Nursing Offers a Variety of Career Options

We’re familiar with nurses on hospital floors and at our doctor’s offices, but there are many different kinds of nurses in different practices around the country. Here’s a sampling of some of the specialty nursing fields. CARDIAC NURSE

Gwynedd Mercy University expects a 16% job growth rate for cardiac nurses. These nurses help patients with heartrelated problems, including assisting with surgical procedures such as bypass, angioplasty or pacemaker surgery. It requires an associate degree or bachelor’s degree, a registered nursing license and a state nursing license.

CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST

Anesthetist These highly trained nurses help with anesthesia during surgeries. They are some of the highestpaid and highesttrained nurses in the medical field. You must have a master’s degree, a registered nursing license, at least one year in an acute care setting and a CRNA certification.

CRITICAL CARE NURSE

These are registered nurses that are specially trained for emergency situations. As a critical care nurse, you can expect to tend to serious wounds and monitor life-support systems in major traumatic events. This job requires an associate or bachelor’s degree along with a registered nursing license and a certification in advanced cardiac life support.

FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONER

These specially trained nurses provide primary health care services across the generations. They diagnose and treat illnesses, perform physical exams, do diagnostic testing, prescribe medications and more.

You’ll need a master’s degree in nursing and a registered nursing license along with 500 faculty-supervised clinical hours.

PERIOPERATIVE NURSE

Also known as a surgical or operating room nurse, these nurses focus on pre- and postoperative patient care. They manage the operating room, including conditions in the room, tools for operations, applying bandages and controlling bleeding. You will need an associate or bachelor’s degree, a registered nursing license, and CNOR and Certified Nurse First Assistant certifications.

NURSE EDUCATOR

These nurses are responsible for teaching the next generation of health care workers, either in general nursing classes or in specific areas of nursing. You should choose this specialized field if you would like to help others work in the medical field and shape the industry’s future. You’ll need a master’s degree and a registered nursing license as well as passing the certified nurse educator exam.