Nursing offers many diverse pathways

Many of us generally associate nurses with hospitals, veterinary clinics, cosmetic clinics and aged care facilities. However, the vocational paths available to nursing professionals are as diverse as the people who have chosen this rewarding career. Every nurse’s career path is different, and the diversity of their skills affords nurse’s the opportunity to work in lesser known areas including psychiatric hospitals, community clinics, universities, adolescent units, prisons, forensic hospitals and even warzones.

Nursing Opportunities

A nurse’s skill set usually determines the area of medicine that they will find themselves. However, if you want to go beyond your basic RN or LPN roles, there are many nursing specialties to choose from. If you’re considering additional training, choosing the right nursing specialty becomes your chief focus. There are many options to choose from, and there are too many to list but nursing roles can include:

1. Advanced Practice Registered Nursing– Advanced care nurse specialists with a Master of Science in Nursing, including the fields of nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse anaesthetists, and nurse midwives.
2. Bariatrics Nurse– Bariatric nurses are involved in the treatment of obesity. Hospitals, employers, bariatric surgeons, nurses and especially patients benefit from having certified bariatric nurses on staff.
3. Cardiac Care Nursing– Work specifically with patients who have cardiovascular conditions, such as heart attack and cardiac arrest patients. Help them to get on the road to recovery.
4. Community Health Nursing– This is a nurse who works specifically for the benefit of community and the overall public health. You might work specifically with people in a certain community to improve health outcomes
5. Correctional Facility Nursing– Works in jails, prisons and other correctional institutions with the incarcerated. You will see all types of illnesses in this unusual nursing profession.
6. Critical Care Nursing– Nurses who focus their work on the most critically and acutely ill patients. Also works with unstable patients, such as in ERs.
7. Domestic Violence Nursing– A special type of nurse who specifically works with patients who are victims of domestic violence. Heal both their physical and psychological wounds with compassionate care.
8. Emergency Nursing– In this nursing specialty, you will work mostly in high pressure situations with critically ill and unstable patients in emergency rooms and other critical care facilities.
9. Family Nurse Practitioner– A registered nurse who works under the supervision of a physician. This type of NP works specifically in family practice. Some NPs in some states can practice independently.
10. Gastroenterology Nursing– This nursing specialty works in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions that affect the entire digestive system.
11. International Nursing– Some nurses choose to go abroad and traveling the world taking care of patients in other countries or aiding underserved nations where experienced professional nurses are not available.
12. Nurse Midwife– These are advanced practice registered nurses who provide counselling and care during pre-conception, pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period
13. Nurse Practitioner– Nurse practitioners manage acute and chronic medical conditions through comprehensive history taking, physical exam, and the ordering of diagnostic tests and treatments.
14. Paediatric Nurse Practitioner– They work with patients from infancy to young adulthood, diagnosing illness, conducting exams, and prescribing medication.
15. Paediatric Endocrinology Nursing– This is a medical subspecialty dealing with physical growth development in childhood, diabetes and other endocrine disorders.
16. Radiology Nursing– Radiology nurses start or check peripheral IV’s, administer medications, monitor vital signs, and help patients with their personal needs
17. Registered Nurse (RN)-They care for the sick and injured in hospitals and other health care facilities, physicians’ offices, private homes, public health agencies, schools, camps, and industry
18. Rehabilitation Nursing– You would work with patients with long-term physical disabilities, or chronic illnesses, ultimately helping the patient achieve as independent a lifestyle as possible.
19. Surgical Nursing– You would work in a surgical environment such as an OR, providing care to surgical patients before, during, and after surgery.
20. Triage Nursing– These nurses sort patients into groups based on their need for medical attention.  They can work in ER’s, on battlefields and in disaster zones.

In Australia, there are requirements to practice nursing. Registered nurses and enrolled nurses must be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) to practice in Australia. Nurses seeking information in relation to a break in practice or international qualifications should contact NMBA directly for information related to registration. No matter what your nursing speciality, level or preference to work agency, full-time, part-time or contract; whether you are looking for a hospital job or at any other healthcare facility, you can find an opportunity that’s just what you’re looking for. To make a difference in nursing, the age old advice to follow your heart is the best way forward for anyone considering a career in nursing.