Nursing Specialization: Types of Nurses

What are Some Medical Assistant Duties?The US Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) states that while the duties of medical assistants vary by employer, these individuals are responsible for a number of clinical and administrative tasks. Some of their duties involve taking patient history and vital signs, helping with patient examinations, scheduling patient appointments, and preparing blood for lab tests. Medical assistants' responsibilities may also ... Read More

What is Radiology Nursing? Radiology nursing is a fairly technical nursing specialty, which deals with a variety of imaging equipment. According to Johnson & Johnson, these nurses work with x-ray, ultrasound, fluoroscopy, computed tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and other imaging technology. Typical tasks include assessing patients, educating patients and their families about care following a procedure, providing comfort, and administering medication. Radiology ... Read More

What Is Intravenous Therapy Nursing? Intravenous therapy nurses, also known as infusion nurses, provide intravenous therapy to patients using an IV. Intravenous therapy can be used to replace lost fluids, restore electrolytes, to perform a blood transfusion, to administer chemotherapy, and more. Patients of any age can require IV therapy, and it can be practiced in almost all medical environments including hospitals, patient'™s homes, and ... Read More

What is Telephone Triage Nursing? According to Johnson & Johnson, telephone triage nursing is also called telehealth nursing. These nurses advice patients over the phone, using their nursing expertise. Telephone triage nurses often work in telephone triage call centers and for insurance companies. These nurses, based on the client's answers to a set of questions, advise him or her on whether or not to seek ... Read More

What is Transplant Nursing? Transplant nursing is the specialization focused on caring for those who are giving or receiving transplant organs, such as kidneys, liver, or bone marrow. According to Johnson & Johnson, these nurses help with surgeries, care for patients post-op, order lab tests for organ donor matches, monitor vital signs, clear patients and donors for surgery. They are largely responsible for monitoring patients ... Read More

What is Urologic Nursing? Urologic nursing is the specialization that focuses on caring for patients with urologic disorders and diseases. According to The Urologic Nursing Journal, responsibilities of urologic nurses include testing for and diagnosing urologic conditions, treating kidney stones, conducting routine examinations, helping patients learn about preventative care measures, and administering medication. What is a Typical Work Environment for a Urologic Nurse? Urologic nurses ... Read More

What is School Nursing? School nursing is the specialization that refers to working as a nurse in a school. School nurses care for sick and injured students, take preventative health measures, and provide health education. These nurses work in elementary, middle, and high school, and in colleges and universities. School nurses must be especially knowledgeable about diseases and conditions that are common in school-age children ... Read More

What is Public Health Nursing? Public health nursing is a nursing specialty concerned with offering nursing services to improve the overall health of a community. A public health nurse can work in a public health clinic, where he or she can provide low-cost or free medical services to people who come from low-income backgrounds. Treatments at a public health clinic can consist of routine vaccinations, ... Read More

What is Pediatric Nursing? Pediatric nurses provides specialized care to children, infants and adolescents. A pediatric nurse also provides special care to children who suffer from critical illnesses related to cardiology or oncology. Work Environment of Pediatric Nurse Most registered nurses (RNs) work in hospitals, physician'™s offices, and surgical centers, but some run their own practices. Registered nurses may also visit schools, correctional facilities, and ... Read More

What is Neuroscience Nursing? Neuroscience nursing is a specialization that focuses on caring for patients with brain and nervous system disorders. Some of these illnesses include Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, brain tumors, and strokes. According to Johnson & Johnson, some of the responsibilities these nurses are caring for post-operative patients, administering medications, monitoring neurological exams, and helping patients who have neurological issues to perform daily ... Read More

What is Agency Nursing? Agency nurses, also referred to as supplemental nurses, work with an agency to fill temporary nursing positions. These nurses move from place to place, rather than working for a single organization. While some may choose to pursue agency nursing as a solution to being unable to find permanent employment with one organization, others might be drawn to this freelance work due ... Read More

