Nursing specialties let caregivers follow their passions
From ER to orthopedics, career choices are ample
From the traditional specialties of nurse practitioner and delivery room nurse, to the newer roles of disaster nurse and telephone-triage nurse, the career of today's nurse is a dynamic occupation. With a degree in nursing, practicioners can shape their careers as they evolve, concentrating on specialties that interest them. "You can focus on one aspect of the field, such as orthopedics; zero in on a body system, such as gastroentrology; or choose by disease, such as cancer or diabetes," says Diane Mason, a registered nurse and editor of the American Journal of Nursing, a trade publication. "For nursing we have specialties that emerge based on a need."
With the national vacancy rate for registered nurses around 9 percent, the nursing shortage is expected to intensify as baby boomers age and the need for healthcare grows. Nurses are in particularly high demand in specialty areas, such as critical care, pediatric and neonatal ICUs, and emergency room departments. These and other areas of specialty require nurses with higher levels of training, skills, and certification, narrowing the field of candidates.
There are a large number of specialities within nursing, with professional organizations or certifying boards issuing voluntary certification in many of them, ranging from the Genetics Nursing Credentialing Commission to the HIV/AIDS Nursing Certification Board. Degree programs typically allow RNs to become "advance practice nurses" in fields such as nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, or other services. These certifications or degrees build upon on-the-job training and continuing education that many nurses typically already pursue in their areas of interest.
Certified critical care nurses, for example, must have two years of experience in the field before they take an exam offered by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. They need to renew their credentials every few years, or, if they have experience providing care for acutely ill cardiac patients, can narrow their specialty even more, taking the cardiac medicine or cardiac surgery exam.
And although specialization doesn't guarantee increased compensation, in many cases, hospitals or other organizations offer attractive incentives to lure experienced and newly licensed nurses, including sign-on and relocation bonuses, and reimbursement for continuing education and certification, as well as other benefits.
Joyce Zoiss, a telephone triage nurse for Medcor, Inc.'s Chicago-based call center, deals with occupational health issues, assessing medical conditions and recommending care for employees who have been injured on the job. Zoiss, who spent 25 years in acute care, had burned out from the high-stress hospital setting, and says that telephone triage calls upon all of her expertise, but without the intense pressure of the previous position. "I discovered that this job requires the same skills that bedside nursing requires, such as clinical knowledge and compassion," says Zoiss.
Nursing specialty options cover a wide range of work settings and treatments, including:
Forensic nursing: With healthcare increasingly becoming enmeshed with the legal system, opportunities have arisen for nurses to apply their science to public or legal proceedings, such as child abuse, criminal activities, or accidents.
Flight or transport nurses: These nurses are part of a team who provide medical care to patients who are transported by airplane or helicoper to medical facilities.
Home healthcare: An aging population has opened up opportunities for nurses who provide at-home nursing care for patients, including followup after hospital or rehabiliation discharge.
Holistic nurses: The popularity of the mind-body connection has created an interest in this nursing subfield, which can incorporate holistic practices such as acupuncture, biofeedback, or massage.
Diabetes management: Diabetes affects almost 21 million Americans, or 7 percent of the population, creating a need for nurses who help diabetics manage their disease, including testing blood sugar levels and administering insulin.
Nurse practitioners: Fewer physicians are becoming primary care providers, so nurse practioners are filling the gap, serving in family practices, pediatrics, and women's health. 