Career Specialties
July 23, 2007
Most registered nurses choose to follow a career path focused on a specific nursing specialty that fits their personality and intellectual interests. Some specialties involve being certified by a professional board or association which will often increase a nurse’s wages and long-term promotion potential. Below are links to several profiles of popular nursing specialties. Each profile includes the average salary and educational requirements for nurses in that specialty field. Links to related professional organizations are also provided. For more generalized information on choosing a specialty, see “Find your nursing niche” and “Find a Nursing Specialty”.
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Developmental Disabilities Nurse
Gerontological Nurse Practitioner
Otorhinolaryngology (Head and Neck) Nurse
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
dd22
2 days ago
2 comments
I am wondering if anyone can assist me with my questions.. I have a B.S. in health care management and was planning on going back to school for my nursing degree. How would l go upon doing that??
becky_l
about 1 month ago
1232 comments
I am a Medical Assistant and proud of it.....you don't have to have a LPN or RN degree to have the citical thinking skills. All Medical Assistants work hard to get where we are also and sacraficed so much, sleepless nights, agony of school and hardship of personal lifes dealing with school just as you...you make it sound like I should work at McDonalds!
jiv2041
3 months ago
2 comments
A Medical assistant is far from a nurse. I'm sorry to tell you. But you may do some minor procedures, and basic assessments, you do not hold the knowledge base that even an entry level graduate nurse has. Above all things, you do not have the critical thinking skills that a nurse has. 180 externship hours, I work more than that in a month. Just remember you work in a family medicine office. Don't judge a nurse based upon a family practice nurse. Although they are educated and qualified, they are limited in what they do, and you are limited in what you see get done. If you feel like your a nurse, come work with me in the ICU and let's see how your skill set mathces up. I by know means, mean to be disrespectful, but all Nurses can understand me. We worked so hard to get to the point where we our, and we all sacraficed so much, unless you went through the years of sleepless nights, agony of school and hardships of personal lifes dealing with school. Don't ever call your self a nurse!
mixedlady
5 months ago
12 comments
This is very good info about all whats out there in the nursing field
ematthews89
5 months ago
6 comments
I have been told many times that "I am not a nurse" because I am a Certified Medical Assistant. I spent my 2 yrs studying, testing, practicing in school and I did my 180 hours of externship in a family medicine office. I also passed my certification test that consited of 250 questions with a 94. I realize my education does not compare with the LPN's and RN's that I work with in the office I work in, and that I am not allowed to do triage, but I work just as hard along side the interns, residents and attendings as the nurses. I feel very fortunate that my duties consist of clinical patient care and not "clerical staff duties." I have nothing against their work, they take a lot of heat at the front desk, but I love patient care. My care for my pt's starts the moment I call them back for vitals to the moment they walk back out the door. I not only obtain vitals, but also do testing, (strep, HCG, labs) assist with procedures, including cyst and IUD removals, immunizations and other injections. And I do it with the most comapassion and kindness as I can. I know I am "not a nurse" in reality, but isn't the job of a nurse to show compassion and care to each and every pt? I take pride in how I treat my pt's and how I do my job. And if it were not for family issues I would be going back to school to obtain my LPN or RN. I'm not looking for praise and I expect maybe some people will not like my coments, but for me "nurse" is a well earned title, but without the compassion behind it aren't they just letters put together? thanks
tigisthahile
6 months ago
4 comments
very very informative
mcmroach
7 months ago
2 comments
Because Medical Assistants are not nurses.
Yliana
8 months ago
2 comments
Why don't you have MEdical Assisting as a career? Don't we matter too.
Nedugrace
8 months ago
2 comments
how much does LPN make
armstrongcj
9 months ago
6042 comments
This is very informative. I did not realize that there is so many nursing jobs.
butterflykisses
about 1 year ago
4 comments
Hey i dont see Medical Assistant as a career?
teamrn
about 1 year ago
54 comments
One area in nursing encompasses most of the above areas. That is WRITING about health care, writing about nursing, explaining 'doctor-speak.' In our practice, we teach this every day. Submitting articles to nursing journals doesn't pay well, but it can lead to very rewarding and meaningful work, if you're lucky enough not to have to rely on this fulll-time.
That said, there are many nurse who do this full-time, working as clinical nurse editors and contributing editors. Who do you think contributes often to the Prevention magazines, the AARPs, WebMDs Women's Health, etc. of this world? So, if writing interests you, nursing is your passion, take a writing class or 2 and begin submitting articles and surf for information on freelance medical writing.
Start by honing your writing skills and developing 'ins' with editors.
A few links:
http://www.nasw.org/
http://www.mediabistro.com/
http://writersdigest.com/#
http://www.enursescribe.com/launch.htm
teamRN
kipp828
about 1 year ago
8 comments
very very informative
kipp828
about 1 year ago
8 comments
very very informative
kipp828
about 1 year ago
8 comments
very very informative