Registered Nurse

Discover The World Of Registered Nurse Job Opportunities

So, you have gone through the training and have received your RN license, but now the big question is what kind of registered nurse job opportunities are there? The most common action is to look for rn nursing jobs and work opportunities in a hospital, but did you know there are many different environments and positions you can hold with this degree?

You can specialize in certain areas with additional training, or at least pursue work in a setting that might suit you better. Before launching into a traditional setting, look into all your options and find a choice that will fulfill your personal ambitions.

What Specializations Are Available to Me?

You can decide whether or not you want to choose a specialization based on the kind of registered nurse duties you feel most comfortable with and then focus your skills and training in one area rather than diversify with a variety of tasks. Many registered nurse job description differ because they cover various areas like dermatology, oncology or surgery.

The benefits of specializing are that you can put all your effort into developing one skill set, making you an expert in your field rather than a jack of all trades, and your salary potential can be much higher. Specializations like neonatal nursing, gerontological nursing and orthopedic nursing can potentially reach $74,000, $75,000 and $81,000 respectively, which is more than what the average registered nurse salary has to offer.

Is there Any Additional Training Required for Specialized Nursing Positions?

In most cases you will need additional training or certification in order to specialize, so you need to look into the individual requirements of RN schools. In dermatology for example, once you have your registered nursing certification, you need to then put in 2 years of work training in a dermatological setting and have 2000 practical hours behind you to then be eligible to sit the Dermatology Nurse Certified" (DNC) exam, which is then valid for 3 years.

For oncology, where you will care for cancer patients, it doesn't require an additional certification in all states, but it is a benefit that will propel your career, and the certification exam is offered by the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC). For something like a surgical nurse, you will need to first obtain your bachelor of nursing, which is a 4 year program, unlike the 2 year associate's degree that is generally enough for other positions.

Beyond that, you will need to take specialized surgical classes to prepare to take the certification exam to become a Certified Nurse for the Operating Room. Therefore, once you decide on the area you want to concentrate on, look into additional training and licensing before you jump in and are faced with any surprises down the road.

Are There Different Work Environments Available to Me?

Of course working in a hospital or health care clinic are the traditional settings for an RN, performing tasks like administering medications and treatments, educating patients and supervising junior staff, but there are other locations where you can put your nursing degree to good use and perhaps provide an additional challenge or reward for yourself.

A travel nurse is one option that can fulfill your desire to see new places but still advance your career. You simply need the same NCLEX-RN certification as regular RNs, but you will be answering short term contracts for nursing demands in different states. For an additional challenge, you can look into correctional nursing, where you will be treating inmates in prison.

This environment is obviously more stressful and challenging, but can expose you to do different conditions and treatments to advance your knowledge. Finally, for something completely different, you can become a legal nurse consultant, who is responsible for researching the medical conditions and treatments of someone standing trial, and assisting and testifying as an expert in the legal process.

How Do I Know what Area to Specialize in?

With all the different registered nurse careers out there, it can be a difficult task deciding where to put your efforts and what kind of rn programs to pursue. You need to assess your goals, whether they be money or promotional possibilities, and the level of education and stress level you can manage.

You can then narrow down your options by deciding on a specialization based on different criteria: type of setting, medical condition, body system, size of the facility, or even alternative options. AIDS nurses, psychiatric nurses, dental nurses and nurse midwives are all fields to consider.

If you want to move away from the direct practice of nursing and work in a more administrative domain, there are registered nurse work in medical research, consultants for insurance companies and public health nurses, who are responsible more for educating the public about conditions and prevention.

Nursing is a such a diverse field that it can be overwhelming when considering the myriad of areas you can focus on, so the best thing to do is to get some general hands-on experience as a registered nurse, which will expose you to different departments and tasks, and over time you can determine which domain most calls to you. Use your time to research the conditions and salary caps in each field and then pursue the registered nurse career that will fulfill you.