From positions in clinics and hospitals to classrooms and helicopters, BSN-prepared nurses have the opportunities to work in all types of industries. Once you earn your BSN and qualify as an RN, there are an array of opportunities for things you can do with a BSN degree. Here’s a non-comprehensive list of 18 nursing career paths you can take to put your nursing education into practice.

Steps to Becoming a Wound Care Nurse

Once a nurse earns their degree and passes the NCLEX-RN, they may decide to specialize in wound care nursing. This will require additional training and education. Many RNs enter wound care nursing after treating patients with chronic wounds in other nursing areas, such as oncology, med-surg, or critical care.

Related Resource: Wound Care Nursing: Everything You Need to Know

1. Earn Your BSN

A bachelor’s degree in nursing is required to be certified by the (WOCNCB).

Related Resource: How to Get Your BSN Degree

2. Obtain Your RN

After earning your nursing degree, you must pass the pass the for registered nurses (NCLEX-RN) to obtain your RN license, which is a prerequisite for obtaining your wound care license.

Related Resource: How to Become a Registered Nurse

3. Attend a Board-Approved Certification Program

A variety of certifications are available that meet the WOCNCB board requirements to be a wound care nurse. These typically take 2-3 months to complete. After completing the program, you must pass a certification exam.

Common wound care certified programs:

• CWOCN: Certified Wound, Ostomy, Continence Nurse
• CWCN: Certified Wound Care Nurse
• COC: Certified Ostomy Care Nurse
• CCCN: Certified Continence Care Nurse
• CWON: Certified Wound Ostomy Nurse

4. Or Obtain Certification Via Experience

There is also an option to obtain certification via . This requires 50 wound care related CEs and 1500 hours of clinical experience, over the last 5 years.

5. Pass the Exam

After you complete approved wound care education, you must take and pass the certification exam. The cost of the exam .

Related Resource: 10 Proven Study Tips to Retain Information

6. Earn Continuing Education Credits

Like all medical professionals, wound care nurses require continuing education (CE) credits to remain up to date on new treatments and medical best practices. The CE credits also help you qualify for recertification, which is required every 5 years.

7. Find a Wound Care Nurse Job

Wound care nurses work in a variety of medical settings, including acute and long-term care facilities, home healthcare companies, public health agencies, and hospice. There is a growing need for wound care nurses in long-term care settings to treat complications from diabetes, in particular.

A hospital wound care nurse is commonly consulted during a patient’s stay when a wound or pressure ulcer is discovered, or if the patient has an ostomy. They are responsible for following the proper course of treatment to promote healing and continually assessing the patient’s skin.

Related Resource: Nursing Interview Tips for Your First Nursing Job

Hospital wound care nurses support patients in:

• Operating Rooms (OR)
• Critical Care
• ICU
• Settings where patients have decreased mobility

Ready to get started? Learn more about our nursing programs.

It’s certainly needed. Geriatric care is on the rise. According to the Administration for Community Living, the percentage of will grow from 14.1 percent in 2013 to 21.7 percent by 2040. With this increase will come the need for passionate, understanding geriatric nurses who answered the calling to care for these sometimes forgotten generations.

Every one of our nursing students in Draper has a distinct and valuable reason for why they choose the profession. It’s not unusual for some of our students to pursue geriatric nursing because of personal experience with older family members or friends. Those who make this choice should know geriatric nursing comes with its own set of benefits and challenges, like the ones listed below.

Advancing through training, certification, and education

The programs and certifications for a geriatric nurse are very similar to other specialties. First, you need to enroll and complete a nursing program, like the one we offer at �������������, and pass the NCLEX. After you pass the NCLEX, RNs who wish to pursue a career working with the elderly can do so right away! To become certified, however, requires a little more work — mainly, experience.

The American Nurses Credentialing Center does offer credentialing in the form of the Gerontological Nursing Certification Exam. Before an RN can take this exam, :

• Have an active U.S. or state territory RN license (or legally equivalent licensure from another country),
• Work as a full-time RN for a minimum of two years,
• Have at least three years of experience working in the gerontological nursing field with a minimum of 2,000 hours accumulated, and
• Complete 30 hours of continuing education in the field gerontological nursing within the last three years.