What is Oncology Nursing? Oncology nursing is a specialization that focuses on caring for patients who have cancer or have a high risk of developing cancer. Johnson & Johnson describes oncology nursing as challenging and rewarding, and that no 2 patients are the same. Daily tasks performed by these nurses include monitoring patients' conditions, administering chemotherapy and other medications, maintaining health records, and educating patients ... Read More

What is Rehabilitation Nursing? Rehabilitation nurses focuses on working with patients who are affected by a chronic illness, long term injury, or disability, with the goal of helping them to achieve the highest possible level of independence. This progressive nursing specialty involves setting many physical and mental goals for patients and helping them to reach these goals before moving on to more advanced goals. Rehabilitation ... Read More

What Is Long-Term Care Nursing? Long-term care nurses work with seniors, people who require long-term medical treatment, and physically disabled patients who are unable to perform everyday functions. With the many different types of patients and conditions they are required to treat, long-term care nurses must be versatile and highly skilled in order to be effective. For example, one long-term care nurse may be required ... Read More

What is IDD Nursing? Intellectual and developmental disabilities nursing is a nursing specialization focused on caring for those who have intellectual and developmental disabilities such as Down's syndrome and autism. Nurses who specialize in this area are also referred to as special needs nurses. These professionals work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, schools, and in patients' homes. IDD nurses have the opportunity to ... Read More

What is Perioperative Nursing? Perioperative nurses are sometimes referred to as surgical or operating room nurses. According to Johnson & Johnson , these nurses work with surgical teams and help patients recover following surgeries. These nurses may work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, outpatient care centers, ambulatory care units, and physicians' offices. Perioperative nurses can serve as scrub nurses or circulating nurses in ... Read More

What is Respiratory Nursing? As of 2018, the U.S. Department of Health estimates that approximately 225,000 people die every year of some kind of respiratory ailment. Hundreds of thousands more live with the symptoms of asthma, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis, and other lung ailments. Quick and efficient treatment of individuals with these conditions is necessary to their survival and overall ... Read More

What is Neonatal Nursing? Neonatal nursing focuses primarily on the care of newborn infants during the first month of life. These infants may have a variety of conditions requiring care, including prematurity, birth defects, and heart malfunctions. Typically, neonatal nurses care for infants from birth until they leave the hospital. Infants who are very sick from birth may need neonatal nursing care up to age ... Read More

What is Travel Nursing? Travel nursing is the specialization that employs nurses to travel between healthcare organizations, working wherever there is a shortage. Travel nurses are employed by agencies who help them to find temporary job assignments and to relocate. These assignments vary in length from as little as 4 weeks to as long as several years, and can be anywhere in the US or ... Read More

What is Cardiac Care Nursing? Cardiac care nurses, or cardiovascular nurses, play an important role in healthcare. They specialize in caring for patients that suffer from conditions such as heart attacks or chronic heart disease. These nurses not only have to be experts on cardiovascular function, but they must also be knowledgeable about any conditions resulting from heart disease or malfunction and know how to ... Read More

What is Psychiatric Nursing? According to Johnson & Johnson, psychiatric nurses, also known as mental health nurses, work with patients suffering from mental illness or distress. These nurses are also educated in the field of behavioral therapy. They care for patients who have a variety of conditions, including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and addiction. Psychiatric nurses not only treat these patients in a healthcare setting, ... Read More

What is Infection Control Nursing? Infection control is a discipline of healthcare that is focused on preventing infection. Healthcare professionals working in infection control can come from various educational streams, including nursing. Infection control nursing plays a central role in both preventing as well as controlling infectious diseases. All healthcare professionals must practice infection control to some extent in their careers, whether it is by ... Read More

What is Occupational Health Nursing (OHN)? The United States' Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) defines occupational health nurses as registered nurses who observe the workplace and assess employee health and safety in relation to the workplace environment and the tasks performed there. OSHA states that the primary goal of an OHN is to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses. These nurses observe the workplace and ... Read More

What is HIV/AIDS Nursing? Living with HIV/AIDS requires psychological, emotional, and medical support. The virus affects not only the person who is infected, but also the family and friends of that person. HIV/AIDS nursing is a specialization that focuses on caring for those infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS. According to the HIV/AIDS Nursing Certification Board (HANCB), the goal of HIV/AIDS nursing is to prevent ... Read More

