Jobs for Nurses: 50+ Different Nursing Positions

Jobs for Nurses: 50+ Different Nursing Positions

Now that you’ve successfully completed your nursing degree, you must be eager to dive into the world of work. With a nursing degree, a plethora of job opportunities await you, but narrowing down the perfect position can be quite overwhelming.

This article delves into various nursing jobs and the diverse realms where nurses contribute their skills. Whether your passion lies in caring for children, supporting older adults, or engaging in research, this compilation aims to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the myriad options available with a nursing degree.

What Can You Do With a Nursing Degree?

Although the majority of nurses hold the title of registered nurse (RN) with a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN), the spectrum of potential roles expands according to the type of nursing degree you possess. Whether you attain a two-year associate degree in nursing, follow the traditional path to a BSN degree, or advance to a master of science in nursing or a doctor of nursing practice degree to become a nurse practitioner, your nursing journey can lead to numerous specialized fields. Take a look at the list below to discover a domain that aligns with your career aspirations.

Acute Care Nurse

Acute care nurses specialize in providing personalized care to critically ill patients. Their responsibilities encompass a range of advanced nursing tasks, including contributing as essential members of medical teams to attending to patients with life-threatening medical conditions. Additionally, they play a pivotal role in designing care plans for patients in post-surgery recovery. These nurses may also conduct procedures such as collecting blood and tissue samples.

Average Annual Salary: $83,000

Air Force Nurse

Similar to acute care nurses, Air Force nurses deliver specialized care to critically ill patients. They contribute their advanced nursing expertise to diverse medical tasks, whether attending to patients with life-threatening medical conditions or overseeing the recovery of post-surgery patients. These nurses also engage in tasks such as the collection of blood and tissue samples.

Average Annual Salary: $83,000

Burn Unit Nurse

Burn unit nurses operate as integral parts of healthcare teams in burn care settings. Their responsibilities encompass stabilizing burn victims, preventing organ failure and infection, and facilitating the healing process. They provide care to patients requiring ventilation, alleviate pain, offer wound care, and avert further complications.

Average Annual Salary: $115,000

Camp Nurse

Camp nurses play a crucial role in delivering medical care to campers at summer camps and similar recreational locations. Some camp nurses also extend their care to campground staff members and administrators. The role of camp nurses involves ensuring the health readiness of all participants for camp activities, administering daily medication, and responding to any emergent illnesses or injuries that arise.

Average Annual Salary: $62,080

Certified Nurse Assistant

Certified Nurse Assistants (CNAs) observe and document patients’ conditions and vital signs. Working under the supervision of registered nurses (RNs) and other medical professionals, CNAs play a pivotal role in direct patient care.

Average Annual Salary: $29,290

Community Nurse

Community nurses shoulder the responsibility of educating communities about health risks and implementing preventive measures. They offer patient and family education about diseases, execute various control and preventive measures, and are actively engaged in advocacy and the development of public health policies to address issues of social justice.

Average Annual Salary: $62,580

Critical Care Nurse

Critical care nurses, with their extensive experience, deliver advanced care to patients within intensive care units. These professionals adopt a patient- and family-centered approach, requiring solid clinical judgment, swift prioritization and advocacy for patient interventions during emergencies, and mastery of advanced medical equipment and technology for optimal patient care.

Average Annual Salary: $68,730

Cruise Ship Nurse

Cruise ship nurses attend to the medical needs of both passengers and crew members aboard cruise ships. While the allure of the cruise lifestyle and the opportunity to travel can be enticing, the role comes with challenges, especially during instances of outbreaks of illnesses or emergencies that occur far from specialized medical equipment and facilities.

Average Annual Salary: $77,600

Dermatology Nurse Practitioner

Dermatology nurse practitioners specialize in treating dermatological injuries and illnesses. They offer care to individuals with wounds, diseases, trauma, and various skin conditions. Patient education on skin protection is also an integral aspect of their role.

Average Annual Salary: $94,740

Diabetes Management Nurse

Diabetes management nurses assume the responsibility of providing patient care and promoting self-management for individuals with diabetes. They monitor and educate patients, requiring candidates to possess a master’s degree in nursing and hold the status of Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN).

