Best Jobs for Different Types of Nurses With Salaries
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If you are considering a career as a Nurse, there are many different types of specialties you can pursue with nursing certifications. Working as a Nurse can offer a variety of job perks from high average salaries to taking on fulfilling work. This article provides insight into some of the best jobs for different types of Nurses to help you determine your career path.
What is a Nurse?
Nurses are medical professionals who work with physicians and other healthcare practitioners to provide medical care to patients from all diverse backgrounds. Nurses may work in various types of healthcare facilities, from hospitals to private practices to mental health facilities. The responsibilities and daily tasks a Nurse performs can differ depending on the Nurse’s medical specialty, such as pediatrics, surgery or critical care nursing. However, there are several common duties all Nurses may perform in their roles including evaluating patients’ symptoms, providing care and treatment to patients and upholding ethical nursing practices.
Best Nurse jobs
Here are several nursing jobs you might consider depending on which specialty is the best path for you:
Licensed Practical Nurse
National Average Salary: $50,211 per year
Role and Responsibilities: The Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) works under the direct supervision of a Physician or Registered Nurse to provide basic care to patients. LPNs may typically check vital signs, document symptoms and oftentimes assist RNs in caring for patients. To become an LPN, you need to complete a certification training program that typically takes as little as one year and take and pass the NCLEX-PN examination to earn your certification.
Nursing Informaticist
National Average Salary: $82,229 per year
Role and Responsibilities: The Nursing Informaticist (or Clinical Informaticist) works in a variety of healthcare environments to maintain facility databases, analyze and sort healthcare data and integrate documentation procedures with digital reporting. To become a Nursing Informaticist, you will need to complete your Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (BSN) as well as obtain your RN certification. Then, you can earn your certification in nursing informatics.
Travel Nurse
National Average Salary: $87,048 per year
Role and Responsibilities: A Travel Nurse typically works as a contractor for nursing and medical staffing agencies. These medical professionals may travel to where there is the highest demand for Nurses, and oftentimes the staffing agencies that they contract with provide stipends or allowances for living expenses.
Clinical Nurse Educator
National Average Salary: $88,483 per year
Role and Responsibilities: The Clinical Nurse Educator is responsible for the training and development of Nurses within a variety of different healthcare facilities. There is usually less patient interaction within this role, however, Nurse Educators sometimes observe and mentor Nurses during routine practice. You can enter this specialty with a BSN and an RN certification, however, you should expect to gain some work experience as an RN before pursuing a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and obtaining your certification in nursing education.
Labor and Delivery Nurse
National Average Salary: $92,820 per year
Role and Responsibilities: The Labor and Delivery Nurse is responsible for caring for expectant mothers as they go through the labor and delivery stages of childbirth. Typically, these professionals monitor mothers’ and infants’ health, prepare mothers for delivery and administer medications. Labor and Delivery Nurses may also commonly assist Physicians and Nurse-Midwives during delivery. This job commonly requires a minimum of an ADN and your RN certification to get started. After gaining experience, you can then continue your education to obtain your MSN and pursue specialty certification in labor and delivery or inpatient obstetrics.
Certified Nurse Midwife
National Average Salary: $102,253 per year
Role and Responsibilities: The Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) provides care and family planning services to women, and they may also perform basic health screenings such as gynecological exams. CNMs also provide prenatal services to monitor mothers’ and babies’ health during pregnancy. A minimum of an MSN degree is required to enter the career field, as well as a certification in midwifery.
Psychiatric Nurse
National Average Salary: $105,539 per year
Role and Responsibilities: The Psychiatric Nurse is responsible for monitoring, evaluating and caring for patients in mental health facilities and psychiatric wards of hospitals. Typically, Psychiatric Nurses work with patients to diagnose and treat mental illnesses as well as provide medications. To become a Psychiatric Nurse, you must possess an MSN degree, your RN certification and hold current certification in psychiatric nursing.
Clinical Nurse Specialist
National Average Salary: $108,874 per year
Role and Responsibilities: The Clinical Nurse Specialist works as a liaison between medical staff, Nurses and Physicians to educate and help coordinate care and treatment plans. The goal of a Clinical Nurse Specialist’s work is to improve the outcomes of healthcare practices and treatment procedures. To become a Clinical Nurse Specialist, you must possess a minimum of an MSN degree to qualify for your certification in clinical nursing.
Certified Nurse Practitioner
National Average Salary: $112,747 per year
Role and Responsibilities: A Certified Nurse Practitioner generally takes on similar responsibilities to those of a Physician. Nurse Practitioners prescribe and administer medications, diagnose and treat patients and some states also recognize Nurse Practitioners as ‘full authority’ medical professionals, meaning that these Nurses are not required to perform under a Physician’s supervision. To become a Nurse Practitioner, you must complete your MSN degree and obtain your advanced practiced nursing certification.
Certified Nurse Anesthetist
National Average Salary: $180,869 per year
Role and Responsibilities: A Certified Nurse Anesthetist is responsible for administering anesthesia and other medications and will typically care for patients recovering from surgery who have been administered anesthesia. To become a Nurse Anesthetist, you must have a master of science in nursing as well as your certification in advanced nursing with regard to anesthesia.
Popular skills and qualifications to list on a resume for Nurses
While every role is different, here is a list of popular skills and qualifications you can list on your resume when applying for nursing jobs:
Registered Nurse certification
Because nursing jobs require Nurses to hold a certification, the Registered Nurse credential can be one of the most popular qualifications for Nurses to include on their resumes. Additionally, holding an RN certification signifies that you have met the requirements to work as a Nurse.
Associate of Science in Nursing degree
Another popular qualification to include on your resume is your degree level. Commonly, an Associate of Science in Nursing (ADN) is the minimum requirement for registered Nurses to qualify for a job, so this can be an important element to include in your resume.
Emotional intelligence and communication
Emotional intelligence and effective communication skills are also essential to perform successfully in a nursing job. Nurses tend to have high levels of empathy and compassion, and these two traits of emotional intelligence can enable Nurses to connect and build relationships with patients.
Technical skills
Technical skills like data entry, operating medical equipment (like blood pressure monitors and X-ray machines) and using large computer databases to document diagnoses and treatment plans can be a typical aspect of a nursing job. Listing your technical skills related to these areas can be another effective way to make your resume stand out.