Become a Nurse >> Browse Articles >> Step 2: Choose the Right Path
Become a Nurse - Career Specialties
Most registered nurses choose to follow a career path focused on a specific nursing specialty that fits their personality and intellectual interests. Some specialties involve being certified by a professional board or association which will often increase a nurse’s wages and long-term promotion potential. Below are links to several profiles of popular nursing specialties. Each profile includes the average salary and educational requirements for nurses in that specialty field. Links to related professional organizations are also provided. For more generalized information on choosing a specialty, see “Find your nursing niche” and “Find a Nursing Specialty”.
Developmental Disabilities Nurse
Gerontological Nurse Practitioner
Otorhinolaryngology (Head and Neck) Nurse
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
NurseCatherine
2 months ago
2 comments
I am considering Medical-Surgical and Surgical nursing. i know that I want to work in a hospital, and those two specialties are particularly interesting to me.
mzchas
3 months ago
10 comments
New to the nursing field...I will be going to get an Accelerated BSN. I'm leaning towards either NP or CNS.
mely2006
3 months ago
58 comments
I'm a first year nursing student, but quite confused on which field to go into. Help anyone?
cfl
5 months ago
2 comments
I'm having trouble deciding whether to pursue a nursing or teaching career. The thing is I absolutely love kids, I realize both are very similar in comforting and inspiring kids. I'm thinking of being a camp nurse or a traveling nurse. If anybody has any advice I would greatly appreciate it!
Herbalnurse919
6 months ago
52 comments
I do love the fact that we have so many choices.
otey_2006
6 months ago
60 comments
Great link and awesome example of why I chose nursing, it's a diverse field. You can go into more than one area. :)
michelleansley
8 months ago
16 comments
i like the diversity that this article gives, it covers just about every nursing field out there and allows you to see first hand what your options are, what to expect, what the average going rate of pay is. I REALLY like this link.
rn2bjenny
8 months ago
14 comments
Medical assistants are very helpful and necessary. I am appreciative of all the hard work they have to do. I belive the reason the Medical Assistant is not listed here is because they are not required to be liscensed. It is highly recommended, but not required. Also, school is not a guarantee in making a critical thinker. Some people can think critically very well without the benefit of going thru a licensed nursing program. On the same wavelength, one of the reasons for going thru a licensing program is to gain knowledge that your critical thinking skills can rely on to obtain the results needed for patient care. So, yes, there is a difference between Medical assistants and LVNs and RNs, etc but they are all equally necessary. One should not be deemed a "lower" form of nurse ever. I've got a great idea...why don't we all be team players instead of doing what we're accused of doing...eating our own.
Cosby
8 months ago
4 comments
I am definetly in on the medical field. I will start out with pursuing my Lpn license first. thanks for the informative information
MikaB23
8 months ago
2 comments
ALL OF THE NURSING PRACTICES ARE NOT LISTED PEOPLE! THERE ARE OVER 200 NURSING CAREERS
FKH
9 months ago
2 comments
I am interested in geting Patient Support/Aide or General Support Associate
to Nurse/Tech. Let me clear it I mean non professional category job. I shall appreciate if nurse link members/community to could help me out on humtarian moral grounds.
Thanks, regads,
my contact: fkhsubhani11@hotmail.com
biniyam
9 months ago
2 comments
I am well experanced diploma nurse I can have good knology to give care any kind of pt +Experanced cawnselr any one entersted please email bini3778@yahoo.com
dd22
10 months ago
2 comments
I am wondering if anyone can assist me with my questions.. I have a B.S. in health care management and was planning on going back to school for my nursing degree. How would l go upon doing that??
becky_l
about 1 year ago
3828 comments
I am a Medical Assistant and proud of it.....you don't have to have a LPN or RN degree to have the citical thinking skills. All Medical Assistants work hard to get where we are also and sacraficed so much, sleepless nights, agony of school and hardship of personal lifes dealing with school just as you...you make it sound like I should work at McDonalds!
jiv2041
about 1 year ago
2 comments
A Medical assistant is far from a nurse. I'm sorry to tell you. But you may do some minor procedures, and basic assessments, you do not hold the knowledge base that even an entry level graduate nurse has. Above all things, you do not have the critical thinking skills that a nurse has. 180 externship hours, I work more than that in a month. Just remember you work in a family medicine office. Don't judge a nurse based upon a family practice nurse. Although they are educated and qualified, they are limited in what they do, and you are limited in what you see get done. If you feel like your a nurse, come work with me in the ICU and let's see how your skill set mathces up. I by know means, mean to be disrespectful, but all Nurses can understand me. We worked so hard to get to the point where we our, and we all sacraficed so much, unless you went through the years of sleepless nights, agony of school and hardships of personal lifes dealing with school. Don't ever call your self a nurse!