Types Of Nursing Positions
Information shared from Indeed.com
20 types of nursing positions
Though all nurses seek to provide proper care and treatment for their patients, their day-to-day duties can vary depending on their specialty. Here are 20 nursing positions you can find in hospitals, clinics and private practices. For the most up-to-date salary information from Indeed, visit indeed.com/salaries.
National average salary: $42,945 per year
Primary duties: Certified nursing assistants help patients get dressed, eat meals, take their medications and move around. CNAs often monitor their patients’ vitals, exercise them and communicate their status to other medical staff. This position requires a high school diploma, post-secondary certificate and CNA certification.
Read more: Learn About Being a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
National average salary: $54,763 per year
Primary duties: School nurses provide care to students throughout the school year. When a student falls ill at school, school nurses come to their aid. School nurses typically have an associate or bachelor’s degree along with an RN certificate. Though the pay scale for this job differs from most other nursing positions, school nurses also receive school-year time off, including summer and holiday vacations.
Read more: Learn About Being a School Nurse
National average salary: $55,092 per year
Primary duties: Supervised by an RN, LPNs perform a variety of tasks for their patients, including the administration of medication and injections. LPNs require a practical nursing diploma. These nurses can work in hospitals, family practices, nursing homes and long-term care environments.
Read more: Learn About Being a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
National average salary: $72,296 per year
Primary duties: Home health nurses care for patients in their homes. They may care for patients who are terminally ill, geriatric or those with mobility issues. Home health nurse roles often require a nursing diploma or an associate or bachelor’s degree in nursing.
Read more: Learn About Being a Home Health Nurse
National average salary: $81,898 per year
Primary duties: Registered nurse managers supervise and manage members of the nursing staff. Their various duties include overseeing patient care, creating work schedules and scheduling meetings. Common requirements for the role include a bachelor’s degree in nursing, two years of experience as a nurse manager and an RN license.
National average salary: $89,651 per year
Primary duties: Registered nurses create treatment plans for patients with a variety of illnesses, conditions or injuries, and they work across several specialties. RN positions require candidates to have an associate or bachelor’s degree in nursing. Common work environments for RNs include hospitals, private medical practices and nursing homes.
Read more: Learn About Being a Registered Nurse (RN)
National average salary: $89,969 per year
Primary duties: Charge nurses have duties similar to an RN, but they also handle some administrative tasks, such as scheduling and managing. Because of their duties, they may not see as many patients face-to-face. Charge Nurses typically have a Bachelor or Master of Science in nursing degree.
Read more: Learn About Being a Charge Nurse
National average salary: $92,356 per year
Primary duties: Pediatric nurses provide care to children in various medical or health care settings. They often treat minor injuries and administer vaccinations. Pediatric nursing positions require a minimum of an associate degree.
National average salary: $99,478 per year
Primary duties: Operating room nurses work in hospitals and care for patients before, during and after surgery. OR nurses provide streamlined communication between the surgical team and the patient’s family. They can also be called perioperative or scrub nurses. OR nurses require an associate or bachelor’s degree in nursing and an RN license.
National average salary: $100,208 per year
Primary duties: Dialysis nurses handle the care of patients experiencing kidney failure. They also provide their patients with advice on living healthy lifestyles and support for those awaiting new kidneys. Dialysis nurses typically require a Bachelor of Science in nursing and an RN license.
National average salary: $109,623 per year
Primary duties: Radiology nurses care for patients undergoing diagnostic imaging procedures and radiation therapy. They do so by preparing them for various scans, MRIs and other tests administered by physicians and performed by radiological technologists. Radiology nurses typically have a Bachelor of Science in nursing and a CRN certification.
National average salary: $110,010 per year
Primary duties: NICU nurses care for premature or sick newborn children. Working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, NICU nurses monitor newborns and their various conditions. NICU nurses also provide a source of contact for parents whose NICU babies are in their care. NICU nurses work as registered nurses with a Bachelor of Science in nursing and candidates require certification in neonatal resuscitation or neonatal intensive care nursing.
National average salary: $111,198 per year
Primary duties: Oncology nurses care for a variety of cancer patients at all stages. Along with administering medication, oncology nurses observe patients and their ongoing progress. Oncology nurses work to display a great deal of empathy to their patients and families as they undergo cancer diagnosis and treatment. Requirements for this position may vary but often require at least an associate or bachelor’s degree in nursing and experience in nursing.
National average salary: $111,669 per year
Primary duties: Travel nurses are nurses that move from city to city to provide care for patients in understaffed hospitals or medical facilities. Travel nurses can be specialized or perform general duties. These roles require the candidate to have an RN license and an associate or bachelor’s degree in nursing.
