Find nurse jobs by speciality

From the cradle to the grave, nurses affect lives. A pediatric nurse may enjoy babies but not the hectic pace of the emergency room. An emergency room nurse may thrive on the hectic pace there but may not enjoy handling delicate preemies. Among specialty areas from which nurses can choose are pediatrics, gerontology, rehabilitation, psychiatric nursing, emergency room and operating room, to name a few. Each field has specialized training.

I recommend: The Nursing Schools website lists universities with nursing programs in your state. The search engine also contains links to take you to the websites of nursing schools and their programs. Search by program at All Nursing Schools to find the preferred course of study for a career in nursing within the state.

Visualize nursing jobs beyond the traditional setting

While the image of careers in nursing primarily comes from hospitals, other practice settings exist. Nurses are needed in home care, schools, corporations, hospice, public health, and health and wellness centers. Other possibilities are military service, clinics and extended care centers.

I recommend: Search nursing job boards such as Nursingjobs.org for nursing job openings by geographic area. Check out Medhunters to search for jobs in various medical professions.

Follow imaginative paths in careers in nursing

Beyond the traditional nursing jobs as the doctor's assistant, today's nurses have forged new paths. Nurses have entered the fields of journalism, law, informatics, teaching, and business and marketing. Through their efforts, they write and publish, influence legislation, participate on boards of directors, change health care delivery systems, and educate about disease prevention and health promotion.

I recommend: The American Nursing Informatics Association provides networking, education and information resources for specialists who work with computers to support or automate nursing care and documentation. The American Association of Nurse Attorneys provides support for those doubling in careers in nursing and law.