Different fields of nursing (source: Buzzle.com)

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Different Fields of Nursing

These extensive fields of nursing are promising enough to provide a large scope of career opportunities to people interested in health activities and specialities. Have a go at them

For those who still think that a nurse does nothing but hand over the instruments to the doctor, let me tell you that nursing today involves direct patient health care such as providing medications, administration, management, and research. Careers in nursing are getting more and more sought after as population in U.S. continues to age. Skilled nurses who have highly acknowledged education and training adorning their profiles have a wide range of career opportunities in front of them. All thanks to the health care options which have widened the horizons of the already conventional prerequisites for nursing with time passing by. Nursing is thought of as a fairly challenging career which requires persistence and determination. What's more, if one is looking forward to making a career in one of the fields of nursing, it is essential for them to be a critical thinker, with fair interpersonal skills, and a strong background in science or mathematics.

The many areas in nursing offer a wide range of opportunities to those interested in health care. Nurses can practise independently, or at a renowned hospital on a full-time basis. From providing focused care and assistance to the patients, responsibilities of a nurse can vary from an entry-level practitioner to a doctoral-level researcher. So, what are the various fields of nursing? What are the different types of nursing careers that are highly lucrative? Here's giving a brief layout of the many areas in the field of nursing where a nursing aspirant can work in.

Specialisations in Nursing

For choosing a nursing speciality, it is essential to understand the nursing scenario. In other words, let us first understand which specialisations are nurses operational on.

Hospital Nursing
When you think of hospital nursing, a female clad in a white uniform with a tray full of medicines comes to your mind, isn't it? Well, astonishingly, it is much more than that. Hospital nursing involves a wide variety of medical jobs. From hands-on patient care to assisting doctors, from management of hospital processes to training newbie nurses, hospital nursing is full of career opportunities for the ones interested in health activities.

Community Nursing
Community nursing is a better option in terms of specialisation as in this field, nurses can pick and choose the type of patients they prefer to work with. They choose to work in the home health care industry, and hence, it is naturally easier for them to enjoy flexibility in scheduling. A community nurse is responsible for following a treatment procedure proposed by a doctor, and performing relevant medical methods.

School Nursing
A school nurse is responsible for taking care of students' health in schools. They deliver medications as prescribed by doctors, and offer first-aid to those who get injured. Moreover, they also teach students the basics of health care. Salary of a school nurse can range well between USD 45,000 and USD 75,000.

Medical Assistance
Medical assistance is another specialisation of nursing where nurses are responsible for managing patients, schedule, and setting up referrals. Doctors prefer hiring nurses for their assistance in their personal clinics and nursing homes. It is there that nurses can offer assistance to the clinic on a part-time basis, after working all day in a hospital.

Fields of Nursing

Considering the above four specialisations of nursing that open gates for numerous lucrative jobs, this section will help us understand the many areas of nursing where nurses can offer services in the above sectors of health care.

Field of Nursing	Profile
Emergency Nursing	Nurses in this field work with emergency cases.
Paediatric Nursing	Nursing of little babies, teenagers, etc. is the responsibility of a paediatric nurse. A master's degree in nursing is one of the most basic paediatric nurse requirements. A neonatal nurse practitioner has a somewhat similar job.
Anaesthetist Nursing	Provision of anaesthesia to surgical, obstetrical, and trauma patients is a job of a nurse anaesthetist. This is said to be one of the most lucrative careers in the U.S., considering the mind-blowing salary figures of nurse anaesthetists.
Ambulatory Care Nursing	Nursing in this field involves taking care of illnesses in patients periodically, which can be outside the hospital.
Geriatric Nursing	Taking care of old people, either at hospital or at the patients' homes is the job of a geriatric nurse.
Agency Nursing	A highly sought after job, agency nursing involves a nurse's registration with an agency where he/she can provide services in flexibility of specialisation as well as time preferences, etc.
Midwife Nursing	All processes associated with childbirth come under this field of nursing. A midwife nurse is responsible for taking care of the expecting mother.
Military Nursing	Nurses who are responsible for treating army personnel are called military nurses. A military nurse can also work in a military hospital.
Cardiac Care Nursing	Nurses who take care of patients suffering from heart diseases are called cardiac care nurses.
Case Management Nursing	Patients who require a long-term treatment for their illnesses like cancer, tumour, etc. seek assistance from case management nurses who regularly pay visits to the patient, thereby, providing them with proper medication and assistance all throughout their recovery.
Forensic Nursing	Nurses providing medication to victims of crime, and patients in prison, etc. are called forensic nurses.
Urology Nursing	All specialities such as infertility, oncology, sexual glitches, lithotripsy are responsibilities of a urological nurse.
Legal Nursing	Legal nurses make use of the legal system along with nursing to review medical papers, documents, etc. for attorneys and lawyers.
Gastroenterology Nursing	Nurses working under this field take care of patients who suffer from all problems associated with gastroenterology.
Dermatology Nursing	For taking care of all problems and diseases associated with the skin, dermatology nurses specialise in this field of nursing.
Women Health	For all illnesses and problems associated with women's health, this field of nursing has a wide scope. Fields such as reproduction, OB/GYN, mammography, etc. are addressed.

While above were some of the most sought after fields of nursing, following is a list of a few more nursing domains that a health care aspirant can browse through:

• Advance Practise Registered Nursing
• Clinical Nursing
• Developmental Disability Nursing
• Diabetes Nursing
• Genetics Nursing
• HIV/AIDS Nursing
• Haematology Nursing
• Perinatal Nursing
• Radiology Nursing
• Surgical Nursing
• Transplant Nursing
• Perioperative Nursing
• Vocational Nursing

Above was a fleeting glimpse of the different fields of nursing and health care. For aspirants ready to work in a challenging, terse, yet rewarding environment, nursing is the most suited career option for them. What's more, the terrific salary range of a nurse contributes to one of the highest salaries in the U.S. However, with increasing experience, opportunities will also increase. After all, nursing is about taking care of all right from their birth to the old age!

By Veethi Telang
Last Updated: 9/28/2011