Becoming a certified geriatric nurse in this way comes with the coveted RN-BC (board-certified) credential and puts you in great position to become a leader in the field, gain more skills and knowledge, and give your patients a better quality of care. You can also continue on with your education, completing an RN to BSN degree program, an MS in geriatric nursing, or even a PhD. Though you only need an RN degree to begin, the sky’s the limit for geriatric nursing programs and certifications!

Creating meaningful relationships with an older generation

Geriatric nurse and older patient hold hands. As a nursing student, you’ll learn all about communicating with patients, explaining treatment options, and the ins and outs of appropriate bedside manner. All of this knowledge will help you in any given specialty, but it’s especially essential in your day-to-day today activities as a geriatric nurse.

As a nurse, you often have more contact with your patients than any other healthcare worker. You work as a patient advocate, so it’s important you understand the necessity of building a positive relationship with your elderly patient and his or her family. This takes high levels of patience, empathy, and compassion. It isn’t for everyone, but if you find value in forming meaningful relationships with aging individuals and want to give back to an older generation, you’ll find so much joy and satisfaction in the work — and it will be a positive experience, overall, for everyone.

In addition, enjoying the access to different perspectives, diversity, and years of memories, wisdom, and stories can lead to better care. Your life will be enriched, and if you express gratitude and respect for this, your patients will likely be more comfortable, feel more supported, and be honest and more cooperative with you over time.

Earning potential in geriatric nursing

While it’s wise to choose a nursing specialty based on passion and purpose, the salary for geriatric nursing can be a factor on the list, too. Depending on geographic location, experience, level of education, and institution, wages for geriatric nurses can vary greatly. Overall, though, if you’re wondering how much geriatric nurses make: they usually can carve out a nice living for themselves.

According to Nurse Journal, on average anywhere from $49,000 (Hawaii) to $98,000 (Washington, DC). The pay is higher on the East Coast, with Massachusetts ($94,000), Connecticut ($90,000), and New York ($95,000) leading the pack behind our nation’s capitol. If you don’t want to make the move to the East Coast, California (so close to Utah!) ranks high with an average salary of $84,000. There is a chance that these figures will change in the next few years. As we said, the aging population in the U.S., those who will need long-term care, is growing — and fast.

Again, while good pay might sound very tempting when considering a nursing career specialty, money can’t buy you everything. Place emphasis on what will make you happy as a nurse — your best personality fit, your ambitions, your passions, and your ability to handle pressure, for example — before you place emphasis on salary. Geriatrics is a field that takes a lot of heart and patience, and it isn’t for everybody, so don’t jump into it for the wrong reasons!

Related resource: Which Medical Specialty Best Fits Your Personality?

Overcoming complexities

Geriatric nurse helping an older woman stand up

End-of-life care can be exhausting, because geriatric patients often need more physical assistance, and because elderly care has become . Managing chronic illnesses, comorbidities, and medications requires a diverse range of skills and a strong knowledge base. Symptoms of a common condition can manifest in a completely different way in the aging population, which means geriatric nurses need to be comfortable with critical thinking and listening to the needs, wants, and feelings of the patient.

Related resource: Common Causes of Compassion Fatigue in Healthcare

Tackling fear of the elderly

Some people might have a misguided fear of the elderly. There are several myths and stereotypes that might keep some well-suited nurses from pursuing a career in geriatric nursing, where they would otherwise thrive in the field. Not all elderly patients have dementia. Aging individuals are all unique with different thoughts, capabilities, and world views. While physical strength, memory, and the five senses do decline with age, aging does not affect creativity, the ability to change, or the love families have for their parents, grandparents, or brothers and sisters. It’s important to avoid assumptions and to keep an open mind. You never know where someone has been and what kind of lives they’ve experienced.

Related resource: 8 Benefits of a Holistic Nursing Education

Becoming an advocate for older patients

There was a time when curing the patient was more important than the patients themselves. Hospitals are designed around efficiency rather than person-centered care, but times are changing, and in some cases, nurses — especially those with a holistic specialty — are leading the charge.

