There are many benefits of a career in nursing. Nurses have the incredible opportunity to help people in need, work in an exciting healthcare environment, and earn a lucrative salary. On top of this all, the field is constantly expanding, with many possibilities for learning and growth. In fact, one of the biggest perks of working in nursing is that you never have to stay put in your career: You can explore many different nursing jobs, specializations, and work environments.

Often, we think of nursing as just one track — upon getting licensed, you can work in patient care settings (such as hospitals and physicians’ offices). And while it’s true that many nurses work in these areas, the options for nursing jobs stretch far beyond bedside and routine care. Today, there are many other types of nurses working in research labs, schools, public health agencies, insurance companies, and even corrections facilities (just to name a few!).

If you are an aspiring nurse, you have a lot of variety to look forward to in this profession. Read on to learn about the different types of nursing jobs out there, as well as what it takes to secure each title within the nursing field.

Different nursing jobs and workplaces

Back in 1980, two-thirds of registered nurses worked in hospitals. They helped ensure patients were comfortable, tended to, and treated during their hospital stays. Over the years, however, the field of nursing has expanded. Today, roughly half (52 percent) of RNs work in general, surgical, or specialty hospitals. Meanwhile, nurses are increasingly finding jobs in other healthcare environments, such as:

• Ambulatory care settings
• Insurance companies
• Government agencies
• Home health care settings (i.e. patients’ homes)
• Mental health or psychiatric hospitals
• Outpatient care clinics
• Research laboratories
• Residential or rehabilitation centers
• Schools (both public and private)
• Substance abuse treatment centers

These are just some of the many career options available to registered nurses, but the list only begins to scratch the surface. In addition to the different places that nurses can work, there are also many different nursing titles and credentials available after becoming a licensed RN.

35 Different types of nurses

There is no shortage of career options when it comes to nursing, but the jobs that you qualify for will largely depend on your level of education. Those who pursue an associate degree in Nursing (ADN) or Bachelor’s in Nursing (BSN) can take the licensing examination and earn their RN credentials — a key building block for any nursing career. Those who complete a master’s degree in Nursing can pursue more advanced titles within the nursing profession.

So, what are the different types of nursing jobs out there? Explore some of the many types of nurses below, and find out which career options are within your reach as an aspiring nurse.

1. Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) – APRNs treat and diagnose patients in need, and may prescribe medications. There are many types of APRNs, all taking on an advanced scope of practice and an expanded role than the registered nurse. For this reason, APRNs require at least a master’s degree in Nursing (MSN) to become licensed in this role.
2. Cardiac Nurse – As the number of people with heart disease continues to increase, so does the need for cardiac nurses. These RNs help patients with heart conditions and assist practitioners with cardiac procedures like bypass surgery, angioplasty, and pacemaker implants.
3. Critical Care Nurse – Critical care nurses are registered nurses who work in intensive care units. They provide complex care to those with critical illnesses or serious injuries that require rigorous care. With this, many critical care nurses hold a Bachelor’s in Nursing (BSN) degree.
4. Emergency Room (ER) Nurse – ER nurses respond to emergency situations and patients in need of urgent care. Working in the emergency room of hospitals, these nurses often administer medications, tend to wounds and injuries, and stabilize sickness in patients.
5. Family Nurse Practitioner – Family Nurse Practitioners, commonly called FNPs, act as primary care providers for patients. They assess patients, coordinate treatment plans, prescribe medications, and have an advanced scope of work. Becoming an FNP requires a master’s degree.
6. Flight Nurse – Much like their name implies, flight nurses work in the air, providing medical care to patients who are being transported by helicopter or airplane.
7. Forensic Nurse – Forensic nurses evaluate victims of crimes who may have been subject to physical violence. They assess biological evidence for criminal cases to present in court. Forensic nurses may practice with an associate or bachelor’s nursing degree.
8. Geriatrics Nurse – Geriatric nurses are RNs who care for elderly patients. Typically, these patients are very ill or, due to their age, very dependent on others to function and live. Geriatric nurses may work in patient homes, nursing homes, and hospitals.
9. Holistic Nurse – Holistic nurses integrate medical care with spirituality and/or natural methods of care. They practice organic remedies and emphasize a wholesome approach to healing.
10. Home Health Nurse – Home health nurses are typically registered nurses who work directly in patients’ homes. Patients may be elderly, disabled, or chronically or terminally ill, but in any case, cannot live independently without the care of a nurse.
11. Informatics Nurse – An informatics nurse is a type of nurse who helps patients behind the scenes. Rather than providing direct patient care, informatics nurses assess patient data and use it to analyze trends, ensure accuracy, improve efficiencies, and improve the quality and safety of patient care at a broader scale.
12. Labor and Delivery Nurse – This type of nurse typically works in hospitals in the OB/GYN department. Some may work in OB/GYN private practices, as well. Labor and delivery nurses assist mothers through birth, provide supportive care for newborn babies, and help in the postnatal treatment of the mother and child.
13. Lactation Consultant and Nurse – Lactation consultants are often registered nurses who have a passion for helping new mothers through their fourth trimester and beyond. These professionals help new moms breastfeed their babies, solve feeding problems, and create plans to ensure healthy growth and bonding for newborns.
14. Managed Care Nurse – Managed care nurses are RNs who work with patients who require long-term care. These patients have chronic or terminal conditions and require specialized care for the rest of their lives.
15. Military Nurse – Nurses are always needed in the military to care for ill and wounded soldiers and other personnel. The U.S. Military requires nurses in this position to hold a BSN degree.
16. Neonatal Nurse – Much like their title entails, neonatal nurses work in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, tending to very sick and premature babies who need continuous support and care.
17. NICU Nurse – NICU nurses work in the neonatal intensive care unit of hospitals, providing care and support to infants in need. Often, their patients are babies born too early or infants with critical health issues, like birth defects.
18. Nurse Administrator – A true leader within the field, nurse administrators oversee entire nursing departments to ensure RNs are delivering effective, compliant, compassionate, and quality patient care. As managers, these administrators also handle the business operations of nursing and often hold a relevant master’s degree.
19. Nurse Anesthetist – A nurse anesthetist is one of the highest-paid professionals in nursing, and for good reason. These advanced-practice registered nurses are responsible for administering anesthesia and pain management services (such as epidurals and nerve blocks) to patients in preparation for a procedure or surgery. Due to the critical and highly-complicated nature of their role, these professionals require a doctoral degree.
20. Nurse Case Manager – Nurse case managers assess, plan, and facilitate services to meet an individual’s health needs. This may include finding affordable and accessible medical resources for a patient, and ensuring they are set up to receive high-quality care. Typically, RN case managers hold a Bachelor’s in Nursing (BSN) degree.
21. Nurse Consultant – Nurse consultants’ main role is to evaluate patient care – they may do this for a hospital facility, assessing the overall delivery of services, or for individual patients, assessing symptoms and making recommendations on treatment. They may also work in insurance companies, acting as a liaison between patients and providers.
22. Oncology Nurse – Oncology nurses work directly with cancer patients. They work on a team of doctors to care for patients undergoing intensive cancer treatments, who are battling cancer, and who are at risk of developing cancer.
23. Pediatric Nurse – This type of nurse works with babies, children, and teens (between the ages of 0 and 19) on primary and preventative care. Pediatric nurses often work in hospitals, outpatient care centers, schools, and private practices alongside a pediatrician.
24. Physician’s Office Nurse – This type of nurse works in the private practice of a physician, commonly known as a doctor’s office. They often work with a team of nurses, medical assistants, as well as physicians.
25. Prison Nurse – Prison nurses provide preventive and routine care for those in the criminal justice system. They also help prisoners manage existing conditions, or care for inmates who fall sick or injured in any way.
26. Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) – PMHNPs assess and treat patients with psychiatric and mental health disorders. These nurse practitioners are a type of APRN that specializes in mental health care and therefore require a specialized master’s degree. PMHNPs can often be found working in hospitals, wards, or prisons.
27. Public Health Nurse – Public health nurses work with communities and populations to improve medical initiatives and educate others on proper healthcare. They may research diseases within a population, administer tests to prevent illness in communities or create programs to ensure the public receives proper healthcare. This position typically requires a Bachelor’s in Nursing combined with focused coursework in public health.
28. Rehabilitation Nurse – Rehabilitation centers are in need of nurses who can treat and coordinate care for patients with chronic illness and/or disabilities. Those with long-term conditions often start their recovery journeys in rehab, and nurses are there to create and implement treatment plans.
29. Research Analyst – Research analysts, or nurse researchers, are scientists who work on medical studies and industry research, helping to pave the future of healthcare. Most nurse researchers have an advanced nursing degree or even a Ph.D.
30. School Nurse – School nurses work directly with school-age children, in educational institutions. This is considered one of the least stressful nursing careers, due to regular school hours and holiday time.
31. Substance Abuse Nurse – Substance abuse nurses are different than rehabilitation nurses; these professionals work specifically in drug treatment centers, mental health hospitals, and public health clinics helping people overcome substance addiction. They may provide treatment, counseling, or other types of support to those in recovery.
32. Surgical RN – Surgical nurses’ chief role is to assist surgeons during procedures. In addition to this, surgical nurses often care for patients before, during, and after surgery.
33. Trauma Nurse – Trauma nurses are registered nurses who work in fast-paced patient care environments. For example, trauma nurses may be found in a critical care unit or emergency room, thinking on their feet and providing care to patients in critical need.
34. Travel Nurse – Travel nurses benefit from the flexibility to travel across the nation – and the world – to work with patients in need. Typically, this type of nurse will work in short durations of time in hospitals and care settings that are experiencing a shortage of nurses.
35. Women’s Health Nurse – A women’s health nurse specializes in fields such as OB/GYN, reproductive health, infertility, mammography, and general women’s health. Typically these nurses can be found in OB/GYN private practices, as well as OB/GYN care units.