National average salary: $120,102 per year
Primary duties: Emergency room nurses care for a variety of patients that enter their hospital’s emergency room. While some deal with non-life-threatening injuries and illness care, others handle traumatic and life-threatening conditions. Emergency room nurses require an RN license and an associate or bachelor’s degree in nursing.
Read more: Learn About Being an ER Nurse
National average salary: $121,786 per year
Primary Duties: Labor and delivery nurses help with the birth of a new baby. They support expectant mothers both during and after labor. These nurses specialize in the operations, aftercare and support of labor and delivery practices.
National average salary: $122,835 per year
Primary duties: Cardiovascular nurses, also known as cardiac nurses, treat patients with various heart diseases or conditions, or patients who have recently undergone heart surgery or procedures. Cardiovascular nurses are required to have an associate or bachelor’s degree in nursing and an RN-BC (board-certified) certification.
National average salary: $123,338 per year
Primary duties: Nurse practitioners work under the direction of doctors and have the ability to perform tasks beyond typical nursing care. Like physicians, NPs can diagnose conditions and prescribe treatments. NPs require a master’s degree or doctorate degree to work in this position.
Read more: Learn About Being a Nurse Practitioner
National average salary: $130,672 per year
Primary duties: Intensive care unit nurses handle the care of patients with life-threatening injuries. Similar to emergency room nurses, ICU nurses think quickly to help with emergency situations as they arise. ICU nurses require an RN license and an associate degree.
National average salary: $150,164 per year
Primary duties: Psychiatric mental health nurses diagnose and treat patients that suffer from mental illnesses. Psychiatric mental health nurses require a bachelor’s degree in nursing and an RN license. These nurses work to help patients manage their medications and understand their mental health conditions.
Where Registered Nurses Work
RN Work Environment
Registered nurses work in many settings, from schools to doctors’ offices.
Registered nurses held about 3.1 million jobs in 2021. The largest employers of registered nurses were as follows:
| Hospitals; state, local, and private |
60% |
| Ambulatory healthcare services |
18 |
| Nursing and residential care facilities |
6 |
| Government |
6 |
| Educational services; state, local, and private |
3 |
Ambulatory healthcare services includes industries such as physicians’ offices, home healthcare, and outpatient care centers. Nurses who work in home health travel to patients’ homes; public health nurses may travel to community centers, schools, and other sites.
Some nurses travel frequently in the United States and throughout the world to help care for patients in places where there are not enough healthcare workers.
Injuries and Illnesses
Registered nurses may spend a lot of time walking, bending, stretching, and standing. They are vulnerable to back injuries because they often must lift and move patients.
The work of registered nurses may put them in close contact with people who have infectious diseases, and they frequently come into contact with potentially harmful and hazardous drugs and other substances. Therefore, registered nurses must follow strict guidelines to guard against diseases and other dangers, such as accidental needle sticks and exposure to radiation or to chemicals used in creating a sterile environment.
Work Schedules
Nurses who work in hospitals and nursing care facilities usually work in shifts to provide round-the-clock coverage. They may work nights, weekends, and holidays. They may be on call, which means that they are on duty and must be available to work on short notice.
Nurses who work in offices, schools, and other places that do not provide 24-hour care are more likely to work regular business hours.
In April 2023, Sumner College will enroll its first
RN classes with a BSN degree. Learn more by contacting admissions at 503-972-6230.
Learn more about Registered Nursing:
Becoming A Nurse
Learn more about becoming a nurse, nursing salaries, and the future of nursing.
Nurses are considered some of the most trusted professionals in the United States. Along with being knowledgeable in physiology, pharmacology, and many other areas of study, they have to exercise care and compassion to patients and their family members as well as work with physicians. Nursing is the perfect role for students that want to
make a difference in the lives of others. While becoming a nurse takes hard work and dedication, there are education plans to fit every student’s timeline and career
goals. Becoming a nurse is a multi-step process. First, you must complete courses within an accredited program. Once you have your degree, you will be required to pass a nursing exam in order to receive your license.
Your license will enable you to practice nursing. If you want to practice a certain specialty, you may be required to take more courses or earn specific certifications. Finally, it may be necessary to take continuing nursing education courses in order to stay current on best practices.
What Do Nurses Do?
Nurses help patients along their health care journey. Oftentimes, they are the first and last faces a patient sees, whether at their annual exam or during an extended hospital stay.
