Nursing continues to be in demand and it offers a flexible schedule and decent salary. The good news about nursing is that you do not always need to attend a four-year university to train for certain nursing jobs. You can attend a community college and receive certification to become a certified nurse's assistant. Here are some careers that you can enter in the nursing field.
Certified nurse midwife
A certified nurse midwife is a person who assists with the delivery of babies but they also offer prenatal and postnatal care to female patients. You will find certified nurse midwives at homes, clinics and hospitals. The average salary of a certified nurse midwife is $84,000 and she obtains training by getting a bachelor's and master's degree in nursing. This is an excellent choice for those who wish to work in family planning.
Nurse case managers
The nurse case manager is responsible for monitoring patients' responses to certain treatments and reporting anything unusual regarding the patients' recovery after treatment, suggesting new courses of treatment when necessary, and talking with the patient and his family about the treatment. Those desiring to be nursing case managers can specialize in case management while earning their nursing degrees.
Forensic nurses
Forensic nurses help victims of sexual assault and they often collect evidence found at different crime scenes. Forensic nurses also assist medical examiners in determining the cause of death of victims. These nurses work with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. A degree in nursing is required for this job.
Certified nurse's assistant
CNAs serve as assistants to nurses and their duties include taking vital signs, helping patients perform everyday tasks if they work in the patient's home, discussing treatments with patients, and performing lab tests. CNAs earn up to $27,000 annually and can get training with an associates or bachelors degree in nursing. Some who are in advanced nursing careers start out as CNAs.
Recovery room nurse
Recovery room nurses are those who assist patients and monitor their progress following a procedure such as chemotherapy or gastric bypass surgery. These nurses connect patients to certain machines in the recovery room and administer pain medications at the patient's request. Generally recovery room nurses have years of experience as registered nurses and in critical care situations.
Dialysis nurses
These are nurses who perform the same duties as a registered nurse but who work primarily with renal patients that receive regular dialysis treatments in order for the kidneys to function better. The dialysis nurse will need an understanding of renal patients' needs such as the right intake of fluids for the patients. These nurses also perform two kinds of dialysis. The first one gets rid of impurities in the blood while the second one is designed so that the patient can hold the dialysis fluid. Dialysis nurses must have a degree and in most states they must be licensed. The average pay is up to $65,000.
These nursing careers offer personal satisfaction, the option of specializing in certain fields within nursing and great pay.