Types of Nurses: 39 Different Types of Nursing Specialties

You already know that there are different types of nurses, but you might be surprised to learn just how many — at least 39 distinctions to begin with, and even that only scratches the surface of the myriad professional opportunities this rapidly-growing field has to offer. But with so many career paths to explore, how do you know which one to choose?

If you’re passionate about advancing medical care while improving the lives of patients, and you think you might be interested in becoming a nurse or nursing assistant, the first step is to determine which field of nursing best aligns with your talents, skills, interests, and goals. This guide to 39 types of nurses and what they do will help you get started.

Nursing Specialties, Descriptions, and Salaries

Between factors like the national nursing shortage, the aging U.S. population, the ever-growing complexity of medical technology and insurance regulations, and the immense pressures of fighting and managing the COVID-19 pandemic and other public health emergencies, the demand for nurses is at a high. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that certain nursing professions, such as that of Registered Nurse or RN, will enjoy slightly above-average growth in the coming decade, stating, “Employment of registered nurses is projected to grow 9% from 2020 to 2030,” as compared to the national average of 8%.

Of course, as we discussed at the beginning of this guide, becoming an RN is only one of the numerous paths that are open to students who are interested in entering careers in nursing. There are dozens of nursing careers to explore, with 39 examples featured in this guide, including:

If you’ve been wondering, “What are the different types of nurses?” or, “Which type of nursing program is right for me?” then read on to start discovering the answers.

1. Registered Nurse (RN)

Education Requirements: Bachelor’s degree or higher, such as a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.
Median Salary: $77,600
Career Outlook: 9% projected job growth, or about as fast as average.
Job Description: As a Registered Nurse or RN, you’ll work in settings like residential care facilities, hospitals, or government offices performing tasks and duties like recording and monitoring patients; performing essential procedures like changing catheters or bandages; and helping to communicate information between patients and physicians. Some RNs choose to specialize in a specific work environment and/or field of healthcare, such as rehabilitation RNs, plastic surgery RNs, or military RNs — all of which you’ll find more information about on this list.

2. Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN)

Education Requirements: Associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degree in nursing (respectively ADN, BSN, or MSN), with a BSN or MSN preferred by many employers.
Average Salary: $80,400
Career Outlook: The BLS does not provide job growth estimates specific to CCRNs, but states that “rapid employment growth [is] projected for nurses” in all fields due to factors like “an emphasis on preventive care, rising rates of chronic conditions, and an aging population.”
Job Description: Critical care nurses help to provide care for patients who are suffering from critical or life-threatening injuries and illnesses, such as cleaning wounds, assessing treatment needs, infusing blood, and administering medications

3. Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

Education Requirements: LPNs require a postsecondary non-degree award, such as a nursing certificate. Explore a variety of certificate programs in nursing and healthcare at National University.
Median Salary: $48,070
Career Outlook: 9% projected job growth, which is about as fast as average.
Job Description: As an LPN, you’ll be responsible for tasks like providing basic care and treatment, monitoring and recording patients, discussing care plans and answering patients’ questions, and facilitating communication between patients and healthcare professionals.

4. Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)

Education Requirements: You’ll need a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree, generally with a requirement to complete a clinical nurse specialist track.
Average Salary: Over $112,000
Career Outlook: According to ExploreHealthCareers.org, the career outlook for clinical nurse specialists is “excellent,” with “[the] demand for advanced practice nurses, like clinical nurse specialists… expected to grow 31% between 2012 and 2022.”
Job Description: A clinical nurse specialist, or CNS, is a type of Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN). A CNS is chiefly focused on improving patient outcomes — a task they approach through a dynamic blend of teaching, researching, and providing care.

5. Emergency Room Registered Nurse

Education Requirements: RNs, including Emergency Room RNs, are generally required to attain a bachelor’s degree or higher, such as an accredited BSN degree from National University. Some employers, however, may accept applicants with an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN).
Average Salary: Over $75,000
Career Outlook: RNs like emergency room nurses have a promising job outlook over the next decade, with BLS data pointing to 9% growth from 2020 to 2030.
Job Description: As an ER nurse, you’ll be working under intense pressure to help save lives with patients who are seriously injured or ill. Your duties might include examining patients, recording their histories, triaging patients, and consulting with physicians about patient care.

6. Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN)

Education Requirements: Postsecondary non-degree award, such as a certificate in nursing.
Median Salary: $48,070
Career Outlook: 9% projected job growth, or about as fast as average.
Job Description: As an LVN, you’ll administer basic but critical care to patients, such as applying and changing bandages or recording blood pressure readings. You’ll also assist patients with routine tasks such as getting dressed, discussing treatment plans and monitoring patients’ vital signs.

7. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)

Education Requirements: By 2025 — just a few short years from today — CRNAs will be required to hold a doctoral degree, such as a Doctorate of Nurse Practice (DNP) or Doctorate of Nursing Anesthesia Practice (DNAP). Students who are enrolling prior to 2025 should be mindful of this upcoming shift — and how it will affect their competitiveness in the workplace.
Median Salary: Over $123,000
Career Outlook: The BLS projects 45% growth in this field during the decade from 2020 to 2030, significantly more than the 8% national average.
Job Description: As Nurse.org explains succinctly, “CRNAs are APRNs who administer anesthesia and other medications,” in addition to monitoring patients’ vital signs and managing other care tasks. Learn more about Advanced Practice RNs and our Post-Graduate Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Certificate (PGC).

8. Cardiac Registered Nurse

Education Requirements: RNs generally need to attain a BSN degree or higher.
Average Salary: Over $88,000
Career Outlook: 9% projected job growth, or about as fast as average.
Job Description: A cardiac nurse is a nurse who specializes in heart health and cardiology. A cardiac nurse might work in a long-term care facility, a hospital or its ICU, a clinic, or in another type of setting. Their duties generally include using medical devices, aiding with surgeries, and communicating with patients suffering from chronic or acute conditions like cardiac arrest and heart failure.

9. Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)

Education Requirements: You’ll need a relevant master’s degree, like your MSN, to become an FNP or nurse practitioner.
Median Salary: Over $123,000
Career Outlook: FNPs have an exceptionally bright career outlook for the next decade, with the BLS projecting an incredible 45% increase in jobs — significantly more than the 8% national average.
Job Description: A Family Nurse Practitioner, or FNP, is responsible for a wide range of tasks and responsibilities, such as conducting diagnostic tests, creating and implementing personalized care plans, examining patients for symptoms or injuries, and treating patients for both chronic and acute illnesses. Learn more about how to become a nurse practitioner, or explore National University’s accredited FNP Certificate program, which can be partially completed online.

10. Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner (AGNP)

Education Requirements: AGNPs require an MSN or higher.
Median Salary: Over $123,000.
Career Outlook: As the population ages, AGNPs or geriatric nurses will be in high demand. In fact, according to Nurse.org, geriatric nurses are among the nursing professions that are most needed, along with ICU nurses.
Job Description: As an AGNP, you’ll generally be focused on providing treatment for older adults, who have unique health needs and challenges related to the aging process, such as reduction of bone density and susceptibility to fractures. Your day-to-day duties might involve assisting your patients with tasks (such as bathing or dressing), monitoring vital signs, and administering medication.

11. Rehabilitation Registered Nurse

Education Requirements: Bachelor’s degree or higher, such as a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.
Median Salary: RNs earn a median salary of $77,600 per year.
Career Outlook: RNs like Rehabilitation Registered Nurses have a robust job outlook over the coming decade, with BLS data estimating 9% growth from 2020 to 2030.
Job Description: While many people associate the term “rehabilitation” with substance abuse disorders, in this context the term refers to the rehabilitation of patients who are disabled or chronically ill. As a rehabilitation RN, you’ll have duties like developing and implementing care and discharge plans, communicating with patients’ families, and supervising ancillary nurses, with opportunities to work in both outpatient and inpatient work settings

12. Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP)

Education Requirements: You’ll need a doctoral degree to explore this career. National University offers an accelerated, accredited Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) degree program, which you can learn more about here.
Average Salary: Over $91,000
Career Outlook: The BLS estimates that jobs in the nurse anesthetist field will increase by 45% during the period from 2020 to 2030 — a rate of growth that is “much faster than average” (8% nationally).
Job Description: As a nurse who holds a DNAP degree, a doctorate degree available at National University, you’ll specialize in the safe use and administration of anesthesia. You may work in settings like clinics, hospitals, dental offices, or delivery rooms.

