Types of Nursing Specialties: 20 Fast-Growing  Education Requirement: Associates

Nursing Fields Degree or Bachelor's of Science Degree,

Registered Nursing License (RN)
With the nursing field constantly evolving, there
 Employment Locations: Hospitals, In-
are a variety of different types of nurses you can
Home Care and Rehab Centers
be. The demand for nurses is continually
 Relevant Certifications: State Nursing
growing, and the nursing career path offers
License
many worthwhile benefits such as strong
 One of the leading causes of death in
salaries, numerous opportunities, and a feeling
the United States today is heart disease.
of fulfillment. With this article, you’ll learn what
The demand for cardiac nurses
kind of nurses there are and the unique
continues to grow with the rising
opportunities for each of these types of nursing
number of patients affected with heart-
jobs.
related problems. As a cardiac nurse,
1. Registered Nurse (RN) you will also assist with surgical
procedures such as bypass, angioplasty,
 Education Requirement: associate
or pacemaker surgery.
degree or bachelor’s of Science Degree
 Employment Locations: Hospitals, 3. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
residential care facilities, etc. (CRNA)
 Relevant Certifications: State Nursing
 Education Requirement: Masters
License
Degree (MSN), Registered Nurse License
 Registered Nurses (RN) provide and
(RN) and One Year in Acute Care Setting
coordinate patient care, educate
 Employment Locations: Hospitals,
patients and the public about various
Surgical Centers, Specialty Doctor’s
health conditions, and provide advice
Offices
and emotional support to patients and
 Relevant Certifications: CRNA
their family members. Most registered
Certification
nurses work in a team with physicians
 A Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
and other health care specialists in
(CRNA) is a highly trained nurse that
various settings. Depending on the type
specializes in assisting with anesthesia
of registered nurse you'd like to
during surgeries. CRNA’s make up some
become, you should consider whether
of the highest-paid nurse specialties in
an RN vs BSN degree is right for you.
the medical field due to the high
You will need either an associate degree
demand of these nurses in surgical
or bachelor’s degree in nursing to
settings and detailed training they
become an RN, therefore you can begin
receive. In order to become a certified
working in the field much sooner than
registered nurse anesthetist, you must
other medical professions. As a
complete a degree from a graduate
registered nurse, you have the many
level program.
career opportunities to work in different
specialties depending on your interests. 4. Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)
2. Cardiac Nurse  Education Requirement: Master's
Degree and sometimes a Doctoral
degree
  Employment Locations: Hospitals,
Physician’s Offices, In-Home Health Care
services, etc.
 Relevant Certifications: N/A
 Clinical nurse specialists are a type of
7. Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
advanced practice registered nurse
(APRN), who provide direct patient care
by working with other nurses and staff
to improve the quality of care a patient
receives. They often serve in leadership
roles and may educate and advise other
nursing staff. Learn more about how to
become a CNS, or explore more career
options within the CNS specialty.
5. Critical Care Nurse
 Education Requirement: Associates
Degree or Bachelor’s of Science Degree,
Registered Nursing License (RN)
 Employment Locations: Hospitals and
Doctor’s Offices
8. Geriatric Nursing
 Relevant Certifications: Certification in
Advanced Cardiac Life Support
 Critical Care Nurses are very similar to
Registered Nurses, especially in
education level, but the main difference
is a critical care nurse is specifically
trained for emergency situations. A
critical care nurse can be expected to
tend to serious wounds and monitoring
life support systems in stressful
scenarios.
6. ER Nurse
 Education Requirement: Associates
Degree or Bachelor’s of Science Degree,
Registered Nursing License (RN)
 Employment Locations: Hospitals
9. Perioperative Nurse (Surgical/OR Nurse)
 Relevant Certifications: Certified
Emergency Nurse (CEN)
 With their team in the emergency
room, an ER nurse performs an array of
tasks after careful evaluation and
stabilization of a patient. An ER nurse
can be expected to determine proper
medication administration by reviewing
a patient’s medical charts, as well tend
to basic wounds or ailments.
 Education Requirement: Master's
Degree in Nursing (MSN) and Registered
Nursing License (RN)
 Employment Locations: Doctor’s Offices
and Hospice Facilities
 Relevant Certifications: 500 faculty-
supervised clinical hours
 A family nurse practitioner (FNP) are
specifically trained in primary health
care services for all ages. Normal duties
of a family nurse practitioner include
diagnosing and treating illnesses,
physical exams, diagnostic testing and
prescribing medications.
 Education Requirement: Associates
Degree or Bachelor’s of Science Degree,
and Registered Nurse License (RN)
 Employment Locations: Hospitals,
Doctor’s Offices and Nursing Homes
 Relevant Certifications: Certification in
Geriatric Nursing
 A geriatric nurse specializes in the
treatment of older patients in order to
provide care for injuries or ailments,
illness and maintain their quality of life.
In addition to caring for older patients,
they can also anticipate future care for
their patients and long-term illnesses
such as cancer or Alzheimer’s disease.
 Education Requirement: Associates
Degree or Bachelor’s of Science Degree,
and Registered Nurse License (RN)
  Employment Locations: Hospitals, 12. Nurse Manager
Surgical Centers and Outpatient
