Healthcare is currently one of the fastest-growing sectors, and nursing is a niche that offers aspirants a diverse range of opportunities. Employment in nursing will mark an uptick by roughly 19 percent in the next four years. So seeking a specialized nursing career will surely pave the way for several lucrative job options.
However, you must understand that there are a variety of nursing career pathways out there. Consequently, you might have a hard time picking a high-demand nursing specialty. But can easily avoid this confusion by heeding to some of the most popular nursing specializations listed below:
- Certified Dialysis Nurse
These medical experts care for patients who require dialysis or undergo kidney transplants. To become a licensed CDN, candidates must earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing and complete dialysis-related courses, including nephrology and pharmacology. Besides, they must have the experience of working 2,000 hours with dialysis and nephrology patients in the last two years.
- Family Nurse Practitioner
An FNP provides consultation, pharmaceutical prescriptions, and general treatments to the local population in a clinic and hospital. Their scope of work is somewhat similar to doctors who work as primary care physicians. Considering the rapid increase in demand for FNPs, more institutions have started to offer online programs in this discipline. For example, you can enroll in a Master of Science in Nursing FNP online program and take classes from the comfort of your home. However, you’ll need a license to be able to practice as a nurse practitioner.
- Nurse Practitioner
Nurse practitioners undertake several responsibilities. This includes gathering patient history, ordering laboratory tests, performing physical examinations, prescribing medications, authorizing treatments, and educating patients and their families. Given the extensive education and training required to become a nurse practitioner, this makes up for profitable specialization in healthcare, frequently earning six-figure wages. Moreover, nurse practitioners are witnessing outstanding growth, with a whopping 45 percent growth rate through 2029.
- Cardiovascular Nurses
Cardiovascular nurses collaborate with cardiologists to provide care to patients suffering from chronic heart diseases. Cardiovascular nurses can also be involved in defibrillation and cardiac surgery. CNs perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, cardiac patient care, and catheterization. Cardiac nurses can work in various healthcare settings, including hospitals, medical clinics, rehabilitation centers, and care facilities, to name a few. They earn an average base pay of more than 88,500 dollars. The demand for competent cardiovascular nurses is predicted to expand over the next few years. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, cardiac nurses’ job growth is set to touch 7 percent between 2019 to 2029.
- Pediatric Nurse
If you enjoy working with children, a career in pediatric nursing could be the best fit for you. This position encompasses everything from working with toddlers to treating teenagers. That said, looking after pediatric patients is only one part of the picture. Pediatric nurses must also educate parents on how to give the best care to their children and ensure their health and safety as they get older.
- Health Policy Nurse
This job provides you with a great opportunity to put your advanced talents and healthcare leadership potential to work to serve a vast majority of people. Generally, they do not work directly with patients. Instead, they lay down different strategies to enhance public health through legislation. Universities, public health agencies, state legislatures, and other policymaking bodies are on the lookout for qualified health policy nurses. An RN license and a bachelor’s or master’s degree in nursing are usually required to become a health policy nurse. Starting salary for these professionals is expected to be around 95,000 dollars.
- Psychiatric Nurse
Psychiatric nurse practitioners help patients with mental illnesses like bipolar disorder, depression, and schizophrenia. They also receive behavioral therapy training and educate patients and their families on effectively coping with mental illness. Also, you have the option to specialize in a particular field, such as eating disorders. Psychiatric nurses collaborate with psychologists, occupational therapists, and other health professionals in multidisciplinary teams. So you’ll need to have excellent teamwork skills along with meeting academic requirements.
- Telemedicine Nurse
The discipline of telemedicine nursing is expanding, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19. These nurses leverage technology to communicate with patients from all over the world for check-ups, monitoring, consultations, etc. Nurses with a flair for technology are sure to find this niche very particularly appealing.
- Nurse Informatics Specialist
This rapidly expanding discipline combines nursing science with technology to boost medical systems and processes in healthcare facilities. While still performing standard nursing tasks, a nursing informatics expert is a key “technology consultant” for the hospital staff. Their primary responsibilities include evaluating data to identify and reduce medical blunders and implementing new workflow initiatives to enhance patient care.
- Legal Nurse Consultant
Attorneys frequently recruit legal nurse consultants to interpret medical records and testify as expert witnesses in legal proceedings. This position may necessitate relocating to larger locations where the demand for nurse consultants in legal matters is steadily increasing. This is a great way to put your nursing abilities to work in a courtroom and establish yourself as an authority in a selected area.
- Emergency Room Nurse
Nurses in emergency rooms ensure life-saving care to patients who suffer life-threatening illnesses or injuries. Because emergency room nurses frequently collaborate with emergency medical personnel and first responders, they should have a strong grip on communication skills and critical thinking. They can perform their duties in multiple settings. Apart from earning a bachelor’s degree, many emergency room nurses acquire additional certifications in pediatric, advanced cardiac, and basic life support.
- Geriatric Nursing
These nurses specialize in treating elderly patients for injuries and illnesses and maintaining their quality of life. Geriatric nurses can plan future care for patients with long-term illnesses such as cancer or Alzheimer’s disease. You should select this niche if you enjoy working with older adults.
Conclusion
Studies reveal that over 2.5 million nurses work in the United States, making nursing the largest workforce in the healthcare industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the demand for more qualified nurses will continue to grow as the healthcare industry becomes more complex with the emergence of specialized fields. If you want to pursue a career in nursing, selecting one of the above-listed specializations will make up for a great future prospect.