Nurses have a variety of roles. Some do intake work on patients. Others make acute treatment decisions. Some serve in a school setting or administer inoculations, like many did during the COVID-19 pandemic. Day-to-day responsibilities include performing medical exams, administering medications, checking vital signs, changing bandages and dressings, and ensuring that patients are comfortable.
How Long Does It Take to Become a Nurse?
Depending on what type of nurse you plan to become, programs range in commitment time from four weeks to a maximum of four years. Nursing requires that students spend a certain amount of time in the classroom and then a specified amount of time in the field before receiving their certificate, degree, and/or license.
The amount of time it takes to become a nurse depends on your career goals. If you want to specialize in a specific area, you may need a master’s degree, which will take more time. However, if you are interested in serving as a nursing assistant, you can complete your program and get your license within a year in most states.
3 Steps to Becoming a Nurse
Becoming a nurse requires going to school, but there are a few steps involved to making it your official profession. Using the three steps below, you’ll be able to successfully pursue your goal of becoming a nurse:
Choose a Type of Nursing
First you need to choose which type of nurse you will become. There are a variety of fields and roles in which you can serve, which are highlighted below. Your choice will be determined by which field you wish to pursue, your financial situation (or how much schooling you’re able to pay for), and other factors. Once you’ve made a choice as to which type of nurse you plan to be, it’s time for the next step.
Earn a Degree in Nursing
Degrees in nursing range from certifications to bachelor’s degrees to even doctorates. Certifications can take four – 12 weeks to complete, whereas bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees can take years. In the last few years, coursework for nursing students has moved to a more hybrid approach. While some programs may be full-time, in-person, others offer both online learning and in-person classes. However, all certifications and degrees will require in-person clinical work in order to graduate as well as gain a license.
Get a Nursing License
After graduating, and before starting in a professional role, all nurses must complete some type of license. This involves taking an exam. • Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and Registered Nurses (RN) – Must take and pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN). You cannot become a nurse without passing this exam. • Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) – Must take and pass a CNA certification exam. This license expires after two years.
What are the Different Types of Nurses?
There are a variety of nursing roles available in the health care industry. The one you choose depends on your overall career goals, time you have to dedicate to school, and financial resources to pay for your education.
CNA – Certified Nursing Assistant (CAN) – Offered at Sumner College Arizona
A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) is the degree option that offers the quickest path to becoming a nurse. The program can take anywhere from four – 12 months to complete. Graduates must pass a certification exam in order to receive a license. CNAs serve in hospitals, nursing homes, and provide in-home care. They help patients with a range of needs like eating, bathing, grooming, mobility, and more.
LPN – Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) – offered at sumner college Oregon
A Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) requires one year of coursework. Graduates also have to pass the NCLEX-RN and earn a state license in order to practice. LPNs cover a range of responsibilities, from hands-on patient tasks to administrative duties. They monitor patient care by taking vitals, inserting catheters, changing bandages, and more.
ADN – Associate Degree in Nursing (AND) – Offered at sumner college oregon
An associate degree in Nursing takes two to three years to complete. You must pass the NCLEX-RN to earn your license. An ADN can discuss symptoms with a patient, provide medication, edit and monitor a patient’s records, and report the medical status of a patient to a doctor.
BSN – Bachelor of Science in Nursing – offered at sumner college oregon (starting april 2023)
A Bachelor of Science in Nursing can take four years to complete. Just like nurses with an associate degree, you must pass the NCLEX-RN to receive your license. Your job responsibilities will be similar to that of an RN with an associate degree. However, a Bachelor degree will put you on track to serve in administrative roles in areas such as research, consulting, and education.
APRN – Master of Nursing in Science (MNS) – not currently offered at sumner college
A Master of Science in Nursing requires two to three years of study and clinical work in addition to a Bachelor degree. You must also pass a certification exam in your area of study. A master’s in Nursing will enable you to specialize in a certain area and provide you with more responsibility and opportunities for advancement. Graduates with a master’s can go on to become Nurse Practitioners, educators, Nurse Anesthetists, midwives, managers, clinical specialists, researchers, and consultants.
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) – not currently offered at sumner college
The highest level of education that a nurse can receive is a Doctor of Nursing Practice. This requires an additional three to four years of study and includes a capstone DNP project. After graduating, you can take on a leadership role in the nursing field or work in a clinical setting. Nurses with a doctorate degree have the knowledge and power to drive policy change and best practices in the health care industry.
Nursing Salaries and Nursing Career Outlook
In 2019, registered nurses made up 30% of total hospital employees, the largest percentage of any role in the health care industry, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2020 and 2021, we saw just how vital nurses are to our health collectively, especially during national and worldwide health crises.