13. Plastic Surgery Registered Nurse

Education Requirements: You’ll need a BSN or higher to become an RN, and may also wish to pursue a specialty certification, such as becoming a Certified Plastic Surgical Nurse (CPSN).
Median Salary: RNs earn a median salary of $77,600 per year.
Career Outlook: 9% projected job growth, or about as fast as average.
Job Description: As a Plastic Surgery Registered Nurse, your career will be focused on providing care for patients at all stages of the reconstructive surgery process. You’ll screen patients’ and review their histories, perform non-invasive procedures like administering Botox, monitor the healing process, and help facilitate communication between physicians and patients.

14. Bariatric Registered Nurse

Education Requirements: You’ll need a BSN or higher to become an RN.
Median Salary: RNs earn a median salary of $77,600 per year, but Bariatric RNs earn an average of over $82,000.
Career Outlook: 9% projected job growth, or about as fast as average.
Job Description: Bariatric nurses specialize in providing treatment and care for patients with health complications related to obesity. You’ll monitor patients at various stages of bariatric surgery and work to develop appropriate follow-up plans and help minimize the risk of complications.

15. Radiology Registered Nurse

Education Requirements: You’ll need a BSN or higher to become an RN.
Median Salary: According to Nursejournal.org, “Radiology nurses earn a national median salary of $65,002.”
Career Outlook: 9% projected job growth, or about as fast as average.
Job Description: According to the National Library of Medicine, Radiology RNs “routinely start or check peripheral IVs, assess infusaports, administer medications, monitor vital signs, suction patients, insert foleys and help patients with their personal needs.”

16. Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

Education Requirements: You’ll need to complete a state-approved training program, which varies by state.
Median Salary: $30,290
Career Outlook: 8% job growth, or as fast as average.
Job Description: Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs)s assist patients with the daily tasks of living and hygiene, such as bathing, eating, dressing, and using the toilet. CNAs also record patients’ vital signs and communicate information about patients to other nurses.

17. Nurse Educator

Education Requirements: Like other postsecondary teachers and professors, nurse educators will generally need to hold a PhD or other form of doctoral degree.
Median Salary: Over $82,000
Career Outlook: The BLS expects postsecondary education professions, like being a nurse educator, to grow by 12% — faster than the national average — from 2020 to 2030.
Job Description: If you’re equally passionate about healthcare and education, consider a career that fuses elements of both, like a career as a nurse educator. In this role, your job duties will involve teaching nursing students, planning course curricula, and monitoring the progress your students are making, and providing them with feedback.

18. ICU Registered Nurse

Education Requirements: In addition to your BSN or ADN, you’ll also need special ICU certification, such as the Certification for Adult Critical Care Nurses (CCRN), which is awarded by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses.
Median Salary: RNs earn a median salary of $77,600 per year. However, according to Nurse.org, “ICU nurses are often paid higher than other nurses within a healthcare system because of their specialized training,” with some sources reporting over $118,000 per year.
Career Outlook: According to Nurse.org, “Currently, all fields of nursing are in high demand but the greatest need is for ICU nurses” (along with AGNPs, also featured on this list).
Job Description: An ICU Registered Nurse, or Intensive Care Unit RN, works in fast-paced, high-pressure situations to help provide life-saving care to patients who are seriously injured or ill. As an ICU nurse, your duties might involve assessing patients, providing hands-on care, and administering medications or other treatment.

19. Labor and Delivery Nurse

Education Requirements: ADN or BSN at minimum, with most employers preferring a BSN or higher.
Average Salary: Over $76,000
Career Outlook: While the BLS does not provide job growth estimates specific to labor and delivery nurses, RN jobs are expected to increase by 9% from 2020 to 2030, with nursing jobs in high demand across fields.
Job Description: You’ll perform a variety of tasks at all stages of labor and delivery to help achieve safer, healthier, better outcomes for babies and mothers. You’ll be responsible for duties like assessing fetal health and identifying possible complications, assisting and managing labor, providing support on key issues such as breastfeeding or postpartum depression, and helping to educate new parents about how to provide proper infant care.

20. Orthopedic Registered Nurse

Education Requirements: MSN or a doctorate degree in nursing.
Average Salary: Over $99,000
Career Outlook: 9% projected job growth, or about as fast as average.
Job Description: As an orthopedic nurse, you’ll specialize in a patient population with musculoskeletal conditions or injuries. Your job duties may include dressing wounds, assessing patients’ symptoms, assisting with motion therapy, and working with patients to help ensure they receive proper follow-up care after surgery.

