A Registered Nurse (RN) can specialize in one or more of the patient care
specialties as per job requirements or personal preferences. The most common
specialties have been divided into four main categories, on basis of:
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Work setting or types of care provided,
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Disease for which care is provided,
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Body organ or the system for which care is provided, and
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the section of population for which care is provided.
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RNs may look towards specializing in any of the following popular
specialties, with major emphasis on work settings and types of care they
plan to provide.
Ambulatory Care Nurses provide health needs of individuals and families in
diverse settings on outpatient basis. Emerging trend is "Telehealth" where
care is provided by means of Internet or other communications in media.
Stress involved is lesser than inpatient settings. Certified by "American
Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)", employers are usually ambulatory
providers such as Primary Care Offices, HMOs, clinics, mobile health units
etc.
Burn Care Nurses are employed in hospitals with burn departments or clinics
providing such services. It can be physically and psychologically draining.
Critical Care Nurses are one of the in-demand health care professionals due
to their ability to make quick decisions and stay calm, when lives are at
stake. They provide care to patients with cardiovascular, respiratory or
pulmonary failure, in intensive care hospital units.
Emergency/Trauma Nurses are in demand for their ability to make quick
decisions about patients' condition and stay clam while dealing with
potential life-threatening conditions caused by accidents, strokes, and
heart attacks. Stress and grief pose challenge, while role autonomy, and
team work are the characteristics. Certified by "Board Of Certification For
Emergency Nurses", employers are acute-care and specialty hospitals, and
emergency medical systems. In addition, they may become Flight nurses
providing medical care to patients who are air-lifted for transportation to
nearest the medical facility.
Holistic Nurses attend to all aspects of wellness and health of a holistic
nature, where connection between mind, body and spirit is acknowledged and
whole person is treated, rather than caring for just a disease or a symptom.
Acupressure, Acupuncture, Massage, Aroma therapy, Yoga, and Biofeedback are
performed by a Holistic Nurse.
Home Healthcare Nurses provide at-home care to patients in post-operative,
post-partum stages or when recovering from accidents.
Hospice and Palliative Care Nurses provide care for terminally ill patients
outside of hospitals with objective to ease their pain and suffering. They
care for physical and emotional needs of dying patients and their family
with interventions like pain management, palliative care, symptom management
and emotional support. Certified by "National Board for Certification of
Hospice and Palliative Nurses", employers are usually hospices, home health,
hospitals and long-term care facilities. Dealing with deaths of all your
patients is a big challenge in itself but the feeling of taking care of a
dying patient and the opportunity to practice holistic nursing are
motivational factors for many.
Infusion Nurses provide intravascular medications, fluids, blood products
and assess their impact on the condition of patients. Certified by
"Intravenous Nurses Certification Corporation", they are employed by
hospitals, home health agencies and in physician offices. Irregular
schedules, excessive paper work, and stress are the challenges. While role
autonomy in addition to technical mastery are a few of the plus points.
Long-term Care Nurses provide nursing, psychosocial and personal care
services on a recurring basis to patients with chronic physical or mental
disorders. Increasing patient acuity can be a drawback for some but the
lesser pressure and chaos is a plus.
Medical-Surgical Nurses provide basic health care to patients in all health
settings.
Occupational Health Nurses work towards Primary Prevention and keeping the
workforce healthy by combining concepts of public health and nursing,
besides working towards realizing standards set by Occupational Safety and
Health Act, maintaining records, providing care to the ill or injured
employees. Certified by ""American Board for Occupational Health Nurses"",
employers are usually in business establishments, factories, or mills.
PeriAnesthesia Nurses prepare patients for a surgical experience, support
safe transition out of anesthetized state and provide intensive care to
patients until they are ready to be discharged from the perianesthesia care
unit. Certification is done by "American Board Of PeriAnesthesia Nursing
Certification"
Peri-Operative Nurses provide preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative
care to patients and assist surgeons in the operation room by handling
instruments, controlling bleeding and suturing incisions. Learning
opportunities and teamwork are a plus, while frequent emergencies and
exposure to human suffering may be a drawback for some. Certified by "CNOR
and CRNFA Certification Board Perioperative Nursing", employers are usually
in hospital surgical departments, ambulatory surgical centers, clinics, or a
physician's offices.
Psychiatric Nurses care for patients with personality and mental disorders.
Uncooperative or dangerous patients may be one of the drawbacks besides
restrictive patient-care policies, excessive paper work and a conflict from
misconceptions and mental illness. Certification is done by ANCC.
Radiologic Nurses provide care to patients undergoing radiation procedures
(like Ultrasonography or MRI) for diagnosis or treatment, as in a case of
cancers.