As a geriatric nurse, you’ll be one of the biggest advocates for the patient and the patient’s family. In some cases, the treatment objective will shift. In geriatric nursing, sometimes curing the patient’s illness will become secondary to treating the patient with respect and dignity, maintaining function, and giving the patient the best quality of care as possible.

You’ll also be a listening ear when needed, , and sensitive to and aware of the family’s state-of-mind at all times. There is also great opportunity to give back to a generation of people who have given so much of their lives to the world already.

As demanding as it sounds, the work does become easier with time and proves rewarding for the right individual. At �������������, we prepare our nursing students for the challenges they’ll face in their first job to their last. Whether you’re beginning your healthcare journey with our ASN program, pursuing a 3 year BSN degree or accelerated BSN program, advancing through our RN to BSN program, or reaching higher with an MSN degree, discover which nursing program aligns with your career goals by exploring our nursing school.

Cruise ships, other vessels, and oil rigs

Cruise goers, sailors, and oil rig employees spend weeks at a time at sea. At some point, someone’s going to need medical attention, be it from sea sickness or a freak shuffleboard accident.

Working at sea means you’ll have to be more independent than you would in a hospital or clinic, as you might be the only healthcare provider on board. In the case of a truly dire illness or injury, your primary duty could be keeping patients stable until they can finally be taken to dry land.

Being at sea can mean a life of travel, seeing the world, and exploring ports of call. You’ll meet (and provide healthcare to) people from all over the world and see more in a month of work than some people see in their whole lives.

Related resource: What is Working in a Hospital Really Like?

Theme parks

Nothing ruins a vacation like life-threatening illness or injury. Fortunately, some larger  to see to cuts, scrapes, and accidents. First aid services will take up most of a theme park nurse’s time, but if a guest does have a medical emergency you could be the nearest healthcare professional capable of assisting them.

Like working at sea, theme parks offer you the opportunity to meet people from all over the world who are set on having the time of their lives. If they need the attention of a nurse, you’ll be there to make sure their plans continue with only minimal medical interruption.

Prisons

If you want a job that will truly test your mettle, . Working in a prison might not be pleasant or fun, but it does have the potential to be interesting, and you’ll be providing a necessary service for the criminal justice system. It’ll also give you the opportunity to work with prisoners themselves, as some of them might very well work as your nursing assistants.

While it’s not inconceivable that you’ll treat wounds left by a fight or sit next to a hardened criminal as he finally finishes a life sentence, much of working in a prison is more routine. Prison nurses mostly see to inmates’ ongoing, everyday health issues. Working in a prison isn’t for everyone, but it’s challenging, necessary, and unforgettable.

Related resource: Everything Nurses Should Know Before Filing Their Taxes

Extreme sports

Race cars, as you might imagine, are dangerous. So are ski jumps, motor bikes, and skydiving. When feats of speed and derring-do are on display, it’s only a matter of time before someone wipes out and needs medical attention.

Responsible extreme sporting events will generally have nurses on hand. Working at a racetrack or sports park will make you very familiar with the specific kinds of injuries that participants receive on a regular basis. It might make you never want to participate in the sport at all, or maybe you’ll want to get behind the wheel of a race car or go off the edge of a ski jump yourself.

Are you ready for the adventures that come with nursing? Visit our program pages to learn more about our ASN degree program�����Ի���RN to BSN program.

When most people think of nurses making a difference, they conjure up an image of nurses interacting directly with sick patients and worried family members. While nurses are tremendous patient advocates, they also have many opportunities to create a positive impact on the world that doesn’t include direct patient care. Some healthcare professionals might feel guilty leaving their patient-centric jobs for something nontraditional, but there are tons of benefits in doing so, starting with the ones list below.

1. Regular Hours

Hospitals can be tough places to work, even without worrying about those long 12-hours shifts. While some nurses enjoy the flexibility of rotating schedules, weekdays off to run errands, or four-day weekends, some nurses, especially those raising kids, find they enjoy a set 9 to 5, Monday through Friday schedule.