Average Annual Salary: $66,140

Dialysis Nurse

Dialysis nurses are dedicated to the care of patients undergoing dialysis treatment. Their tasks encompass preparing patients for dialysis, educating patients and their caregivers, updating health records, and monitoring patients throughout the dialysis procedure.

Average Annual Salary: $78,080

Emergency Room Nurse

Emergency room nurses are at the forefront of caring for patients with a diverse range of traumas and urgent medical conditions. Their focus revolves around stabilizing and treating patients until they are ready for admission or discharge.

Average Annual Salary: $69,960

Epidemics Research Nurse

Epidemics research nurses contribute their skills in research laboratories, hospitals, and medical clinics. Their roles include administering vaccines, conducting lab assessments, evaluating patients’ overall health during epidemics, and ensuring adherence to specific protocols.

Average Annual Salary: $81,500

Family Nurse Practitioner

Family nurse practitioners collaborate with specialists to manage patients’ conditions and facilitate referrals to appropriate services for injuries and long-term illnesses. These professionals offer care across various stages of life.

Average Annual Salary: $96,790

Federal Healthcare Nurse

Federal healthcare nurses provide care within occupational health units, hospitals, and clinics, often in the realm of veteran’s affairs. They promote healthy practices, educate patients and their families about prevalent health issues, and operate across diverse medical settings.

Median Annual Salary: $75,330

Forensic Nurse

Forensic nurses extend their care to victims of crimes, providing empathetic support and gathering essential evidence for legal proceedings. Many forensic nurses undergo specialized training to address the unique needs of victims of sexual assault.

Average Annual Salary: $60,000

Geriatric Nurse

Geriatric nurses specialize in providing care for elderly patients. With the aging population in both the United States and globally, this field is experiencing rapid growth. Geriatric nurses find employment in various settings, including home health, residential care, hospitals, health systems, and independent practices.

Average Annual Salary: $70,430

Guide to Nursing Specializations and Concentrations

Health Administration Nurse

Health administration nurses assume a range of leadership roles. In addition to overseeing teams of nurses and healthcare professionals, they evaluate and implement nursing policies, ensuring compliance. These nurses contribute to continuous quality improvement, promote optimal patient care through evidence-based nursing practices, and engage in addressing ethical dilemmas and unique patient care scenarios.

Average Annual Salary: $89,000

Home Health Nurse

Home health nurses predominantly provide care within patients’ homes or assisted living facilities. Their role involves coordinating patient care activities with home health agencies, pharmacies, and physicians. They also supervise home healthcare staff members.

Average Annual Salary: $64,140

Hospice Nurse

Hospice nurses offer compassionate care to patients facing terminal illnesses. They engage in direct communication with patients and families and execute care plans to ensure patient comfort.

Average Annual Salary: $67,640

Labor and Delivery Nurse

Labor and delivery nurses specialize in caring for women during labor and childbirth, as well as tending to the immediate needs of newborn infants. Their responsibilities encompass monitoring the vital signs of both mother and baby, offering emotional support, and addressing the newborn’s immediate requirements.

Average Annual Salary: $68,300

Legal Consultancy Nurse

Legal consultancy nurses commonly work for insurance companies, playing a pivotal role in collecting, assessing, organizing, and preserving records for legal purposes. They also prepare visual aids and graphs for use in legal proceedings. Qualifications for these positions include an RN license and several years of clinical experience.

Average Annual Salary: $79,740

Licensed Practical Nurse

Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) are entrusted with providing fundamental medical care, freeing up registered nurses (RNs) and physicians to focus on specialized patient care areas. LPNs perform tasks such as measuring patients’ temperatures, recording vital signs, collecting urine and blood samples, and preparing patients for examinations.

Average Annual Salary: $45,790

Nurse Anesthetist

Nurse anesthetists bear the responsibility of administering anesthesia and overseeing patient well-being during surgical procedures. They ensure adequate pulmonary and cardiovascular support for patients and facilitate proper recovery from anesthesia before transferring them to care units.

