4 Nursing Jobs With High Satisfaction Ratings

 

There are dozens of jobs from which a registered nurse can choose. There are nurse positions in most medical specialties so it is likely to find a job that interests you the most. When looking for nurse jobs, job satisfaction comes from various factors including location, work environment and the level of nursing being done in the facility. Here are a few of the nursing jobs that get high marks for job satisfaction.

 

Neonatal Nursing

 

The neonatal nurse works with infants from birth up to 28 days old. Care levels are assigned 1, 2 or 3, based on what, if any, medical conditions and nursing care the child needs. Level 1 is usually a healthy baby and level 3 is a child that may need help breathing or eating. Premature babies may need support while their bodies continue to develop their basic life-support functions.

 

Nursing in this environment is intense and there are often very emotional moments. This unit of nursing definitely creates a team environment. The patients at this age need constant care and monitoring. Situations require quick action because things can happen fast with an infant with a severe medical condition.

 

There will also be a lot of contact with the family since the child needs to bond with its parents while he/she is being treated. The nurse will be responsible for family education and counseling throughout the hospital stay.

 

Pediatric Nursing

 

This area deals with patients from a month old to mid-teens. The nurse is responsible for helping the child understand why they are in a hospital and what they can expect while they are there. The nurse becomes an advocate for the child so they will feel safe in the hospital setting.

 

As with adult patients, nurses will monitor the patients’ physical status and help them with their daily routines. They are also trained in child development and will help the pediatric patient with any emotional or psychological issues.

 

Besides a rewarding career, pediatric nursing can be challenging. Nurses will work with young patients diagnosed with cancer or other serious illnesses, some of which may be terminal. The emotional support for the child during those times is critical and the nurse will be there for him.

 

Operating Room Nursing

 

The operating room (OR) nurse will experience various different procedures over the course of their career. They may eventually come to focus in a specific area such as cardiothoracic or orthopedic surgery. Or they may continue to work with all types of procedures.

 

This role has little direct patient contact other than preparing the patient for the surgery once they have arrived in the operating room. Nurses are responsible for having the right equipment available and insuring that it is sterile and the room is clean and ready. They will maintain the stock of supplies in each room and make sure the necessary medications are on hand.

 

These nurse jobs deal with the more technical aspects of medical treatment and the job satisfaction comes from being involved in a highly technical and evolving environment. Assisting with a heart transplant, the removal of a brain tumor, or the straightening of a child’s spine due to scoliosis all make this job worth the work for many nurses.

 

Nursing School Instructor

 

After a few years of clinical practice, some nurses decide that they love to teach and become a nursing educator. Nursing schools employee nurses from many backgrounds. Nursing school educators are well-versed in nursing practices and procedures so they can give students the benefit of their experiences on top of the academic work. Nurses must have a master’s degree in nursing to do classroom and clinical teaching. Nurses who are working toward a master’s degree may work as lab and clinical faculty. They need to meet a deadline to complete their degree.

 

In  nursing education programs, faculty are specialized. A nursing instructor teacher may focus on senior health care and the treatment of conditions related to aging. Or they may teach pediatrics, obstetrics, or mental health nursing. Full time faculty are expected to meet the university/college expectations for keeping current in their specialty area, service, and scholarly activities such as research and publishing.

 

The Outlook for Nursing Jobs

 

According to the US Department of Labor – Bureau of Labor Statistics, the nursing field is growing faster than most other jobs, with a 26% increase expected between 2010 and 2020. Reasons for this increase include better access to health care, improved diagnostic and treatment options, and longer life spans which means more years in which they may need medical attention.

 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics also states that the current median salary for a registered nurse is $64,690, which makes this a very attractive profession.