By working in a non-direct patient care position — and — your hours will be more in line with those of the traditional workplace. Traditional hours are great for people who want spend time with family in the evening, or spend time with friends or colleagues after work. And another benefit: You’ll probably even have holidays off, too!

2. Diverse Career Options

Healthcare work is demanding and takes its toll and the mind, body, and spirit. If you’ve found yourself in a position where you’re questioning your career path, the stress of patient care is leading to empathy fatigue and burnout, or you have the urge to travel, you should consider looking for positions outside a hospital or clinic.

There are plenty of wonderful career opportunities for nurses in non-clinical, non-direct patient roles where you use the same knowledge, expertise, and compassion you learned in school and on the job. Putting your gifts to work in a different setting, though, can bring new, exciting challenges and experiences to invigorate your career. As a nurse, you have the ability and freedom to work in an array of settings and places — and still help people in the process.

Related Resource: How to Combat Nurse Burnout

3. Strengthen a Separate Set of Skills

Clinicians have a vast amount of medical expertise, but a lot of nurses also have a variety of skills they aren’t able to use everyday. In a non-clinical role, nurses are exposed to different areas of study, such as analytics, writing and research, and law practice. Coupled with their clinical experience, nurses have the opportunity to excel and grow hidden talents and skills they might not be able to do in a hospital or clinic, and do so at their own pace. Non-direct patient care positions allow nurses to put more of their organizational, writing, and research skills to work!

Related Resource: Why Be a Nurse Manager?

4. Different Work Environment

Many nurses love the routine and tradition of putting on scrubs and driving to the hospital for every shift. Someone in scrubs is the first image most people envision when they think of nurses, but that isn’t the whole picture. Some nurses wear suits; some work in lab coats; and some dress like anyone else on the street when they head off to work. A different work environment can expose nurses to other industries and interests.

These nursing positions outside of hospitals and clinics can also feel more relaxing, especially when you take a lunch break. While the energy and pace of hospitals is exciting, non-direct patient care work allows nurses to let their guard down occasionally. It isn’t always life-and-death, but the work remains impactful, and necessary.

Related Resource: Serving in the Service: Healthcare Careers in the Military

When our students graduate our ASN (RN) program, RN to BSN program, and OTA program, we ensure they’re equipped with the skills they need to succeed, whatever path they decide to pursue. Learn more about our nursing programs and health science program offerings.

With around (or looking for work), the struggle to find parental and professional balance is something most parents can relate to.

If you’re a parent and registered nurse with a few years of experience under belt, you’re in luck! Nursing offers a diverse and flexible career trajectory, which means moms and dads who are nurses can have a rewarding career, provide for their families, and spend time with their children, too! If you’re a parent currently, or want to be one some day, here are some of the best nursing jobs for moms.

1. School Nurse

This is an often forgotten subset of nursing, but such a fruitful one. School nurses educate and serve student populations from elementary to high school, and even at the university level as well. Your responsibilities might include administering medications, assessing potential illnesses, and teaching first aid to teachers, to name a few.

Becoming a school nurse is a wonderful option for mothers and fathers, especially those with youngsters in school. Not only will you share the same hours with your kids, you’ll also get those coveted weekends off, too. Hate working holidays? You won’t have to worry about it as a school nurse! Want more time with your children to enjoy the summer together? You got it.

Parents who are school nurses can also enjoy a little more calm at work than, say, an ICU nurse. This isn’t to say school nurses don’t save lives! They do, but the pace and demands of a school nurse’s work environment can more closely mirror your home. This similarity will alleviate the shock of transition every time your shift ends, so you won’t have to jump from critical care right into homework supervision like some parent nurses.

One last benefit: Depending on your school district, there’s a chance your child could attend the school where you work. This could give you the opportunity to be actively involved in their education and get to know their teachers; though they may hate not being able to get away with anything!