21. Registered Mental Health Nurse

Education Requirements: You will need your ADN or BSN degree to become a mental health or psychiatric nurse.
Average Salary: Over $87,000 per year, or between $43 and $44 per hour
Career Outlook: RNs like Registered Mental Health Nurses have a robust job outlook, with the BLS projecting 9% growth in this field from 2020 to 2030.
Job Description: Over 52 million Americans struggle with a mental health disorder — but as a Registered Mental Health Nurse, you can help make a positive difference. Typical job duties in this type of nursing role include assessing patients’ mental health, making treatment recommendations, and working with behavioral health staff to help design appropriate, personalized care plans.

22. Public Health Registered Nurse

Education Requirements: In addition to earning your BSN and becoming an RN, you’ll also need to earn certification as a Certified Public Health (CPH) Nurse.
Average Salary: Over $65,000
Career Outlook: The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on the pressing need for public health experts nationwide. RNs like Rehabilitation Registered Nurses have a solid job outlook over the coming decade, with BLS data estimating 9% growth from 2020 to 2030 — slightly better than average (8%).
Job Description: Public health nurses work to improve the strength and speed of our systems for dealing with public health issues, such as immunization, environmental illness, communicable illness, and infant mortality.

23. Oncology Registered Nurse

Education Requirements: You’ll need a BSN or higher to become an RN.
Median Salary: RNs earn a median salary of $77,600 per year.
Career Outlook: 9% projected job growth, which is about as fast as average.
Job Description: Oncology nurses specialize in providing care to cancer patients at all stages of the treatment process. Your job duties might include tasks such as creating and implementing care plans, administering medications to patients, and finding ways to effectively manage and mitigate patients’ symptoms.

24. Health Informatics Nurse Specialist

Education Requirements: You’ll need to obtain your BSN to enter the field of health informatics.
Average Salary: Close to $102,000
Career Outlook: The BLS does not provide job growth estimates specific to health informatics nurse specialists. However, employment among RNs, along with medical records and health information specialists, is expected to grow by 9% from 2020 to 2030 — “about as fast as average.”
Job Description: Health informatics deals with transitioning successfully from paper records to electronic and digital databases with the end goal of delivering better and more efficient patient care. As a Health Informatics Nurse Specialist, you’ll be responsible for duties and tasks such as analyzing data, monitoring computer systems and programs for quality and accuracy, contributing insight to policymakers, and working to develop more reliable Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems. If you’re fascinated by the intersection between technology and healthcare — and the potential it has to offer toward improved patient care and outcomes — a career in health informatics may be the perfect fit for your interests.

25. Home Care Registered Nurse

Education Requirements: You’ll need a BSN or higher to become an RN, and may also wish to pursue a specialty certification, such as becoming a Certified Plastic Surgical Nurse (CPSN).
Salary Range: About $96,690
Career Outlook: Employment of registered nurses is projected by the BLS to grow by 9%, which is about as fast as average, from 2020 to 2030.
Job Description: As a Home Care RN (also referred to as a Home Health RN or Home Health Nurse), your career will be focused around providing in-home care to your patients. Your specific tasks and duties may, for instance, include examples like cleaning wounds or sores, changing bandages and dressing, and administering medications and at-home IVs.

26. Clinical Nurse Supervisor

Education Requirements: Clinical nurse supervisors are required to hold a BSN or higher.
Average Salary: Above $103,000
Career Outlook: Unfortunately, the BLS does not provide job growth estimates specific to clinical nurse supervisors. However, other nursing professions are expected to grow from 9% (RNs) to 45% (NPs, nurse midwives, and nurse anesthetists).
Job Description: Here are just a few of the duties of a clinical nurse supervisor that are included in a real job description from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, or CHOP: “implements systems that incorporate evidenced-based practice”; “assures regulatory compliance”; “assures efficient and cost-effective utilization of… resources”; and “coaches and supports unit based nursing leaders in effective management and leadership strategies.”

27. Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse

Education Requirements: RNs must generally obtain a BSN, or Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.
Average Salary: Over $101,000
Career Outlook: Registered Nurse jobs are expected to grow by 9% from 2020 to 2030, according to BLS estimates.
Job Description: Also called an Operating Room (OR) Nurse or Perioperative Nurse, a Medical-Surgical RN is responsible for tasks like administering medications, discussing surgical procedures and aftercare with patients, and assisting physicians at all stages of surgery.