 Education Requirement: Associates
Facilities
Degree or Bachelor’s of Science Degree,
 Relevant Certifications: CNOR and
and Registered Nurse License (RN)
Certified Nurse First Assistant (CNFA)
 Employment Locations: Hospitals,
CertificationsA perioperative nurse, also
Surgical Centers and Outpatient
known as a surgical nurse or an
Facilities
operating room nurse, focuses on pre-
 Relevant Certifications: Certified in
and post-operation care for a patient.
Executive Nursing Practice (CENP) or
They can set up a surgical room for
Certified Nurse Manager and Leader
operations, manage the tools for
(CNML)
operations, and apply bandages during
 The role of a nurse manager is that of a
surgeries to control and maintain the
supervisory clinical path. Many nurse
bleeding of a patient.
managers move into an administrative
10. Mental Health Nurse role and handle tasks that include
recruitment of nurses, creating
 Education Requirement: Master's
schedules and make decisions regarding
Degree and Registered Nurse License
budget and management.
(RN)
 Employment Locations: Hospitals, 13. Nurse Midwife
Rehabilitation Centers, Psychiatric
 Education Requirement: Associates
Facilities
Degree or Bachelor’s of Science Degree,
 Relevant Certifications: N/A
and Registered Nurse License (RN)
 A mental health nurse specializes in the
 Employment Locations: Hospitals and
diagnosis and treating of psychological
Doctor’s Offices
disorders in patients. Counseling
 Relevant Certifications: American
services are also often an essential duty
College of Nurse Midwives Certification
within this nursing discipline.
 A nurse midwife specializes in the care
11. Nurse Educator of pregnant women. They also assist in
labor and delivery, as well as in prenatal
 Education Requirement: Master's
appointments. Nurse midwives continue
Degree and Registered Nurse License
their care after the delivery room by
(RN)
educating and counselling new mothers
 Employment Locations: Hospitals,
on adjusting to life with a newborn.
Universities, Community Colleges
 Relevant Certifications: Certified Nurse 14. Nurse Practitioner
Educator Examination
 Education Requirement: Master's
 Nurse educators are responsible for
Degree or Doctor of Nursing Practice
teaching nursing students about caring
Degree (DNP)
for patients. They may teach
 Employment Locations: Hospitals,
comprehensive lessons about nursing in
Doctor’s Offices
general, or focus on specific areas of
 Relevant Certifications: Certifications
nursing
dependent on specialty of care
  Nurse practitioners serve as primary
and specialty care providers, delivering
advanced nursing services to patients
and their families. They may also
perform physical examinations, order
testing and prescribe medications.
15. Nursing Administrator
 Education Requirement: Bachelor’s of
Science Degree and Registered Nurse
License (RN)
 Employment Locations: Hospitals,
Outpatient Care Centers
 Relevant Certifications: Certifications
18. Pediatric Nurse
dependent on area of specialty
 A nursing administrator is similar to a
nurse manager, but on a much larger
scale. One of the primary duties of a
nursing administrator is to oversee
entire units of nursing teams. The
operation of the unit relies on the
management of the nursing
administrator to run smoothly and
effectively.
16. Oncology Nurse
 Education Requirement: Associates
Degree or Bachelor’s of Science Degree,
19. Public Health Nurse
and Registered Nurse License (RN)
 Employment Locations: Hospitals,
Cancer Treatment Centers
 Relevant Certifications: 1000 hours of
training as an RN
 The treatment of cancer is what
oncology nurses are highly trained in,
and they help educate patients about
their treatment options or remission
status. Oncology nurses will continue to
monitor their patients progress and
symptoms, and can prescribe
medications.
17. Orthopedic Nurse
 Education Requirement: Bachelor’s of
Science Degree, and Registered Nurse
License (RN)
 Employment Locations: Hospitals,
Doctor’s Office, Rehabilitation Centers
 Relevant Certifications: Orthopedic
Nurse Certification Exam (ONC)
 Orthopedic nurses focus on
musculoskeletal issues and diseases
that include fractured bones, arthritis,
joint replacements and osteoporosis.
They can help care for physical issues, as
well as intricate disease management.
 Education Requirement: Associates
Degree or Bachelor’s of Science Degree,
and Registered Nurse License (RN)
 Employment Locations: Doctor’s Offices,
Hospitals
 Relevant Certifications: N/A
 From infancy into teenage years, a
pediatric nurse specializes in care for
children. Much like other nurses,
pediatric nurses can perform physical
examinations, diagnose illness and
develop treatment plans.
 Education Requirement: Associates
Degree or Bachelor’s of Science Degree,
and Registered Nurse License (RN)
 Employment Locations: Hospital,
Community Clinic
 Relevant Certifications:
Public/Community Health Nursing Exam
 A public health nurse advocates and
teaches communities about important
health information concerning their
society. They strive to educate their
patients about different treatment
options, prevention of disease and
assist individuals with medical care.
20. Travel Nurse

 Education Requirement: Associates

Degree or Bachelor’s of Science Degree,
and Registered Nurse License (RN)
 Employment Locations: Hospitals,
Doctor’s Offices
 Relevant Certifications: Dependent
upon specialty
 Travel nurses are unique in that they are
able to move from location to location
based on their contract, and interact
with patients from numerous locations.
Travel nurses also receive their hourly
pay, accompanied by a housing stipend.
Along with the satisfaction of working
and learning in new locations, travel
nurses are able to broaden their
experiences both professionally and
personally through their journey.