2. Home Healthcare Nurse

If you feel like you work with kids enough at home, an older generation may be more your speed. Home healthcare workers are always in demand — and that demand is only growing as the population ages.

in their homes. These patients often have complex medical problems that require the aid of a skilled nurse. Nurses might help patients manage medications, treat wounds, or deliver IV therapy. One of the perks of being a home healthcare nurse is that you typically get to set your own schedule. If you want to see your patients from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. so you’re home in time for the school bus, you can.

The job is flexible, depending on the needs of your patients, and is perfect for nurses who are parents. Since you’re responsible for setting your own appointments with your patients, you can schedule your breaks around doctor’s appointments, sporting events, or chaperoning the Spring Formal. In addition, you can do your charting at a different time, like after your kids go to bed. You can spend more quality time with your children instead of cramming every activity into the two hours between dinner and bedtime.

3. Per Diem Nurse

Sometimes it’s more practical for one parent to only work part-time, depending on the age of your children, your spouse’s job or work flexibility, or your economic situation. Per diem nursing offers many benefits — freedom, new working environments, and a little higher pay — but one of the most attractive for parents is the flexibility. Per diem nursing is perfect for mothers and fathers with young children who aren’t quite yet in school. You can set the hours and terms in which you want to work. Maybe you’d only want to work on the weekends. Or maybe you can only work on Tuesdays. Per diem nursing is a great way to make your life fit around you and your family’s needs, and not the other way around.

Any way you swing it, she’s right. With nearly 3 million registered nurses in America alone, they constitute the largest portion of the healthcare workforce and can be found wherever there’s a doctor—and often in places where there’s not. Still, the illusion persists that nurses only work in hospitals, or maybe for a college’s health services department. It may be that many registered nurses find their first jobs in those traditional clinical setting, but the reality is that myriad alternative nursing careers exist, especially for nurses who have earned their BSN degree.

Even if you enjoy working as a clinical nurse, we’ve identified a few reasons you should at least consider earning your BSN to qualify for more alternative nursing jobs.

Normal Working Hours

While some hospitals offer 8-hour day shifts, it’s very common to work three 12-hour shifts a week, or four 10s, or overnight, or some other hybrid schedule that can limit the amount of “normal” time you have to see friends and family. Many alternative nursing jobs, like visiting communities and schools as a public health nurse, allow you to work a more typical schedule. If you’re a working parent, or if you just crave evening hours to relax or meet up with friends, alternative nursing jobs can offer a more regular schedule. While three 12-hour shifts appeal to many nurses, if you’re coordinating with a baby sitter, or have other responsibilities that require your daily attention, normal working hours can alleviate a lot of stress.

(Potential) Increase in Pay

Monster.com created a list of alternative nursing careers, listing the average and range of salaries for each position. The averages for quite a few of them, like a Nurse Manager’s $80,181 figure, are impressive, but the upper ranges can be a bigger incentive to leave the hospital behind. Of course, most of them require at least a BSN, since the positions expect these nurses to possess a breadth of knowledge and experience. Nurse educators, for example, coordinate continuing education programs and opportunities—and quite often teach themselves. This requires firm knowledge not just of nursing in general but specialties and unique approaches in particular. It, like many alternative nursing jobs, entails a lot of administrative duties, so having at least a few years of working as an RN under your belt is valuable.

Change of Pace

One of the many draws of a nursing career is its potential for change and new experiences. Want to travel? Become a nurse. Want a change of pace without starting a new career? Become a nurse. Nursing is so ubiquitous you can even find positions in the fossil fuel industry. (Not many, but they’re there.) Alternative nursing jobs offer a change of pace to nurses who feel bored or worn out in their current roles. While most careers would require you to start at the bottom of another industry, with alternative nursing jobs you can find yourself in a radically different line of work without radical life changes.

Potential for Autonomy

Nursing is often a communal career, requiring you to work not just alongside other nurses, but doctors, orderlies, medical assistants, and the rest of a clinical staff. It’s enriching work for that very reason, but some personalities are naturally drawn toward more autonomy, and alternative nursing jobs can provide that outlet. This doesn’t mean you can be a recluse. Whether they’re seeing patients directly, managing a clinic, or educating the public, all nurses still work with people and should appreciate that aspect of their jobs. Alternative careers, though, can offer more opportunities to work independently, or at least more authority to lead, rather than be led.