28. Nursing Administrator

Education Requirements: A BSN is typically the minimum required degree to become a nursing administrator. A more advanced degree will help to make you a more competitive job candidate.
Average Salary: Over $104,000
Career Outlook: While the BLS does not provide figures specific to nursing administrators, it does estimate employment growth of 32% — “much faster than average” — among healthcare administrators (who are also referred to as medical and health services managers, or, in some cases, healthcare executives).
Job Description: As a nursing administrator or nurse administrator, you’ll be in a leadership role that calls heavily on organizational and management skills. For example, you may be responsible for developing policies at your workplace, coordinating between various nursing departments and staff members, and planning and creating budgets.

29. Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) Nurse

Education Requirements: Unlike other nursing jobs that require you to hold a master’s or even doctoral degree, you can qualify for certain PACU nursing positions with your ADN or BSN, or by completing certain training programs which vary by state.
Average Salary: According to data from Glassdoor.com, “The estimated total pay for a…Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) [nurse] is $116,331 per year in the United States…with an average salary of $95,446 per year.”
Career Outlook: While the BLS does not provide job growth estimates specific to PACU nurses, other nursing professions are expected to grow from 9% (RNs) to 45% (NPs, nurse midwives, and nurse anesthetists).
Job Description: As a PACU Nurse, your role is to help provide care for patients who are transitioning back to consciousness after having been placed under anesthesia. For example, some of your responsibilities will generally include monitoring patients’ vital signs for irregularities and determining whether the anesthesia has caused any complications or side effects.

30. Travel Registered Nurse

Education Requirements: Like other RNs, travel nurses are required to hold a BSN or ADN, with a more advanced degree or additional certification making you a more competitive candidate.
Salary Range: $3,000 per week on average, with potential for over $100,000 per year.
Career Outlook: The BLS does not provide job growth estimates specific to travel nurses. However, other nursing professions are expected to grow from 9% (RNs) to 45% (NPs, nurse midwives, and nurse anesthetists), with high demand for various fields and specialties.
Job Description: Want to travel the world or see more of the country, while also taking on the crucial task of providing care to underserved regions and alleviating nursing shortages in these areas? Consider an exciting career in travel nursing. Travel RNs administer medications to patients, conduct tests and exams, diagnose symptoms, and communicate information to physicians and healthcare professionals, among other tasks.

31. Certified Nurse-Midwife

Education Requirements: Like NPs and nurse anesthetists, nurse-midwives are generally required to hold a master’s degree, such as an MSN, or even a doctorate degree. To become a Certified Nurse-Midwife, you must pass an exam administered by the American Midwifery Certification Board.
Median Salary: Over $123,000
Career Outlook: Nurse-midwives have a very bright career outlook through 2030, with the BLS projecting a 45% increase in jobs, which is substantially more than the 8% national average.
Job Description: Nurse-midwives work with supervision from gynecologists and/or obstetricians, providing obstetrical patients with care throughout every stage of the pregnancy and birth process. As a Certified Nurse-Midwife, your duties will include tasks such as conducting patient exams, monitoring the progress of the pregnancy, assisting with delivery, and educating new parents in the proper care of newborn infants.

32. Forensic Registered Nurse

Education Requirements: You’ll need a BSN or higher to become an RN, and may also wish to complete a forensic nursing certificate program, which could help increase your earning potential while opening additional work opportunities.
Average Salary: Nearly $87,000
Career Outlook: Registered Nurses have a robust career outlook, including Forensic RNs. The BLS expects employment in these fields to grow by 9% over the coming decade.
Job Description: As a Forensic RN, you’ll be serving a patient population that consists of assault and abuse victims, survivors of human trafficking, and others. Your roles may include recording photographic evidence of injuries, gathering evidence, assisting coroners, and collaborating with members of law enforcement.

33. Military Registered Nurse

Education Requirements: You’ll need a BSN or higher to become an RN, and may also wish to pursue a specialty certification.
Average Salary: According to Indeed.com, “Average U.S. Army Nurse yearly pay in the United States is approximately $92,056, which is 42% above the national average.”
Career Outlook: 9% projected job growth, which is about as fast as average.
Job Description: Military nurses perform many of the same roles and tasks as RNs in civilian settings — for instance, assessing the condition of patients, obtaining and recording patients’ medical histories and concerns, and administering medications to patients.

