Twelve-hour shifts. Scrubs. This is, in fact, the route many people take. It is the general experience you encounter while doing your clinical rotations.
It is also only the tip of the iceberg. There are dozens of ways to utilize your BSN in the professional marketplace. What’s more, emerging healthcare trends are creating new opportunities for people to live out their passion for patient care.
In this article, we take a look at some fascinating nursing career paths that you may not have considered before.
Nurse Practitioners
Nurse practitioners are not exactly new but they are gaining rapidly in prominence. A growing number of states let NPs operate effectively the way a general practitioner would. They can make diagnoses, prescribe medications, and see patients independently.
Other states are still fairly restrictive in what responsibilities nurse practitioners are allowed to take on. They may still let NPs see patients, but only under the supervision of a medical doctor. It is important to read up on the local rules and regulations in your community before you begin pursuing work as a nurse practitioner.
NPs must get their BSN and then go on to get a master’s degree. They also have the opportunity to specialize. For example, if you want to work with babies, you might become a neonatal nurse practitioner.
Data-Driven Nursing
Data-driven nursing has existed in some form or another for many decades. However, the advent of data processing technology and AI have radically changed things. Informatics nurses can now leverage massive amounts of data to develop highly customized treatment plans for large groups of people.
For example, it’s an informatics nurse who might notice larger health trends within a community. Are there heightened cases of type 2 diabetes? Maybe the hospital needs to do more to educate and advise on dietary recommendations. Are there an above-average number of people getting treated for respiratory disease? Perhaps it owes to the factory located in the center of town.
Data-driven healthcare insights are powerful tools that can change how preventative care is applied.
Informatics nurses generally hold graduate degrees in informatics nursing.
Forensic Nursing
Forensic nurses treat people who have been the victim of crimes. Sexual assault victims see them in the moments immediately following their victimization. The forensic nurse will provide sensitive care, but they will also collect evidence that can later be used by the police to inform their investigation. Forensic nurses are also often called in to testify during trial—either as an expert witness, or more specifically to present evidence they had collected at the crime scene.
Naturally, the work is incredibly sensitive and emotionally difficult. For these reasons, it will not be for everyone. If you are interested in becoming a forensic nurse, you will first need to gain 300 hours of clinical experience. You will also need to pass a CNS certification exam.
Clinical Nurse Specialists
Clinical nurse specialists work in specialist medical settings. For example, nurse anesthetists are clinical specialists. So are midwives, nurse practitioners, psychiatric nurses, etc. Clinical specialists have the opportunity to narrow the focus of their work to subject areas that provide them with the greatest level of interest.
Generally, you will need to get a master’s degree that focuses on the clinical area you are interested in specializing in. However, the specific requirements will be determined by the focus area you are interested in pursuing.
Gerontological Nurse
Gerontological nurses provide care for older adults. While they are not quite hospice nurses they do work with patients who are beyond the point of needing “preventative care.” Not all of the patients they see are dying, but the quality of their lives is not likely to radically improve either.
Gerontology services are generally administered to patients aged 65 or older. The care can take place in a traditional hospital setting but is sometimes provided right in the patient's home. Gerontology nurses often work with the same caseload for long periods.
This allows them to get to know their patients well. It also makes the work more emotionally challenging. Gerontological nurses often have to watch people they have come to care about suffer and die.
While this factor may turn some people away, others appreciate the chance to provide comfort and support to people who need it quite badly. To become a gerontological nurse, you will need to get a master’s degree. You may also need to local certification requirements established by your state.
Common Threads?
What is the most consistent way to get an interesting or advanced nursing career? Typically, your best bet is to acquire an advanced credential. However, this isn’t always as difficult as it sounds. While some positions will require you to get a graduate degree, others can be achieved by attending several days of training seminars, or even just taking a test.
It all starts with a BSN. Many people find that it is best to spend several years working in the hospital setting before you move on to other focuses. This will introduce you to a wide range of medical conditions and allow you to get a strong sense of your interests.
Conclusion
One of the reasons so many people leave nursing is because they become burnt out. That doesn’t have to happen. It’s a diverse career path. There are loads of different ways to be a nurse---more even than we could list here.
For example, do you or someone you love suffer from diabetes? Working as a diabetes educator is a great way to take your personal experience, and use it as motivation for helping other people. Maybe you love kids and don’t love working in hospitals. In that case, you could work in a pediatrician's office, or even a school.
Perhaps you crave adventure. Flight nurses do their work out of helicopters, helping to stabilize patients during transportation.
“Fascinating,” in other words, is a relative term. Decide on what interests you. More often than not, you’ll find that there is a healthcare career that aligns with your interests.
