When you think of nursing, you may picture a very traditional role of interacting with patients and checking their vitals. However, the nursing sector has gone a drastic change from what nursing was to what it is now.
As a nurse, you can choose from various exciting opportunities. The more you work on a nursing profile, you give yourself more roles to fill. Through our article, we will guide you on the many nursing jobs you can explore. Here’s what you can do as a nurse:
1. Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse (PMHNs)
As a psychiatric mental health nurse, you may find yourself working with adolescents, children, and more aged patients. The purpose of your job is to support people’s psychological and physical well-being with mental and behavioral conditions. To lend this support, you may need to conduct assessments and evaluate the progress of your patients.
You will use their test results to devise a coping plan and a treatment route. When you feel a patient may need extra help, you may refer them to another doctor and start them on medicines. You will also interact with the patient’s family to help them cope with their situation and teach them ways to modify their houses. You may even conduct group therapies when necessary and help patients deal with their condition, such as helping them through depression or anxiety.
Education. To start your career, you will need to be a registered nurse (RN) first. Once you sit for your licensing exam, you need to carry on your mental health nursing specialization and pursue a master’s or a doctorate.
2. Nurse Midwife
As a nurse-midwife, your career will specialize in a woman’s reproductive health and childbirth. Apart from delivering babies, you will need to perform annual exams and give proper consultation to impact fetal health positively. You may even need to provide primary care and instruct expecting parents on caring for the baby and their health.
Education. You will first need to secure a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) before moving onto a master’s degree. Many lucrative platforms can join and follow their bsn to msn online program. You may only have the edge over other prospective nurses once you manage to secure your master’s degree.
3. Nurse Case Manager
Case management nurses perform various tasks over a wide range of disciplines. You work in collaboration with doctors and other health care professionals to streamline patient care and get them the services they urgently need. You utilize your skills in managing long-term healthcare plans for patients with chronic illnesses such as diabetes. You also assist their patients in booking and following through with their following appointments on schedule. You may even have discussions with medical insurance companies to ensure patients receive excellent health care at fair pricing.
You may even work with social workers and other NGOs to provide healthcare facilities to a larger community and diverse populations. You can even advocate and get care for patients who may need long-term hospitalization. Your range of responsibilities also includes making ethical, legal, and financial decisions about your patients.
Education. As an aspiring nurse case manager, you can start your career by earning a bachelor’s degree, which is generally a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Then you must work on obtaining your master’s degree in nursing, health administration, or any related field. Suppose you started as a social worker and have some experience as a nurse. In that case, you can complete a general Master’s in Nursing Administration and qualify as a nurse case manager.
4. Occupational Health Nurse
As an occupational health nurse, you will focus on promoting and restoring health and preventing injuries and illnesses in the general population. This preventative approach includes protection for work-related hazards and minimizing environmental threats. As an occupational nurse, you will combine health and business knowledge and use their core concepts. You will work on devising a safe work environment.
You may work with employees or employers to understand the workplace situation and give sustainable and necessary recommendations on making it better. You may even choose to compile the data from your research and use it to streamline your planning even more. Such as what protective gear was more effective against chemical hazards.
Education. As an occupational nurse, you must have a license to practice in the state of your employment. You must have a bachelor’s degree, such as a bachelor’s of science in nursing (BSN). You should have some experience in community health either through volunteering or working in the Health sector. You may need to add a master’s degree to your professional competency and elevate your career to the next level. You may even opt for bsn to masters in nursing online instead of going for a physical college.
5. Home Care Nurses
As a home care nurse, you will provide care for patients in follow-up treatment after being discharged from the hospital. As a home care nurse, you are not working in hospitals. Instead, you will care for patients in a more personal setting. You will interact with the patient’s family. You will find ways to care for the patient that is easy to carry out and sustainable, such as crushing their pills with every meal for an effortless swallow.
For this field, you will need to develop your communication skills and be flexible to navigate around a patient and their household. You may also need physical endurance as, at times, the patient may lean on you for support and have an open-mindedness towards different cultures and perspectives.
Education. As a home care nurse, you will need to complete your Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN), followed by becoming a registered nurse (RN). You must then sit for your licensing exam and get the required license before working with any household. If you choose to go for Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) instead of a Registered Nurse (RN), you have to sit for your household nursing exam.
Wrap Up
Nursing is a vast field. There are many areas of expertise for you to pursue. A psychiatric mental health nurse, a midwife, a nurse case manager, an occupational nurse, or a home care nurse work with patients and help them recover swiftly. There is more awaiting you once you decide to venture down this career, all intriguing in their way.