What is Medical-Surgical Nursing? Medical-surgical nursing began as an entry-level position and has grown into a popular nursing specialization. These versatile nurses work in many different settings including hospitals, ambulatory care units, clinics, surgical centers, and skilled nursing homes. According to Johnson & Johnson, medical-surgical nurses make up about 1/6 of the nursing profession. This is a diverse and highly skilled nursing specialty that is ... Read More

What is Nursing Informatics? Nursing Informatics is a field that combines nursing science with technology and information science. Information management and communication plays an important role in healthcare because health information is largely computerized. The goal of nursing informatics is to advance technology in the healthcare environment in order to promote higher quality patient care. What is the Daily Routine for a Nurse Specialized in ... Read More

What is Geriatric Nursing? Geriatric nursing, also referred to as gerontological nursing, is caring for the elderly. Geriatric nurses may work in a variety of settings including hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living centers. These nurses may also work for home healthcare organizations, caring for patients in their own residences. Geriatric nursing is concerned with the declining health that occurs later in life, as well ... Read More

What is Holistic Nursing? Holistic nurses, who commonly help treat patients with alternative medicine, treat all aspects of a person including the body, mind, emotions, relationships, and environment. A holistic nursing career involves clinical practice to fulfill physiological, psychological, and spiritual healing to the patient. It also includes conventional therapies. Holistic medicine is not always a replacement for traditional medicine, but in fact, it is ... Read More

What is a Midwife? The 'midwife' has been around almost as long as women have been having babies. The practice of midwifery has evolved over the years from the informal support of female friends and family members to the modern, certified nurse-midwives that obtain licensure after completing their nursing education. One thing has remained the same for centuries, however, and that is the valuable role ... Read More

What is Home Health Care Nursing? Home health care nursing simply refers to nurses who care for patients in their homes. Though these patients remain at home, they are unable to live completely independently and require assistance from a nurse. Home health care clients are often elderly, but they can be any age. Home health care nurses often work with the same clients for an ... Read More

What is Military Nursing? Military nursing is much like any other area of nursing, with the main difference being that nurses in this specialization are employed by the military. Within military nursing, one will find many different specializations represented. According to the United States Army, a military nurse can choose to either be active duty or to enlist in the U.S. Army Reserve. Military nurses ... Read More

What is Trauma Nursing? Trauma nursing is also called emergency nursing. As students will learn in nursing programs, trauma nursing is a nursing career where nurses care for and look after patients in the emergency or the critical phase stage of their injury or their illness. What is Trauma Nursing? Trauma nursing is also called emergency nursing. Trauma nurses care for patients at a stage ... Read More

What is Correctional Nursing? Correctional nursing is a nursing specialty involving the treatment of patients in correctional facilities such as jails, prisons, and halfway houses. While correctional nurses perform many of the same tasks as nurses that work in other types of facilities, it is unique in the fact that correctional nurses often have to treat a much higher percentage of violent or resistant patients ... Read More

What is a Nurse Practitioner? A Nurse Practitioner (NP) is one type of Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) and is one of the highest paying nursing occupations in the industry. All NPs are Registered Nurses (RNs), but they have earned an advanced degree and additional certification. Nurse practitioners are often able to practice independently of physicians, examine patients, write prescriptions, and open their own clinics ... Read More

What is Legal Nursing? Legal nursing combines the medical and legal fields. Legal nurse consultants review medical records and assist attorneys. This specialization gives nurses the opportunity to work in the medical field and the legal field simultaneously. What Do Legal Nurse Consultants Do? Legal nurse consultants serve as the medical expert on a legal team, advising on healthcare-related topics and helping others to understand ... Read More

What is Flight/Transport Nursing? Flight and transport nursing are both types of emergency nursing. These nurses work mainly on ambulances, helicopters, and other rescue vehicles, and may spend much of their time in the field. Flight and transport nurses may also work in the emergency room. This nursing specialization is fast-paced and exciting. Flight and transport nurses are likely to see a wide variety of ... Read More