34. School Nurse

Education Requirements: You will need to hold a BSN, at minimum, if you wish to qualify for school nursing jobs.
Average Salary: Over $53,000
Career Outlook: The BLS does not provide job growth data specific to school nurses. Other nursing professions, however, are expected to grow from 9% (RNs) to 45% (NPs, nurse midwives, and nurse anesthetists) through 2030, indicating that there will likely be average to above-average need for school nurses well into the future.
Job Description: As a school nurse, you’ll work with elementary, middle, or high school students to conduct health screenings (such as hearing tests), treat students for minor injuries such as cuts, assist students with managing their medications (such as proper use of inhalers for students who are diagnosed with asthma), and consult with teaching staff to help ensure that students’ wellbeing and safety is prioritized.

35. Certified Managed Care Nurse (CMCN)

Education Requirements: You will need your ADN or BSN to qualify for CMCN positions.
Average Salary: Over $89,000 in the highest-paid states
Career Outlook: While there is no BLS data on job growth for managed care nurses, other nursing careers are expected to grow from 9% (such as RNs) to 45% (such as nurse-midwives).
Job Description: As a Certified Managed Care Nurse, you’ll coordinate with people and organizations at all points in the healthcare system, from physicians to health insurance companies, in order to advocate effectively for your patients while minimizing their costs and expenses.

36. Pediatric Care Registered Nurse

Education Requirements: You’ll need an ADN or — ideally for many employers — your BSN in order to become a pediatric nurse.
Average Salary: Over $86,000
Career Outlook: The BLS estimates that RN employment will grow by 9% from 2020 to 2030.
Job Description: Do you love working with children and families? Then consider a career in pediatric nursing. As a pediatric nurse, you’ll be an APRN handling tasks and responsibilities like assessing patients’ symptoms, obtaining and recording the medical histories of your patients, conducting diagnostic tests, and administering medications.

37. Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP)

Education Requirements: WHNPs are generally required to obtain a BSN at minimum and may be required to hold an MSN for certain positions.
Average Salary: Over $111,000
Career Outlook: Aspiring WHNPs and other nurse practitioners have an extremely promising job outlook from 2020 to 2030, with the BLS projecting 45% job growth for NPs (along with nurse-midwives and nurse anesthetists) during this period.
Job Description: The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) describes the role of a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) as being “to assess, diagnose, and treat the health care needs of women throughout their lifespan.” This involves a wide range of tasks and responsibilities, from providing pregnancy tests and post-menopausal care to discussing contraceptive methods and screening women for signs of breast cancer.

38. Neonatal Nurse

Education Requirements: An ADN or BSN is generally required to become a Neonatal Nurse. National University offers a range of accredited associate’s and bachelor’s degree programs in nursing and healthcare to help you reach your professional targets.
Average Salary: Over $120,000 in some of the highest-paid states
Career Outlook: While there is no BLS estimate on job growth for NICU or Neonatal Nurses, other nursing careers are expected to grow from 9% (such as RNs) to 45% (such as NPs).
Job Description: Neonatal Nurses are also called NICU Nurses. In this field, you’ll be responsible for monitoring patients’ vital signs, performing various neonatal tests throughout all stages of pregnancy, and assisting with the development of care plans.

39. Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)

Education Requirements: Becoming a PMHNP generally requires a master’s or doctoral degree, such as an MSN. If you’re interested in becoming a PMHNP, consider applying to National University’s accredited PMHNP Certificate program, which you can learn more about here.
Average Salary: Over $147,000
Career Outlook: There is no BLS job growth data for PMHNPs, but other nursing careers are expected to grow from 9% (such as registered nurses) to 45% (such as NPs) from 2020 to 2030.
Job Description: According to the AANP, “The role of the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner is to assess, diagnose and treat the mental health needs of patients.” The AANP also adds, “Many PMHNPs provide therapy and prescribe medications for patients who have mental health disorders or substance abuse problems.”

Last but not least, it’s important to note that, in addition to earning a degree that is relevant to your field or specialty area, you may also be required to successfully pass various professional exams, and may furthermore wish to earn optional certifications related to your specialty. For example, you must pass the NCLEX-RN, which is administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), if your goal is to become a licensed registered nurse. You will also need to obtain clinical experience and complete fieldwork requirements, which vary by state and profession.

Which Nursing Specialization Interests You?

There’s no need to wait to embark on an exciting and rewarding new career! Get started on your nursing journey today. National University offers a variety of nursing programs and certificates with options to complete part of your coursework online. Explore our accredited doctorate, graduate, undergraduate, and certificate programs in healthcare and nursing, including:

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
• Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP)
• Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Certificate
• Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Certificate

Ready to request more information or begin the application process? Contact our admissions office for program details, or apply to National University online today.

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