If you’re interested in expanding your career choices as a nurse, learn more about earning your BSN degree.

1. They’re Some of the Most Self-Reliant Nurses

Less hospital traffic and a slower pace is a reality for most night shifts (although most night-shift nurses would dare utter those words). This often affords nurses a more easygoing pace than their day shift counterparts. Fewer incoming patients means less staff on duty, giving night shift nurses the opportunity to practice a greater level of self-reliance.

This experience often translates to an abundance of leadership skills that will last throughout a nurse’s career. It also helps them test their knowledge and gain the confidence to know that their training and expertise really do stand up to challenges in a workplace setting.

2. They Know How to Spend Quality Time

Since working during the day is so much more common, night shift workers are usually on a different schedule than their spouses, children, and friends. This means they must quickly learn how to make the most of their off-duty time.

Arriving home shortly after sunrise can make it easy to get things done in the early morning, when the world is just waking up. Night shift nurses realize the importance of “me” time. They may be more inclined to spend quality moments with those they’re closest to, when they can find the time.

3. They Have Great Workplace Relationships

When the hustle and bustle of the day subsides, night shift nurses end up getting to know their patients in different and meaningful ways. Conversations can be longer, and nurses get the chance to hear more about their patients’ lives. Night shifts foster more time to converse with patients and coworkers, Keeping lonely patients company by sharing stories can be beneficial and uplifting for both patients and the nurses who care for them.

In much the same way, nurses make long-lasting friendships with their fellow night shift employees. The experience of working into the wee hours of the . With less overall staff from different departments bustling through the work environment, the coworkers who are on duty have the chance to learn from one another and let their teamwork shine.

4. They juggle full schedules masterfully

There are several reasons why nurses take on night shifts, like higher pay and increased shift availability. But another hidden gem in the night shift schedule is how well it can work for those nurses who are focused on continuing their education. Going back to school can be a challenge for nurses with very busy daytime schedules; night shift nurses get to take classes during the afternoon or evening that they might otherwise be unavailable for.

Nurses also know that getting enough , and they find ways to fit in enough snoozing hours to stave off burnout and keep themselves going strong. They learn early on that blackout curtains, earplugs, and a sleeping mask are great ways to signal to the body that it’s time for sleep — even as the neighbors are just hitting snooze.

5. They Set Up the Day Shift  Nurses for Success

Night shift nurses set everyone up for success. One of the most influential ways night shift nurses make a positive impact on the work environment occurs after they’ve gone home. The calmer night time hours mean that nurses can catch things that were left to do by nurses from earlier in the day, helping the incoming nurses on the next shift come in to a well-organized scene.

What follows is a general outline of how to work abroad if you’re from the U.S., or how to work in the U.S. as a foreign nurse. Please note that none of this is legal advice. Always check with the relevant authorities if you want to work beyond your borders.

Related resource: Travel Nursing: 10 Places That Hire Abroad

How American Nurses Can Practice Abroad

Getting a nursing degree and license in the U.S. gives you a unique amount of flexibility if you want to practice abroad. American healthcare education and medical standards are held in fairly high esteem around most of the world, so in many countries U.S. licensure is enough to let you start working. This is especially true in developing nations, where the demand for skilled healthcare professionals can be acute.

However, chances are you’ll need to get cleared with a foreign legal authority like the  You’ll also need to secure a visa and check in on language requirements. Some countries might use English in hospitals and others may have interpreters on hand, but often you’ll have to speak the local language during your practice. Make sure you’re well on your way to learning that before you leave the U.S.

If you go abroad as a civil servant, though, things are different. The  and Department of Defense employ thousands of healthcare workers in several different countries. Going abroad as an employee of the U.S. government means your American licensure still applies, even if you’re working outside U.S. borders.

How Foreign Nurses Can Practice in the U.S.

If you’re moving to the U.S. from another country, you’ll have to jump through a few more hoops. The good news is you won’t necessarily have to repeat the entirety of nursing school, but you will have to do a bit of work.

