Role players: Nursing offers a variety of career options
If you’re considering a career in nursing, your future is wide open. Nurses are being hired at high rates, continuing a decade-long trend. And you have numerous options. Listed below are several career options for nurses:
Critical care nurses work in a hospital setting or other locations that house critically ill patients. In hospitals, you’ll find them in intensive care units, pediatric ICUs, neonatal ICUs, cardiac care units, cardiac catheter labs, telemetry units, progressive care units, emergency departments and recovery rooms, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Emergency room nurses treat patients who are experiencing trauma or injury by recognizing and addressing lifethreatening issues. ER nurses are trained to help solve problems quickly.
Oncology nurses specialize in treating cancer patients. They may administer chemotherapy to a patient with or without supervision by a physician, according to the Oncology Nursing Society. Other duties may include providing supportive care, blood
components, fluid and electrolyte replacements and other oncology treatments as prescribed. Though these nurses typically report to a supervisor
or head of a department, the goal is to provide comfort in what could be a patient’s greatest time of need.
Pediatric nurses are knowledgeable in the growth and development of young patients and often follow a child through their illnesses for years. These nurses interact with the child’s guardians to understand the extent of the illness. They also aid in the rehabilitation of the child; monitoring and assessing a patient’s condition; and understanding the variances of diseases, equipment and treatments for pediatric patients.
Perianesthesia nurses handle recovery for patients who awake from anesthesia. Perianesthesia nurses work in an intense environment, monitoring patients for nausea and disorientation.
Perioperative nurses are a crucial part of a surgical team and work in collaboration with surgeons, circulating nurses, anesthetists and surgical
assistants. Some nursing roles in the perioperative field include:
-Circulator nurses are perioperative nurses who handle matters outside of the sterilized area. They’re responsible for managing the patient’s nursing care within the operating room and coordinating the needs of the surgical team with other care providers. Circulator nurses also assess the patient’s condition before, during and after surgery.
-Instrument nurses are perioperative nurses who work with surgeons within the sterile field. In addition to sterile draping, surgical preparation, irrigation, retraction, suctioning and managing the sterile equipment, instrument nurses are constantly assessing the surgeon’s potential needs during a procedure.
-Operating room directors keep the operating room running smoothly. This includes budgets, staffing, supplies, and scheduling.
-Patient educators work directly with the patient and provide information to the family members in an effort to help the patient make informed decisions about his or her care.
-Registered nurse first assistants undergo extensive education and training to provide assistance directly to the surgeon by controlling bleeding, using instruments and medical devices,
handling and cutting tissue and suturing during the procedure.
-Scrub nurses are perioperative nurses who work directly within the sterilized field. They handle instruments, sponges and other items needed during the procedure.