Rehabilitation Nurses care for patients with temporary, progressive or
permanent disabilities which alter normal functions and affect the quality
of life. Motivating patients and producing will lead to a fruitful life and
is a challenge. Certification is done by " Rehabilitation Nurses
Certification Board".
Transplant Nurses provide care for transplant recipients and living-donors throughout the process of the transplantation. Organ resource allocation and
other ethical issues besides loss and grief could be drawbacks towards
joining this specialty.
RNs may also consider specializing in the following specialties, with major
emphasis on the disease, which they plan to provide care for:
Addiction Nurses provide care to patients who seek help with alcohol, drug,
and marijuana addictions.
Developmental Disabilities Nurses help physically, and mentally disabled
patients with feeding, controlling bodily functions, and to sit/ stand with
the least assistance.
Diabetes Management Nurses assist diabetics in disease management by
educating them about proper nutrition, blood sugar testing, and insulin
self-injection.
Genetics Nurses provide screening, early detection, and treatment of
patients with genetic disorders including Cystic Fibrosis, Huntington's
disease, Hereditary Brest Cancer, etc. Major challenges are informed
decision-making, consent, confidentiality, and dealing with negative
outcomes. The certification is done by "International Society Of Nurses in
Genetics".
HIV/AIDS Nurses provide care for physical, psychological, spiritual and
social suffering of patients diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Safety hazards are a
major drawback. Certified by "HIV/AIDS Nursing Certification Board",
employers usually are in hospices, hospitals, home health care, and
long-term care agencies.
Oncology Nurses are empathic and caring towards patients diagnosed with
cancers. They also administer chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Certification
is done by "Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation".
Enterostomal Therapy Nurses, specialized in prevention of pressure ulcers,
also provide care to patients with wounds caused by trauma and ulcers;
provide post-operative care for patients with alternative methods of bodily
waste elimination; and treat patients with urinary and fecal incontinence.
RNs can opt for any of the following specialties with emphasis on body organ
or system for which they plan to provide care:
Cardiac and Vascular Nurses provide care for patients suffering from
Coronary heart Disease and post-operative rehabilitation of patients who
have undergone cardiac surgery. Patient resistance, noncompliance and
emergencies may be problem for few nurses. Certification is done by ANCC.
Dermatology Nurses provide education, care for patients with various types
of skin ailments, like skin cancers, psoriasis, etc.
Gastroenterology Nurses provide care for patients with digestive and
intestinal disorders, including ulcers, acid reflux disease, and more. They
may be specialized in endoscopic procedures as well. Certification is done
by "Certifying Board of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates, Inc."
Gynecology Nurses provide care to females with disorders of reproductive
system, including endometriosis, cancers and sexually transmitted diseases.
Nephrology Nurses provide care for patients with kidney disease and work to
preserve renal function. Dealing with emotional impact of renal disease and
multi system failures could be problematic for few nurses.
Neuroscience Nurses care for patients with nervous system dysfunctions,
including brain and spinal cord injuries, seizures, alterations in
cognition, communication, sexuality, etc.
Ophthalmic Nurses provide care to patients with disorders of the eyes,
including cataract and glaucoma. They assist surgeons and may make pre and
post-operative home visits. Certified by "National Certifying Board for
Ophthalmic Registered Nurses", employers specialty are hospitals, ambulatory
surgical centers, HMOs, and home-care agencies.
Orthopedic Nurses provide care to patients with muscular and skeletal
problems, like arthritis, bone fractures, muscular dystrophy, etc. Certified
by "Orthopedic Nursing Certification Board", employers specialty is
hospitals and HMOs.
Otorhinolaryngology Nurses care for patients with disorders of the ear,nose
and throat, including cleft palate, allergies, and sinus disorders.
Respiratory Nurses provide preventive, acute or critical and rehabilitative
support to patients with respiratory ailments like asthma, tuberculosis,
etc.
Urology Nurses provide care for patients with disorders of kidney, urinary
tract and male reproductive organs, including infections, stones and
cancers.
RNs may specialize in any of the following specialties with focus on
providing care to a particular section of population:
Neonatology Nurses care for neonates.
Pediatrics Nurses care for infants, toddlers, children and adolescents.
Geriatrics Nurses provide care to the elderly population.
Correctional Facilities Nurses provide basic health care to patients in
reformatory centers.
School Nurses' role in providing basic health care to patients in schools is
well known.
Summer Camps Nurses provide basic health care to patients in summer camps,
trekking camps and similar.
Military Nurses focus on providing basic health care to military personnel
and their family.
In a nutshell, the tremendous diversification and
enormous number of specialization options in nursing make this profession an
invaluable one. Great job prospects make nurses one of the
most sought after professionals in the world.