Depending on what state you want to practice in, you might also have to complete a Foreign Educated Nurse refresher course. These are usually about 120 hours of classroom time. If English is not your first language, you could also be required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or another reputable test of English. When you’re ready, you can eventually sit for the NCLEX.

The State Boards of Nursing use an organization called the  to make sure applicants meet the basic requirements to take the NCLEX. They’ll go through your nursing school transcripts and education records. Once you get the go-ahead, you can sit for the NCLEX, pass, and begin work in the U.S. as an RN.

Nursing is Universal

Whether you’re from the U.S. or not, nursing holds certain universal truths. Disease, injury, and trauma don’t recognize borders. The science you learn in one country will be applicable the world over. And most importantly, empathy is universal. No matter where you are or whom you’re providing care to, you’ll still need to draw upon the skills that drove you to begin your nursing journey in the first place.

If you’re thinking about being a nurse either at home or abroad, learn more about our nursing�����Ի����鱷–B����������Dz���������.

At Joyce, our ASN nursing program in Draper prepares nursing students to work as generalists, in a variety of settings — a foundation upon which any specialty may be built. Online students in our RN to BSN degree completion program graduate with a holistic nursing specialty, again prepared for a variety of work. If you’re wondering what nursing specialty to pursue yourself, consider the following questions as you think about your options.

Why you decided to become a nurse?

For most nurses, some event or experience inspired them to listen to the calling and become a nurse. It may have been watching a sick relative and the nurses who took care of them, or feeling drawn to make a personal impact on others’ lives, or seeing the state of healthcare and wanting to improve things. Whatever compelled you can direct you toward an area of nursing specialties where you would feel most fulfilled, so ask yourself: Why did you want to become a nurse?

Most nursing specialties work directly with patients, but some non-clinical nursing jobs would put you behind a desk or in an office, working on policies, IT, and best practices, steering the future of healthcare, or managing others in direct patient care. Knowing the kind of work you want to do, and the demographics of the patients you may want to serve, is the first step in directing your choice of nursing specialty.

Related Resource: Why Nurses Should Consider Non-Direct Patient Care Positions

Where would you love to work as a nurse?

Nurses with the same specialty can be found in small town Idaho or an enormous facility in the Bronx, but generally knowing the kind of work environment where you thrive can direct the kind of nursing specialty you should pursue.

Do you love an energetic atmosphere? Then working in an ER as a Trauma Nurse or Critical Care Nurse or, eventually, becoming a Flight Nurse might suit you well. If you prefer a calmer pace and opportunities to build long-term relationships with your patients, you should look into specialties like Geriatric Nursing or becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner. For nurses who long to leave the corridors and immerse themselves in their communities, dozens of specialties exist, many of which have a 9-5 schedule — or something close to it — like a School Nurse or Occupational Health Nurse.

Discover Nursing has  that can direct nurses toward a list of specialties based on their interests and passions. There are 104 areas a nurse can specialize in, all of them valuable and fulfilling in their own ways.

Related Resource: 5 Things You Should Know ������������� Psychiatric Nursing

What education does your desired nursing specialty require?

Many specialties require no more than an ASN degree, though every step of education you ascend will open more doors to more nursing jobs, all of which come with unique benefits, many of which offer a higher salary. Some of our nursing students decide to complete their BSN degree as soon as they graduated from an RN program — and from there upward to Masters Degree and Doctorate level programs. Others are drawn to nursing specialties they can pursue after they pass the NCLEX. Every nurse’s path is unique, and every nursing specialty is necessary to the health of populations all over the world.

You don’t have to decide on an educational path the day you start nursing school, but it’s important to keep higher degrees in mind as you consider what nursing specialty to pursue. If your primary goal is to finish an RN program and then go to work, look at specialties based on your passions and interests in that degree level. If, however, educational requirements do not intimidate you, and if your primary goal is to work in a specialized field with a higher degree, you should pursue it.

The world needs nurses: the more impassioned by their specialties, the better.

Related Resource: 15 Highest Paying Nursing Specialties