What should nurses major in

Finding a job at a Magnet hospital, designated for its commitment to nursing excellence, could be a great fit. The world has experienced incredible changes in a little over a year. Yet one thing has stayed the same: people will always find a way to celebrate one another. That's exactly what happened when an intimate virtual gathering put veteran and MSN graduate Tyler Crouch center stage.

A Master of Public Health MPH opens the door to myriad career paths that offer you the opportunity to have a significant impact on individuals and on entire communities — even on a global level, and on future generations. The degree you'll need to become a nurse depends on your professional goals.

While most nurses start with an associate or bachelor's degree in nursing, some will go on to earn a master's or doctorate to advance their career. August 17, Sofia Tokar. Steps to Be a Nurse. Associate Degree in Nursing or Nursing Diploma One educational pathway to becoming a registered nurse is earning an ADN from a two-year program at a community college or vocational school or a diploma from an approved nursing program.

According to Moriarty-Litz, these skills include: Communication : This means being able to converse clearly and effectively with people patients and colleagues from diverse backgrounds and cultures.

Collaboration : Working as part of inter-professional teams, including doctors, pharmacists, medical technicians and caseworkers, has become the standard of nursing and all health professions education, according to the National League for Nursing NLN PDF source. Critical thinking : Problem-solving through interpreting, analyzing, and evaluating is deemed an essential skill for nurses in a "Acta Informatica Medica" journal article.

While the demand for nursing programs is great, many institutions lack prepared nurse educators, according to Moriarty-Litz. Login to comment. Answer This. Cancel Delete. Thanks for your help keeping CareerVillage safe! Add a reason: No reason given. Cancel Flag Question.

Preview of the email that will be sent on your behalf: From: You. Phone Number. Cancel Follow. Concord, New Hampshire. Flag for review. Cancel Accept. Cancel Flag Answer. Many MSN programs are offered online and allow students to take courses on either part-time or full-time basis.

Individuals in this degree program have the opportunity to take courses to improve their general nursing knowledge and skill, take coursework catered toward specialty skills in specific areas of nursing, or they can take a step back from direct nursing practices and learn about education, leadership, or business. In addition, at the graduate level, students can pursue an MSN and become a nurse practitioner.

Being able to decide exactly what to focus on is very helpful for individuals looking to reach specific career goals. Without the correct credentials, individuals will not be able to practice nursing. Licensing requirements vary by state, nursing specialty, and occupation. Most administrative branches of nursing programs would be able to provide assistance with how to obtain the correct licensure, but be sure you understand which examination you should be taking, as well. Here are three of the most popular examples of national exams:.

Location and specific areas of nursing can have a lot to do with employment chances. For instance, long-term care facilities are expected to become more and more popular as the population ages.

Demand for RNs in those long-term care establishments will continue to increase. Also, places with established medical communities tend to have exciting new opportunities. Take New York City and Philadelphia. Both cities and their surrounding suburbs have excellent hospitals and successful universities with top-notch nursing degree programs.

Upon graduation from a nursing program and passing the NCLEX, you may choose to enter a nursing specialty. Choosing a specialty right away is not absolutely necessary. Some nursing positions associated with different specialties may require specific certifications or more advanced degrees. Here are some of the most popular nursing specialties:.

As a virtual nurse, you can provide valid, accurate guidance and care for patients online via a video call or over the phone. With the growth of telemedicine for diagnosing and treating patients, the job of a virtual nurse can extend past primary care.

You can also be responsible for triaging online appointments, for example. For patients who are unable to leave their homes, perhaps due to illness or other circumstances, a virtual nurse helps ensure continuity of care. Nurse midwives go beyond delivering babies; they also work as primary care providers for women and newborns.

Because of their versatility, more nurse midwives are needed. According to the National Library of Medicine, nurse midwives have been instrumental in improving primary health care services for women in inner-city and rural areas of the country. Travel nursing was created as a solution to the nursing shortage and remains a popular option for adventurous types.

While some nurses are placed in beautiful locales, you may also be sent to an emergency situation or disaster zone. During a strike, a travel nurse may be called to fill the role of a regular employee.

Flexibility and the ability to adapt to new surroundings easily are necessary. Travel nursing tends to offer higher-than-average pay, and housing may be provided. To find travel nursing jobs, go online to look at agencies, such as TravelNursing. Foreign nurses who would like to work in the U. Share your experience and knowledge with aspiring nurses by educating them. The demand for more nurse educators is likely to increase. The AACN says a significant number of nurse educators will retire over the next decade, creating job vacancies at campuses across the country.

This is why home-care nursing is experiencing a boost in employment. Another factor? Advances in technology allow patients to receive more elaborate treatments at home.

You may treat older people, new moms, patients recovering from an accident, and those with chronic illnesses. If you prefer to work outside a hospital and build relationships with a regular set of patients, a home-care nurse career could be a good fit.

The number of older people in the U. At times, these nurses also serve as important decision-makers. Combine this with the aging baby boomer population and it spells employment growth for geriatric nurses.

Good decision-making skills are crucial for a critical care nurse. Many work in hospital intensive care units ICUs , treating patients suffering from burns, heart problems, and other serious conditions.

As more hospitals expand their ICUs and nursing homes care for very sick patients, critical care nursing has become a growing specialty. Critical care nurses should be comfortable with advanced technology and working at a fast pace. Neonatal and perinatal nurses work with women and their newborn babies , although in different ways.

Perinatal nurses take care of women before, during and after birth. Neonatal nurses care for infants up to 28 days old, usually as part of typical newborn care after childbirth. Neonatal nurses also work in neonatal intensive care units NICUs with babies born prematurely or with serious medical complications.

Both neonatal and perinatal nurses must be able to communicate effectively since educating patients and their families on prenatal and newborn care is part of their role. As a psychiatric nurse, you can help expand access to mental healthcare to patients who need it. Department of Health and Human Services. The role requires a knowledge of mental health issues and the compassion and emotional maturity necessary to work the mentally ill.

Psych nurses work with individuals, families and groups in hospitals, substance abuse treatment centers, outpatient facilities, correctional facilities, and schools. Trauma and ER nurses care for patients with acute injuries or illnesses. No two days in the life of a trauma or ER nurse are the same, and many days are chaotic.

This specialty can be physically and emotionally intense. Nurses in trauma units, especially, see patients with serious and life-threatening injuries and must often make split-second decisions. They must be prepared to perform a wide range of duties that can include triage, intubation, and preparation for surgery. OR nurses are also known as perioperative or surgical nurses. The growing aging population has meant more surgical procedures.

Working as an OR nurse requires a commitment to teamwork, attention to detail, and the ability to stay calm under pressure. There are OR positions in hospitals, although more surgeons are working in outpatient surgery centers.