Most Popular Types Of Nurses In 2020
There has never been a better time to be a nurse in the United States of America. Salaries are going up, working conditions are improving, nurses are gaining more independence, job security is high, and, generally, nurses enjoy great employment opportunities right after graduation.
So, naturally, a career in nursing sure sounds appealing, especially if you have a soft spot for the wellbeing of others. Hence, you decide it might just be the path for you to follow, only to discover the nursing field is one of the most diversified out there. Which naturally props some questions. What nursing specialties are most in-demand? Which are better paid? What level of education do you need to complete to start working in your desired field?
Lucky for you, we compiled a list of the most popular types of nurses. These are the specialties that are sought after by most hospitals, especially in the conditions of the nursing shortage looming ever so intense over the United States.
To make the process of choosing a career path more manageable for you, we also touched upon the academic requirements each career imposes that is, what level of nursing you ought to accomplish to pursue a particular profession.
Labor And Delivery Nurse
The Labor and Delivery RN ensures the safety of both mother and baby during the childbirth process. They work with the interdisciplinary team to bring life safely into the world. The L& D nurse must think and act quickly while constantly assessing for emergencies and initiating appropriate interventions. This RN may assist with caesarean sections, initiate and monitor fetal heart rates, monitor and assist with epidurals, induce labor, and ultimately work to find the safest and most effective ways to healthy childbirth.
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Interpreting The Nursing Shortage
In addition, the nursing shortage is often misunderstood to mean that there is an immediate shortage of nurses in all corners of the healthcare industry. This is not the case. First, there is regional variability with regard to the nursing shortage. In California for example, there is a surplus of nurses in more desirable areas like San Francisco and San Diego, and a shortage in less desirable areas like El Centro or Stockton. So as a New Grad RN, you may have better luck in less desirable areas.
Second, when government statisticians and labor market experts discuss the nursing shortage, theyre often referring to an impending situation rather than the immediate state of affairs. For example, according to the American Nurses Association , the average age of employed RNs is 45.5 and 50% of all RNs are over the age of 50. In addition, the single largest age group of employed RNs is age 50-54. Couple these figures with an aging general population who will most certainly increase healthcare demand over the next 10-20 years, and you have a nursing shortage.
Associate Of Science In Nursing

You can also pursue your nursing career with the Associate of Science in Nursing degree . This course of study prepares students to take the National Council Licensing Examination for registered nurses exam and become a licensed registered nurse . Once you are an RN, you can perform diagnostic tests, operate certain medical equipment, consult with a physician on a course of treatment and administer medication. In addition to working in general healthcare practice, RNs can also specialize in areas such as pre-operative care, diabetes management, pediatric oncology, geriatric care, ambulatory care and dermatology.
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Duties And Responsibilities Of A Clinical Research Nurse
Clinical research nurses typically work in universities, medical laboratories, or medical clinics. Here, youll dive deep into illnesses, treatment plans, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare methods. Youll design and analyze your own studies, then report and publish your findings.
Skills and Abilities of a Clinical Research Nurse:
- strong writing skills for writing studies, grant proposals, and articles for medical journals
- solid critical thinking skills and strong attention to detail for intensive research
- leadership skills to organize and manage projects
Duties And Responsibilities Of A Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
Through medical treatment, counseling, and emotional support, you will treat patients with a range of psychiatric and mental health disorders and behavioral challenges. Youll take a holistic approach to healthcare, educating and informing patients and their families about mental health issues. Youll also help patients avoid isolation, poverty, and other circumstances that can arise as a result of these conditions. PMHNPs can work in either individual, family, or group settings, typically in mental health facilities, correctional centers, or private clinics.
Skills and Abilities of a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner:
- Compassionate in a crisis
- Collaborative during ongoing mental treatment
- Resilient in the face of emotional patient outcomes
- Possesses patience for and knowledge of mental health issues
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Bachelor Of Science In Nursing
Whether you’re new to nursing or are already a registered nurse , a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing degree is increasingly becoming the new standard. Hospitals seeking Magnet Status are looking to hire and encourage their current nursing staff to earn their BSN degree. This degree usually takes students around three to four years to complete, depending on your prior learning experience.