Overview of Career Growth Potentials and Salaries
In 2021, the BLS reported that the median hourly pay for nurses was $37.31 per hour and $77,600 annually. In 2020, there were over 3 million nurses working in the country with a projected growth rate of 9% by 2030. BLS.gov states that, “Demand for healthcare services will increase because of the large number of older people, who typically have more medical problems than younger people. Nurses also will be needed to educate and care for patients with chronic conditions, such as diabetes and obesity.”
Jobs for Nursing Majors
There are openings right now in the nursing field. Available nursing jobs range in roles from travel nurses to home health care nurses to specialties, like PACU. Because the health care industry is so large, and continues to grow in order to meet demand, there are always nursing jobs available. Jobs are open in urgent care centers, military bases, schools, and even on cruise ships. See available nursing jobs now on Monster.
Scholarships for Nursing Majors
Fastweb hosts a number of scholarships for nursing students in our database. Scholarships are one of the best ways to pay for your nursing education. They are free money that you earn or are awarded and never have to be paid back. Finding nursing scholarships on Fastweb is simple. All you have to do is fill out a free profile and indicate that you are interested in nursing as a field or study and career. We will find scholarships for nursing that you qualify for from our database.
In addition to scholarships and grants, you should file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (
FAFSA) for each academic year that you plan to be enrolled. Filing the FAFSA is the only way to qualify for financial aid, so if you hope to use financial aid funds to pay for college, you need to complete this form as soon as possible after October 1. Some nursing students use part-time jobs and internships to help cover college costs. They either use the money that they earn or strategically seek out a job with an employer that offers
tuition assistance. Finally, some nursing students need to take out
student loans to pay for their education. These loans help to bridge the gap between what a student can afford to pay and how much their nursing education costs. For help in figuring out how to pay for your nursing degree, we’ve gathered the
best financial aid and loan calculators. Utilizing the above college tuition funding sources and doing your due diligence in calculating costs will enable you to be better prepared to pay for your nursing degree.
Content for this article was shared from our partner at FastWeb. For more information visit
FASTWEB.
Public Health Nursing 101
In an era of increasing challenges for public health, nurses have the potential to make a dramatic difference. The American Public Health Association defines public health nursing as, “the practice of promoting and protecting the health of populations using knowledge from nursing, social, and public health sciences”.1
As individuals, nurses directly influence the health and wellbeing of patients every day. Through frequent contact, nurses are best placed to encourage lifestyle changes in communities and offer education on healthy living – particularly to the most vulnerable in society.
Uniting to improve public health
By working together, nurses can make a great impact on public health as a whole. The American Nurses Association (ANA) builds on individual nurse contributions to public health, by supporting policy, advocacy, and education at the highest levels. These areas of interest include, but are not limited to:
Preparing nurses for public health crises
Nurses must be prepared to respond directly to public health crises; from outbreaks of disease to natural disasters. ANA keeps nurses up-to-date on emerging public health issues, to help nurses to make the most informed treatment decisions.
ANA has supported nurses’ work with resources on:
Public health nursing’s scope and standards of practice
ANA empowers nurses to perform to the full extent of their expertise, for the benefit of public health. By facilitating the review and revision of public health nursing’s scope and standards of practice, ANA ensures that nursing responsibilities evolve at the same pace as the demands of public health.
The Council of Public Health Nursing Organizations
ANA supports the work of the Council of Public Health Nursing Organizations (CPHNO), which strives to improve the health of communities through excellence in nursing education, practice, leadership, and research.2 Its membership has changed since it was established in the early 1980s, and now includes:
The goals of the CPHNO are to create innovative models for public health nursing practice; identify and support the emerging roles of public health nurses; and to develop leadership skills for public health nurses at all levels.
Recent ANA actions for public health
Take more action
Want to know more about public health nursing? Contact any of the above Quad Council associations. If you’re interested in obtaining the Advanced Public Health Nursing-Board Certified (APHN-BC) credential, visit the ANCC Certification section to learn about the assessment method for ANCC board certification.
References
1American Public Health Association, Public Health Nursing Section. (2013). The definition and practice of public health nursing: a statement of the public health nursing section. Washington, DC: American Public Health Association.
2 Quad Council of Public Health Nursing Organizations. (2011). Quad Council competencies for public health nurses. Retrieved 3/24/16 at www.achne.org/files/quad%20council/quadcouncilcompetenciesforpublichealthnurses.pdf
Article shared from the American Nurses Association
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