Median Annual Salary: $117,670

Nurse Case Manager

Nurse case managers primarily engage in administrative tasks related to individual patient healthcare needs. They assess patients’ requirements to formulate effective care plans and communicate with healthcare and insurance providers on behalf of patients.

Average Annual Salary: $73,800

Nursing Informatics Specialist

Nursing informatics specialists collaborate with medical professionals like doctors and nurses to manage data, information, and knowledge, enhancing nursing care across various settings. Their roles encompass the development of clinical information systems.

Average Annual Salary: $84,820

Nurse Midwife

Nurse midwives provide a spectrum of health services for women. Operating primarily within obstetricians’ and gynecologists’ offices and hospitals, they offer prenatal care and participate in the delivery of babies.

Average Annual Salary: $97,920

Nutrition and Fitness Nurse

Nutrition and fitness nurses operate predominantly in spas, health clubs, and surgical recovery settings. Their focus revolves around enhancing client or patient health through nutrition, exercise, and stress management.

Median Annual Salary: $75,330

Occupational Health Nurse

Occupational health nurses champion employee health and safety within organizations, crafting plans for health-related workplace events. They often participate in organizational and regulatory audits, as well as health and safety committees.

Average Annual Salary: $74,100

Oncology Nurse

Oncology nurses specialize in monitoring and caring for cancer patients. They design patient care plans and provide support and resources for both patients and their families.

Average Annual Salary: $75,040

Operating Room Nurse

Operating room nurses, also known as perioperative or surgical nurses, are pivotal in preparing patients for surgery and delivering care during and after procedures. Their role plays a crucial part in ensuring successful outcomes.

Average Annual Salary: $73,760

Outpatient Care Nurse

Outpatient care nurses offer their expertise to patients seeking medical treatment at outpatient medical facilities. They prioritize patients’ comfort and well-being before, during, and after medical procedures and surgeries.

Average Annual Salary: $68,310

Paramedic

While the roles of a paramedic and a nurse differ, both involve providing medical assistance to individuals in need. Paramedics often arrive as one of the first healthcare responders during emergencies. They assess and diagnose patients before delivering emergency treatment, including administering medications and pain relief.

Median Annual Salary: $36,650

Parish Nurse

Parish nurses take a holistic approach to health, considering spiritual well-being as part of overall wellness. They act as intermediaries between patients, communities, and healthcare professionals, offering spiritual support to individuals dealing with various health issues.

Average Annual Salary: $62,080

Pediatric Nurse

Registered pediatric nurses care for children from birth to adolescence. Their work spans various settings, including hospitals, clinics, and physician’s offices. Pediatric nurses can specialize in fields such as neonatology, trauma, and cardiology.

Average Annual Salary: $61,440

Pharmaceutical Research Nurse

Pharmaceutical research nurses maintain contact with and monitor patients participating in clinical trials, observing how individuals respond to specific medications over certain intervals.

Average Annual Salary: $61,000

Physician’s Office Nurse

In collaboration with physicians, office nurses provide healthcare services to patients within private practice settings. They conduct nursing assessments, educate patients, and offer pre- and post-operative guidance.

Average Annual Salary: $57,340

Plastic Surgery Nurse

Plastic surgery nurses collaborate with surgeons and support staff to assist patients in achieving desired outcomes. They care for patients before, during, and after procedures, providing education about expectations and recovery.

Average Annual Salary: $64,000

Postpartum Nurse

Postpartum nurses attend to new mothers and their infants, offering physical care and emotional support. They facilitate bonding between the mother and child and provide guidance and psychological assistance to both the mother and her family.

Average Annual Salary: $77,600

Prison Nurse

Responsible for providing personalized nursing care to inmates within correctional facilities, prison nurses conduct routine evaluations, treatments, and necessary emergency interventions.

Average Annual Salary: $54,000

Procurement Nurse

Procurement nurses care for individuals donating organs for transplantation, whether through living or deceased donation. Their responsibilities range from preparing living donors for surgery to managing postsurgical recovery, as well as providing grief support to families of deceased donors.

Average Annual Salary: $75,430

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse

These nurses specialize in providing care to patients with psychiatric disorders. They work in mental health facilities or as homecare nurses. Qualifications often include an RN license and at least an associate degree in nursing.