Herzing University offers many different paths to earning your BSN :
- I am new to nursing. Consider our Bachelor of Science in Nursing program to earn your degree in 3 years or less. Choose an on-campus program or elect our online BSN program, available for enrollment in select U.S. states.
- I am new to nursing and have a bachelors degree in another field. You may be eligible for our accelerated BSN nursing program to earn your bachelors degree in as few as 20 months.
- I am an LPN or Paramedic. You can bridge to a bachelors degree in nursing by enrolling in Herzings LPN to BSN program option.
- I am an RN with an associates degree. Go from RN to BSN by completing our online RN to BSN option to earn your degree in 1 year or less and open doors to a greater variety of career options in nursing.
Read The Preference Card
The preference card included details regarding the equipment and supplies needed for the surgery. Well-maintained preference cards are extremely helpful, as certain notes on the cards can be confusing to a new grad. This also offers an opportunity to ask a preceptor questions.
Keep in mind that nurses cannot solely rely on a preference card, as it may not have all of the necessary notes needed to be successful in the case. It is the responsibility of the nurse to take their own notes in their pocket notebook. Knowing what to write comes from the daily experience of completing procedures and learning from mistakes. This allows the preceptor to focus on questions that are not answered by the preference card.
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Ensure You Have The Necessary Credentials
Once you’ve identified facilities and roles you’re most interested in, make sure your training, education, experience and credentials align with the job description. In some cases, you might want to apply for a certain certificate or look for an internship opportunity in that field before applying to help give you a competitive edge over other applicants.
Transition In Nursing Practice Residency Program Is Designed To Ease Transition To Practice For The New Graduate Nurse In Their First Professional Role
Outpatient nursing jobs for new grads. Hello fellow nurses, i am a new graduate nurse and have been offered positions in a : Yes, travel nursing for recent nursing graduates is possible. New grads will be competing with experienced nurses from all settings for the same jobs.
Our members represent more than 60 professional nursing specialties. Apply to mental health technician, physical therapist, receptionist and more! Our mission is to empower, unite, and advance every nurse, student, and educator.
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Career Outlook For Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners
As the need for improved mental healthcare gains national attention, and the demand for adolescent and child psychiatric services increases, PNPs will be highly sought after. Additionally, as substance abuse continues to rise throughout the country, PNPs will need to become well versed in both mental health and substance abuse issues.
> > See the Top 10 Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Programs
Duties And Responsibilities Of An Oncology Nurse Practitioner

You will be trusted to administer cancer treatment, medication, and education about prevention to patients with every type of cancer. This involves heavy amounts of research and face-to-face interaction for a range of difficult diseases. From initial visits to ongoing treatment, physical assessment will be required for critical and chronic cancer conditions. Diagnosing and prescribing occasionally fall under your responsibilities.
Skills and Abilities of an Oncology Nurse Practitioner:
- Ability to manage many moving parts as you coordinate with the patients healthcare providers
- Empathy to provide supportive care and bereavement counseling
- Resilience to deal with chronic suffering
- Detail-oriented to watch for reactions and side effects to determine patient assessment and referral
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Best Nursing Specialty For A New Grad
Finding the best nursing specialty as a new grad is a challenge. Most nursing students are told to stop dreaming about becoming a perioperative nurse right out of school. Instead, they should work at least 2 years in med-surg before daring to dream of working on a specialty unit. However many nurses, myself included, think that this is outdated information that may not be relevant to you. You read that correctly. It is a myth that new nurses have to work in med-surg before pursuing a specialty.
Duties And Responsibilities Of A General Nurse Practitioner
As a Nurse practitioner youll provide direct patient care, perform examinations, and prescribe medications, while maintaining an emphasis on disease prevention and health management. NPs do not require the direct supervision of a doctor and usually have their own clinics or offices where patients can seek consultations.