Interested in launching a nursing career? Find out how to get started here!

There are so many different types of nursing jobs, and this list is not exhaustive. On top of the nursing careers mentioned above, you also have RNs working hard in areas like long-term care, advocacy, policymaking, health coaching, pain management, palliative care, cosmetic surgery, and more. In any setting where there are patients, there are likely nursing jobs, too.

Different levels of nursing jobs

In exploring the different types of nurses out there, it’s important to remember that there are different levels of nursing careers. Your education will dictate your nursing credentials, your level of autonomy in the field, and your potential for career growth. Below is a fast breakdown of the most common levels of nurses (you can also learn more, here!):

• Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) – Assist with very basic patient care, ensuring patients are comfortable and clean.
• Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) – Provide basic care to patients in need, including dressing wounds, checking vital signs, monitoring symptoms, and reporting to RNs.
• Registered Nurse (RN) – Coordinate and deliver patient care to those who are sick, injured, and disabled. Qualified to carry out most preventative and responsive care tasks.
• Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) / Nurse Practitioner – Provide primary care to patients in need, or specialize in a dedicated area of nursing like mental health. Have a high level of autonomy in the field and can prescribe medications.
• Nurse Administrator or Manager – Oversee and run entire nursing departments, facilities, and teams.

All types of nurses are in demand

Nursing is the largest employment sector in healthcare today, with more than 3.3 million registered nurses currently employed in the U.S. And this number is only expected to grow.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, registered nursing careers will grow six percent between 2023 and 2033 (faster than the average of all occupations). Further, an estimated 194,500 job openings will become available for registered nurses each year, on average, over the decade.

And these are just projections for RNs specifically. Even more growth is expected for nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and many other types of nurses we have not yet explored. Why?

Because there is an inherent and ever-present need for healthcare services. As the Baby Boomer population ages, more nurses are expected to retire and more elderly folks are expected to be in need of medical care. As such, more qualified and caring nurses are needed to step up.

Job demand, security, and growth are all important benefits of becoming a nurse. Not only will you have many job prospects, but you also will have many different directions you can take your nursing career.

What type of nursing job is right for you?

According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, there are more than three times as many registered nurses in the United States as licensed physicians. And as noted above, the need for nurses is only growing! Nurses are needed to deliver comprehensive care to a diversity of patients, including primary and preventive treatment, in specializations such as (but not limited to) pediatrics, family health, women’s health, and geriatric care.

The type of nursing job you pursue should be rooted in your talents, passions, and professional goals. And there is no wrong choice. At the end of the day, you are bound to choose a rewarding and respected career where you will make a difference.

Goodwin University is a leading nursing school in Connecticut, with associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees in Nursing. Learn more about these nursing programs by visiting us online.