Nursing careers
There are many different types of nurses, with hospital nurses representing the largest number. There are also office nurses, nursing home nurses, home health nurses, public health nurses, occupational health or industrial nurses, and head nurses or supervisor nurses.
Those in the nursing profession with advanced degrees can become nurse practitioners. They diagnose and treat common sicknesses and injuries like colds and fractures and give out prescriptions to their patients. Other advanced practice nurses include clinical nurse specialists, certified registered nurse anesthetists, and certified nurse-midwives. Advanced practice nurses such as these must meet higher educational and clinical practice requirements than registered nurses.
Nurses can also advance to higher managerial roles, taking on more responsibility as head nurses, director, and even vice presidents. These types of management roles generally require a graduate degree in nursing or health services administration.
In addition, nurses will sometimes go on to become instructors at hospitals and schools. They also move into business positions in the healthcare industry, using their expertise to help manage healthcare services, and assist with development, marketing and quality assurance for corporations. A recent comeback for nursing related professions has been midwifery.