What is Home Palliative Care Nursing? Hospice and palliative care nurses provide care to patients who are incurably ill. These nurses focus on symptom control and quality of life care to help their patients spend their remaining days as comfortably as possible. Since 2008, nearly one million people have availed themselves to hospice services'”over one-third of those diagnosed to be dying of incurable illness. Hospice ... Read More

What is Critical Care Nursing? Critical care nursing deals with patients who are in critical condition. This means that the patients cared for by these individuals are critically ill or injured. The patients' vital signs are abnormal or not stable, and they may not be conscious while the care is being provided. Caring for these patients is challenging, as they must be monitored closely and ... Read More

What is Forensic Nursing? Forensic nursing is a fairly new specialization which, according to the American Forensic Nurses, Inc. (AFN), is a 'bridge between the criminal justice system and the health care system.' Forensic nurses use their medical expertise to help with criminal investigations, including sexual assault cases and death investigations. They observe, collect, and preserve evidence, and are often called to testify in court ... Read More

What is a Case Management Nurse? Nurses in the field of case management are responsible for providing care to patients who receive long-term treatment. Case management nurses also usually specialize in one area, such as pediatrics, geriatrics, or HIV/AIDS; and they work closely with patients, doctors, and other caregivers to coordinate care and manage costs. In many cases, the patients cared for by case management ... Read More

What is Gastroenterology Nursing? Gastroenterology nurses, also referred to as endoscopy nurses, work with physicians in an effort to treat and diagnose patients with conditions that affect the gastrointestinal tract and the digestive system. These types of conditions include abdominal pains, cancer, ulcers, and reflux. Other types of conditions that are a regular part of this specialization include the removal of foreign bodies, dyspepsia, dysphagia, ... Read More

What is Nursing Research? Nurses are primarily responsible for the diagnosis and treatment of diverse populations; however, there are different nursing career paths beyond these traditional functions. What Is A Clinical Research Nurse? A clinical research nurse (CRN) conducts scientific research within the context of modern medicine. Medical research consists of and involves the study of diseases, and the creation of new treatments or drugs ... Read More

What is Emergency Nursing? Unsurprisingly, emergency nurses care for patients who are having emergencies. Most commonly, emergency nurses work in the Emergency Room, though they can also work in settings such as ambulances and urgent care centers. Emergency nurses are responsible for helping to stabilize patients' conditions, administering quick treatment, and helping patients and their families feel at ease in a stressful situation. These nurses ... Read More

What is Ambulatory Care Nursing? Ambulatory care nursing is a specialty within the industry that is characterized by the rapid-paced, focused assessments of patients; translating and teaching about the prescriptions so they become doable activities for caregivers and patients; and maintaining long-term relationships with nurses, patients and families. These types of nurses work in settings that deal with outpatients. These nurses also respond to a ... Read More

What is Parish Nursing? Parish nurses provide pastoral nursing, not hands-on care. They are registered nurses who provide education, counseling, referral, advocacy and volunteer coordination. Working within the context of their faith community, parish nurses focus on holistic healing. Spirituality as a key part of health and healing is a core concept no matter where the parish nurse ministers. Concerns of a parish nurse include, ... Read More

How to Become a Primary Care Nurse Becoming a nurse is in many ways like being a middle-man, a liaison between the hard science that is the essence of the doctor's profession and the human element inherent in dealing with patients. A nurse practitioner, who is becoming an increasingly prominent site in many primary physicians' offices, is often the first person to come in contact ... Read More

What is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist? A Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) is a licensed nurse similar to an anesthesiologist who offers anesthesia services. The nursing position came into existence in the year 1956. To become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, you have to acquire the necessary level of education, and also a board certification in anesthesia. There is also a national association in ... Read More

What is Addiction Specialist Nursing? Addiction is a disease with which many individuals struggle. Addiction takes a variety of forms and the severity of the condition differs from person to person. When addiction is mentioned, what most often comes to mind is dependence on alcohol and other controlled substances. Some addictions are difficult to detect. Examples of this include the food-addicted person hiding his or ... Read More