Average Annual Salary: $66,680

Public Health Nurse

With a focus on educating patients, families, and communities about health and risk factors, public health nurses conduct home visits, similar to community health nurses. They also refer patients to support services and facilitate connections with various resources.

Average Annual Salary: $59,560

Public Health Research Nurse

Engaging in public health research, these nurses study, care for, and observe patients with various diseases. They also assist and monitor clinical trials involving new medications or treatments.

Average Annual Salary: $81,500

Quality Assurance Nurse

Quality assurance nurses assess nursing practices to ensure efficiency and optimal patient care. They propose and implement changes and provide training on new procedures to other nurses.

Average Annual Salary: $78,120

Radiology Nurse

Radiology nurses provide patient care during radiology procedures. They assess preoperative patients, manage patient sedation and monitor vital signs during procedures, and oversee post-procedure care.

Average Annual Salary: $66,220

Registered Nurse

As coordinators of patient care, registered nurses assess and evaluate patient conditions to design holistic care plans. They work across various settings, including hospitals, clinics, and physician’s offices.

Median Annual Salary: $75,330

Rehabilitation Center Nurse

Rehabilitation center nurses aid patients in recovering and regaining independence after disability, illness, or injury. They also educate patients and families on managing chronic injuries and illnesses.

Average Annual Salary: $86,110

Research Nurse

Tasked with planning and coordinating clinical schedules and procedures, research nurses collect data, monitor patients, and record information. They focus on patients participating in clinical trials, including those testing new cancer treatments.

Average Annual Salary: $72,130

Rural Nurse

Rural nurses ensure access to quality healthcare in remote communities, providing care in areas such as labor and delivery, trauma, and critical care. They offer care to sick or injured individuals of all ages.

Average Annual Salary: $98,490

School Nurse

School nurses address student healthcare needs, educate about health risks, and respond to health emergencies. Prospective school nurses usually hold an active RN license along with a BSN degree, and they are prepared to handle immediate care situations like CPR.

Average Annual Salary: $48,550

Staff Nurse

Encompassing various frontline roles, staff nurses often work in long-term care facilities and hospitals. They assess and evaluate patients, administer care and medications as needed, and develop patient discharge plans in hospital settings.

Average Annual Salary: $69,360

Surgery (Perioperative) Nurse

Surgery nurses prepare patients for surgical procedures, monitor vital signs, assist surgeons and anesthetists, and provide post-surgery care. Effective collaboration and communication skills are essential for this role.

Average Annual Salary: $77,600

Toxicology Nurse

Toxicology nurses work closely with poison control hotlines to triage and manage patients exposed to toxins. They assess significant symptoms, offer treatment recommendations, and facilitate referrals. Ongoing patient evaluation and follow-up care are also part of their responsibilities.

Median Annual Salary: $75,330

Transplant Nurse

Transplant nurses care for patients in need of organ transplants. They coordinate tests and appointments while patients await organ availability, guide patients and families through the transplant process, and design treatment plans for recovery.

Average Annual Salary: $75,430

Traveling Nurse

Traveling nurses work as contract employees, filling in at clinics, hospitals, and practices around the country and sometimes internationally. They perform similar responsibilities to RNs.

Average Annual Salary: $80,000

Vaccine Research Nurse

Vaccine research nurses plan, develop, implement, and evaluate vaccine-related research projects. These nurses typically hold master’s degrees in nursing and receive training in research methodology.

Average Annual Salary: $81,500

Wound Care Nurse

Wound care nurses treat wounds and educate patients on proper wound care. They address chronic wounds, new injuries, and post-operative wounds, promoting healing and preventing infection.

Average Annual Salary: $76,600

Nontraditional Nursing Opportunities

The nursing field offers a wide range of career options, extending beyond bedside care and traditional settings. Nontraditional roles include toxicology nurses, prison nurses, and nutrition and fitness nurses.

Nurses can explore opportunities as travel nurses, filling in for professionals across the country and internationally. Nurses interested in nontraditional pathways can learn more about their options in the accompanying video.