The decision to become a nurse in any capacity is one that can result in a career of fulfilling and rewarding experiences. While a challenging vocation to pursue, nurses are some of the most valuable members of the medical community as a whole. As those who deal in direct patient care and who dedicate themselves entirely to ensuring the best possible outcomes for patients, nurses certainly have a great deal of responsibility on their plate.
Furthermore, there are so many more career path options that nurses can consider in this day and age that go beyond that of a standard registered nurse (RN). While RNs certainly provide a great service within the medical community, some RNs discover throughout their careers that they would like to dedicate themselves to further study and advanced or specialized practice.
If you are an RN who is currently considering advanced practice options for your own career, you have a great deal of options that you can choose from. Many involve a particular specialty while others prepare nurses to practice in a more generalized fashion. Here are four such career path options that are worth considering.
1. Family Nurse Practitioner
It is no secret that there continues to exist within the medical community a great lack of qualified physicians in certain areas throughout the country. This lack means that many patients, particularly those who reside in rural areas, are unable to get the routine medical care that they need.
In order to correct this issue, the medical community has seen fit to grant more freedom to practice to certain nurses who hold advanced degrees as well as years of experience. These nurses, called family nurse practitioners (FNPs), are allowed in certain circumstances to practice much as a family care physician does.
These nurses can have their own practices and see their own patients without having to be under the direct supervision of a doctor. They can evaluate, diagnose, and prescribe most medications to their patients in the family care setting.
Becoming an FNP involves an RN who holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree to enroll in an appropriate master’s degree program. Upon completing their education and required experience, a nurse can then apply for certification as an FNP. There are even online FNP schools that a nurse can consider in order to complete the requirements for this career path.
2. Nurse Midwife
If you are a nurse who has experience working in labor and delivery and would like to become more involved in this area of medicine, you might wish to consider becoming a certified nurse midwife (CNM).
A CNM is a nurse who works with expectant mothers throughout their pregnancy and provides them with the healthcare that they need. They can then assist a mother throughout the labor and delivery process either independently or in conjunction with an OB-GYN. CNMs then help provide the necessary post-natal care to bother mother and baby.
Many expectant mothers are opting more and more to place themselves under the care of CNMs as opposed to an OB-GYN for their pregnancy. This is generally attributed to the fact that there is a growing popularity in more holistic healthcare. Since CNMs tend to provide more holistic care throughout pregnancy, it is becoming the preferred option for many mothers.
To become a CNM, an RN with a BSN must earn a master’s degree in midwifery. Upon completing such a degree, the nurse must then apply for certification through the American Midwifery Certification Board. State licensing is also necessary before you can begin to practice as a fully qualified nurse midwife.
3. Nurse Anesthetist
Many nurses are interested in pursuing a career as a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA). Not only is the work of a CRNA complex and interesting to many, but the job outlook and earning potential for CRNAs are both incredibly appealing.
The job of a CRNA is widely known as the nursing career that allows for the highest salary that a nurse can make. While the national average salary of a CRNA is around $165,000, there are some states in which a CRNA can earn as much as $240,000 per year. This is an incredibly enticing salary for many nurses to consider.
That being said, the road to becoming a CRNA who earns on the higher end of the salary scale is long and arduous. Along with the earning of an advanced degree, an aspiring CRNA must acquire a great deal of practical experience working in the field. They must then pass the national examination for CRNAs and qualify for state licensure in the state in which they wish to work. All in all, it can take about eight years to become a qualified certified registered nurse anesthetist.
4. Nurse Educator
Not all career path options for nurses involve specializing in a particular area of medicine or working in the clinical setting at all. In fact, there are several great career options for nurses that allow RNs to take their knowledge and experience into other areas of the world of medicine. For instance, the job of a nurse educator is one that is increasingly important and prominent within the medical community.
A nurse educator is a nurse who has acquired a great deal of experience working in the field and who wishes to apply that experience to the next generation of nurses. Quality educators can help to guide and advise the nurses of the future. With the growing need for more nurses, there is likewise a growing need for skilled and experienced nurses to step into these roles.
In order to become a nurse educator, you will need to earn an advanced degree of some sort after obtaining several years of high-quality experience. You might wish to instruct future RNs who are earning their BSN, or perhaps you would like to take your experience working in a particular specialization and apply that to the classroom in a more specialized setting.