100+ Careers in Nursing | Specialties List

Over 100 distinct disciplines and nursing specialties exist for aspiring and existing registered nurses. In addition, myriad subspecializations enable these professionals to concentrate on a particular subarea of their discipline.

The occupational alternatives available to healthcare specialists continue to grow yearly. As a result, most registered nurses can find a specialization that matches their interests, skillset, and personal needs with adequate training and education.

Nurses work in numerous direct care settings like hospitals, urgent care centers, critical care, pediatrics, adult care, and physician offices. They also operate in non-bedside care careers like research, legal consulting, forensics, education, informatics, and case management.

The list below contains many different nursing careers to help you understand each occupation better. You can also read nurse career advancement opportunities to understand the role of education in nursing.

Registered Nurse Specialization List

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Career List

Advanced practice registered nurses specialize in a particular healthcare domain and hold advanced degrees (MSN or DNP). As a result, they have the broadest scope of practice in nursing.

For instance, advanced practice registered nurses diagnose conditions, prescribe medications, and act as primary care providers. They also operate independently owned offices to deliver healthcare to underserved areas.

However, APRNs’ scope of practice varies depending on their state. The following list includes the four primary disciples APRNs pursue.

Nurse Practitioner Specialization List

Nurse practitioners are part of the advanced practice registered nurse discipline. However, several distinct specializations exist for NPs based on their academic focus.

The following list includes various domains nurse practitioners pursue to accommodate people with specific medical needs.

Additional Nursing Specialties

There are numerous subspecializations within the nursing profession. As a result, the following list includes additional occupations within specific disciplines. We’ll also add more sub-vocations over time as nurses develop new fields.

Career Overview

Careers in Nursing

The nursing field is consistently growing and expanding. As a result, there are many opportunities for career advancement and specialization in various healthcare fields.

Most registered nurses specialize in patient care, managing individuals with injuries, illnesses, and other ailments. These healthcare professionals help patients manage their condition by providing direct medical care and bedside aid.

They also offer emotional support, educate patients on the cause and treatment of their condition, and use their knowledge to get them into optimal health.

Registered nurses work in different domains to accommodate people with distinct medical needs.

For instance, they operate in pediatrics, cardiac care, geriatrics, transplant nursing, holistic care, and trauma care. They also work outside hospitals, providing legal counsel, case management, mental health, anesthesiology, and forensic services.

Finally, registered nurses relieve various duties physicians, and other specialists would have to perform without assistance.

By eliminating non-essential tasks, registered nurses allow physicians to spend more time on critical areas of their profession.

For instance, surgeons can focus on surgical procedures while nurses monitor vitals and manage/sanitize medical tools. They also manage bodily fluids, position patients during procedures, and conduct follow-up treatments.

Career Responsibilities

registered nurses perform various duties to ensure patients receive timely, adequate medical care.

For instance, they manage patient records, record medical conditions, administer medications and perform specific treatments.

They also prioritize patient care, track recovery, assess injuries and illnesses, and provide rehabilitation support.

Medical Team

Registered nurses work with various healthcare professionals to ensure patients receive optimal care.

For instance, they work with nurse practitioners, physicians, physical therapists, phlebotomists, technicians, CNAs, and LPNs.

Registered nurses work in various healthcare environments to accommodate patients with specific needs.

Career Settings

It includes doctor’s offices, hospitals, psychiatric departments, the ER, ICUs, geriatric centers, nursing homes, community healthcare centers, hospices, the military, schools/universities, and research labs.

As a result, they play an essential role in different healthcare systems and patient care environments.

The Significance of Nurses in Today’s Economy

More than ever, registered nurses are becoming increasingly crucial to an ever-growing and aging economy that constantly needs competent, well-rounded healthcare professionals and nurses.

As older nurses retire and our economy grows, the gap between existing registered nurses and vacant nursing positions will continue to expand.

According to Carson-Newman, most registered nurses in the U.S. are roughly 48 to 54 years of age. 2022. By 2030 10.6 million jobs will need to be filled to control the nursing shortage.

Without registered nurses, many of today’s healthcare organizations wouldn’t be able to take care of a large majority of their patients.

As a result, the economy’s health is highly dependent upon nurses, and would suffer tremendously from their assistance. Nurses provide a backbone to our economy and raise the standards of living for millions of people.

Without them, those needing medical attention would be unable to find help or recover from their injury and illness.

If you enjoy this article on nursing careers, please share it with anyone who would benefit from this list.

The character of a nurse is just as important as the knowledge he/she possesses.

Carolyn Jarvis