The field of nursing is a very diverse field. While it is primarily thought of only a career of caring for patients in a hospital or primary practice, the opportunities go well beyond these basic nursing ideals. With so many opportunities, nurses find themselves in a unique position to branch their careers beyond the basic and into multi disciplined practices that can enhance their patient care or put them in entirely different situations aside from patient care.
Nurses first of all can enhance their careers through licensed specialties. Many of these specialties are licensed while some are only certified, but most require more advanced education that merely a RN license. Nurses who look to pursue higher positions and better wages usually must pursue their Bachelors in Nursing, and in some cases, their Masters in Nursing.
Some specialties that require higher education include neonatal nursing, nurse midwife, nurse practitioner, and nurse anesthetist. Nurse practitioners in some states are able to even prescribe medication and see patients due to the high profile status of the position. Most usually work within a primary care facility. Nurse anesthetists are one of the highest paying nursing fields and deal with the administration of anesthesia. Nurse midwives deal with helping and aiding women through pregnancy. (1)
These positions increase annual wage considerably, with nurse practitioners earning over $100,000 a year and and nurse anesthetists earning over $160,000 a year. Nurse midwives earn slightly over $100,000 a year. As one can see these positions considerably increase the annual pay but come with more intense training and patient care. (2)
In addition to these positions, there are also pediatric nurses who care for children, critical care and trauma nursing, and also various titles within the nurse practitioner field, involving geriatrics, as well as psychiatric health nurse practitioner. Again all of these fields lead to far higher pay raises than the basic RN. (3)
Some positions do not require higher degrees but are merely certifications. Certifications differ from licenses. Certifications unlike licenses are not issued or regulated by the state but through an independent for profit or non profit professional organization. Certifications are not mandatory to operate but are are voluntary awards from a third party reputable organization that can verify a person’s excellence and knowledge within a certain discipline. Many healthcare professionals as well as nurses seek to utilize certifications as a way to validate their career and help them find a particular niche. The certifications are sometimes required by employers and help advance many nurses into specialized non licensed fields.
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals has sought to meet this certification demand, as well as CE demand of nurses by offering certification programs particularly designed for nurses. The programs are all online and for some nurses in various states, not only offer a certification, but also offer CE hours through the required courses to attain certification. The certifications are all four years and are renewable after that period. The courses to achieve certification are all online and independent study. This formula is beneficial to the working professional and affords them the necessary freedom and time to concentrate on their career while also completing course work towards their certification.
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals offers a wide variety of nursing certifications that do not require license. These programs are open to registered nurses. While an undergraduate is always preferred, one can enter these courses with only an RN license and achieve a professional certification that can serve them in their career.
One of the most popular certification programs is the Healthcare Case Management Program. Consisting of five core courses, the nurse can complete this program easily within a few months if preferred and be able to operate in the field of Case Manager. As a Case Manager, the nurse will be able to coordinate patient information with various branches of care and also ensure that proper care in and after treatment is given to the patient.
Another popular program is the Legal Nurse Consulting Program. This program helps nurses learn how to take their bedside skills to the courtroom. In doing so, the nurse is able to combine medical procedural knowledge with legal case law and become an important party in legal malpractice cases, helping either the patient or defending the healthcare provider. The Legal Nurse Consultant is sometimes part of a legal team and offers expert testimony or behind the scenes with the legal team.
One program that is gaining more popularity is Forensic Nursing. This certified field trains nurses to deal with cases of rape and other crimes. The Forensic Nurse is able to aid the police and other law enforcement agencies in identifying key evidence in prosecuting criminals.
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals also offers a certification in Nurse Patient Educator. As a Nurse Patient Educator, a nurse is able to better educate patients about their diagnosis and also guide them through their treatment plans. In many ways, they can also ease the fears of many patients through education on what they are facing and what to expect. Numerous hospitals find this role to be very valuable in patient relations and also in follow up care.
Another program that is also growing popularity is Holistic Integrative Care Specialist. As a Holistic Nurse, one is able to guide patients with other alternative and holistic healing methods, while ensuring these methods do not interfere with any conventional medications the patient may be using. It is very dangerous for a person to pursue alternative methods without first consulting with a healthcare professional who understands both Eastern and Western medications. The Certified Holistic Nurse meets those needs.
Finally, The American Institute of Health Care Professionals has created its newest certification, the Healthcare Manager Certification for nurses. This program is designed for nurses who are seeking to become managers within their department. This program prepares them to enter into management and how to lead departments to success. This should not be confused with an healthcare executive position, but is only a healthcare manager position. With so much competition for advancement within the healthcare ladder, sometimes a certification in Healthcare Management can be the difference between one candidate and another in advancement.
As one can see, healthcare professionals in nursing have an array of options to diversify their career and also earn thousands more. Through higher education, licenses, and in some cases, certifications as well, nurses can diversify and earn more than their basic base salary and duties offer. In seeing this, the American Institute of Health Care Professionals, has in the last 20 years answered that call and certified thousands into these fields.
If you would like to learn more about the nursing certifications offered by the American Institute of Health Care Professionals, then please review our programs and see if they match your academic and professional goals.
Resources
- https://nursejournal.org/community/20-best-nursing-career-specialties-for-the-future/
- https://www.ameritech.edu/blog/highest-paying-nursing-specialties/