patients as they regain consciousness from anesthesia, after surgery. While most patients wake up calmly, these nurses are prepared to handle patients who react aversely, waking up confused, in pain or experiencing breathing problems. As a Perianesthesia Nurse, you’ll also consult with patients before their surgery, and give them recovery tips for when they go home.
THINGS YOU'LL DO:
Recovery Room carePrepare patients for surgeryGive patients recovery tips for home
YOUR JOB CHARACTERISTICS:
MultifacetedStructuredPatient-facing
Perioperative (Surgical) Nurse
Sometimes called a Surgical or an Operating Room Nurse, Perioperative Nurses care for patients before, during and after surgery. They work alongside surgical teams to make sure that patients are receiving the best possible care, and serve as liaisons between the surgical team and the patients’ families. As a Perioperative Nurse, you’ll help patients with recovery immediately following surgery and teach them, and their families, about at-home postoperative care.
THINGS YOU'LL DO:
Interview and assess patients on the day of surgeryMonitor patients and coordinate care during surgeryMaintain a sterile operating room during surgeryGive patients recovery tips for home
YOUR JOB CHARACTERISTICS:
MultifacetedStructuredPatient-facing
Poison Information Specialist
Poison Information Specialists are further-specialized Toxicology Nurses. Some can also be licensed pharmacists. They treat patients who have ingested poison, and work with schools and businesses on poison prevention and treatment. As a Poison Control Specialist, you’ll mainly work in poison control centers, and should have experience in the emergency room and intensive care units.
THINGS YOU'LL DO:
Assist patients, who have ingested poison, over the phoneTeach poison prevention and treatment to schools and businesses
YOUR JOB CHARACTERISTICS:
Fast-pacedMultifacetedPatient-facingIndependent
Telephone Triage Nurse
Also known as Telehealth Nursing, Telephone Triage Nurses help patients over the phone, answering their health questions and determining what kind of care they need. These nurses are trained to ask patients specific questions in order to asses the situation, and refer them to the proper healthcare provider rather than a clinic or emergency room. Telephone Triage Nurses can consult patients’ health information and charts online, to better assist them.
THINGS YOU'LL DO:
Assist and consult with patients, over the phoneSchedule appointments and referring patients to specialistsTeach patients how to manage their symptoms
YOUR JOB CHARACTERISTICS:
Fast-pacedMultifacetedStructuredBehind-the-scenesMultilingual.
Toxicology Nurse
Toxicology Nurses care for people that have swallowed poisons or come into contact with hazardous toxins. They also treat people that have been bitten by snakes or stung by bees. As a Toxicology Nurse you’ll get the opportunity to care for children and help teach them to avoid poisonous and hazardous materials.
THINGS YOU'LL DO:
Treat poisonous insect and animal bitesPublic speaking about poisons and hazardsDevelop treatment plans
YOUR JOB CHARACTERISTICS:
Fast-pacedMultifacetedPatient-facing
Trauma Nurse
Trauma Nurses treat patients in a state of emergency, and handle urgent situations where the cause of injury or disease isn’t yet known. They can work in hospital emergency rooms and other chaotic environments, and often need to coordinate with doctors, family members and other nurses. As a Trauma Nurse, you’ll be saving people’s lives every day.
THINGS YOU'LL DO:
Admitting patients into the ERHelp maintain vital signs and prevent complications
YOUR JOB CHARACTERISTICS:
Fast-pacedMultifacetedStructuredPatient-facing
Travel Nurse
A Travel Nurse works temporary shifts nationally and internationally. Their shifts can be as little as 4 to 13 weeks in local hospitals, or as long as 1-2 years if working overseas, and they perform the same types of duties as a normal RN. Travel nursing is perfect for nurses who like to have a constant change of scenery, and perks like housing and transportation.
THINGS YOU'LL DO:
Work for an agencyHelp supplement the nursing staff at healthcare facilities in need
YOUR JOB CHARACTERISTICS:
MultifacetedPatient-facingIndependent
Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurse
A Wound, Ostomy and Nurse cares for patients with wounds caused by medical treatments, diseases, or injuries. They also provide post-surgery treatment and care for patients with ostomies, which are surgical openings that allow for the elimination of bodily waste. These nurses often work with a healthcare team, assessing patients, managing wounds, and monitoring healing.
THINGS YOU'LL DO:
Prevent bedsoresHelp ulcers, abscesses and feeding tube sites heal quicklyClean woundsDevelop wound care treatment plans
YOUR JOB CHARACTERISTICS:
MultifacetedStructuredPatient-facing2. The Fast Track to Becoming an RN
Paramedic to RN Bridge Programs
LPN/LVN to RN Bridge Programs
Military Medic/Corpsman to RN Bridge Programs
Online Bridge Programs
If you need a program with maximum flexibility, an online option might be for you. Pros include:
You won’t have to worry about waiting lists.Your first semester begins when you want it to.You can go at your own pace, in your own space.You’ll probably save money.
Once you are a Registered Nurse, you might want to look into programs that’ll help you get an advanced degree more quickly, too:
RN to BSN Programs
Even if you work as an RN with a diploma or associate’s degree, a bachelor’s degree is becoming the standard. Since healthcare employers constantly look for more qualified and skilled candidates, a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) will make you more competitive and increase your earning potential.
RN to MSN Programs
More and more schools are offering RN to MSN bridge programs. And with an advanced degree, your role with your patients will become more involved. You’ll be a part of their entire care plan, you’ll prescribe medication, and you’ll even be your own boss. You’ll also have the option to teach the next generation of nurses, helping combat the nursing shortage even more.
3. Financial Aid Just For You
You also might be able to get financial assistance like Loan Repayment and Tuition Reimbursement from the healthcare facility where you work.
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