Nursing is a rewarding and potentially lucrative career with many options for advancement. It also offers the opportunity for considerable personal and professional satisfaction, with the ability to truly make a change in the world and affect people’s lives in a meaningful way. There are numerous career options available to practically all nurses of course, but Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree holders have significant advantages with regard to work and employment opportunities as well as areas of specialization. Here are some career options available to BSN degree holders.
Staff Nurse
Staff nurses provide direct patient care under the direction of the primary care physician. Their responsibilities include administering medications, providing treatment, coordinating with patients and their families, and performing diagnostic procedures. Staff nurses may also be required to maintain clinic records, and to generally assist doctors in their day-to-day tasks. Some nurses may also be tasked with supervising other medical and healthcare personnel, including nursing assistants, medical assistants, and vocational nurses. Staff nurses typically work in hospitals, clinics, and private healthcare facilities.
Nurse Midwife
Nurse midwives provide a range of obstetric care services under the direction and supervision of a physician. Some of their more common tasks include performing obstetric exams, performing pregnancy testing procedures, and providing patient advice. Nurse midwives also routinely consult with doctors with regard to patient care. These professionals play an especially important role during the prenatal period and during childbirth, situations in which they are tasked to deliver the baby in the safest and most natural way possible. Nurse midwives also provide emotional support to the mother during the child birthing process.
Critical Care Registered Nurse
Critical care registered nurses specialize in providing medical care to patients with medical conditions that have been deemed life-threatening. Working under the direction of a physician, these healthcare professionals monitor the patients as well as the equipment used in their care. Some of their responsibilities include maintaining and monitoring life support equipment, administering medications, and performing intensive medical procedures. Critical care registered nurses work in settings such as intensive care units, cardiac care facilities, and emergency rooms.
Clinical Nurse Educator
Clinical nurse educators are tasked with providing education and training to aspiring nurses and recent graduates of nursing programs. Their primary responsibilities include developing the curriculums for other nurse education programs, instructing nurses on healthcare, clinical procedures, and other substance matters, and coordinating the orientation procedure for new staff members. Clinical nurse educators are also often involved in planning, developing, and assessing programs for continuing education for registered nurses.
Medical and Health Services Manager
Medical and health services managers perform a wide range of administrative tasks, typically in a medical care facility setting. Their primary responsibilities include planning, directing, and organizing medical services, and working to enhance the delivery as well as the quality of these services. Medical and health services managers may also be called upon to manage the financial concerns of a medical care facility, establish work and process schedules, and organize clinical records.