Skills and Abilities of a General Nurse Practitioner:
- Leadership skills and confidence to operate at a high level of responsibility
- Plenty of compassion and interpersonal skills to treat all types of patients, rather than a specialty
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Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
- Education Requirement: Masters Degree , Registered Nurse License and One Year in Acute Care Setting
- Expected Job Growth: 16% increase
- Employment Locations: Hospitals, Surgical Centers, Specialty Doctors Offices
- Relevant Certifications: CRNA Certification
- Salary Range: $153,780 median annually
A Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist is a highly trained nurse that specializes in assisting with anesthesia during surgeries. CRNAs make up some of the highest-paid nurse specialties in the medical field due to the high demand of these nurses in surgical settings and detailed training they receive. In order to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist, you must complete a degree from a graduate level program. The Doctor of Nursing Practice at Gwynedd Mercy University is an ideal program for certified registered nurse anesethetists to further their education.
Choose this Specialty If: you are interested in assisting patients manage their pain before, during and after surgeries or illness treatments.
Pay Attention And Observe
In the beginning, there is so much to learn and a preceptor cannot tell you every single thing you need to know to function on your own. Therefore, its critical to be observant and watch how other team members behave and function. There are many things that cannot be taught, but instead must be learned through individual experiences.
Another vital skill in the OR is reading the energy of the room to grasp what is happening at any given time. Is the patient stable and are people talking about the surgery? Is the room completely silent except for the beeping of monitors, indicating a serious moment? Is the room a flurry of activity as the teams try to stabilize a crashing patient?
Other things to notice include:
- How team members walk around the sterile field
- The process for starting a surgery
- Actions that the scrub personnel take to help understand what surgical items are used for
- The personality of the surgical team is it serious, personable, or education-focused?
As with any professional nursing job, its important to stay off of your cell phone in patient care areas. While many providers in the OR use personal cell phones to communicate, new grads that are on their phones are perceived to be not paying attention and a negative reputation can arise.
A great deal of information can be learned in the OR from simply observing what is happening and how other nurses respond to different situations.
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Top 10 Realistic Nursing Career Goals For New Grad Nurses
There is a lot of professional growth on the horizon for new grad nurses. The world is really at your fingertips. To maximize your opportunity, the first thing you should do is begin working on your nursing goals. Now, you really should begin working on your nursing career goals before you earn your BSN. However, all that matters is you start planning for your future.
When it comes to setting professional goals for nurses, its important you think about where you want to be in the future. Do you want to earn a leadership position? Do you want to do a nursing program to get a leg up in your nursing profession? Ask yourself these important questions before you decide to sit down and set your graduate nurse goals.
To help you get started, here is our list of the top 10 realistic nursing career goals for new grad nurses.
Top 10 Realistic Nursing Career Goals For New Grad Nurses
Whether youre about to graduate, just graduated, or are starting your first nursing assignment, check out these 10 realistic nursing career goals for new grad nurses.
Best Nursing Jobs For New Nurse Grads
January 21, 2020 By Kati Kleber, MSN RN CCRN-K
What jobs should new nurses look for? What are the best nursing jobs for a new grad nurse?
Knowing where you want to work is helpful, but alls not lost if you dont know.
Please dont think that if you dont get your dream job right away that youve failed, that you will never work where you want to and that all your effort was in vain. So many of us start in different areas, discover new passions, and our career journeys look vastly different than what we thought in nursing school
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Trauma Nursing Core Course
You can prepare to provide immediate healthcare support in trauma-centered environments like emergency rooms and operating rooms by earning the TNCC certification. TNCC classes build on your existing expertise from nursing school to support your ability to identify and treat major and minor physical traumas through nursing. Because any RN with an active license can qualify to take TNCC courses, they’re ideal for recent nursing graduates who want to strengthen their credentials.
Please note that none of the organizations mentioned in this article are affiliated with Indeed.
Bonus 5 More High Paying Nursing Careers

In case you didn’t find what you were looking for in the list above, here are five more high paying nursing jobs to consider.
*Salary Disclaimer:
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