Top Nursing Careers
The nursing shortage continues, and demand for nurses is expected to increase as the baby boomer generation ages and the nurses that are part of that generation retire.
Nurses who specialize in various areas are often in even higher demand. The 20 specialties listed here were chosen based upon a combination of demand, salary, and settings.
Over 100 different nursing specialties exist, each of them with different demands, settings, and schedules. Nevertheless, the specialties listed in this article were chosen to cover a wide range of nursing interests. If you’re into nursing, there’s something here for you!
A Word About Salaries
The salaries listed here come as much as possible from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, though some are also drawn from other sources.
No matter what the median salary for a specialty, nursing salaries vary widely based on where the jobs are located. If you live in one of the less-populated states, your salary may be about half of the median. If you live in a very populous state, it may be higher. When making any employment decision, take the time to find out what the salary ranges in your particular geographical area are.
All of our financial and other statistical information is taken from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, unless otherwise indicated.
So, without further ado, in alphabetical order, here are the 20 best nursing specialties:
Certified Nurse Midwife
Certified nurse midwife is one of the “advanced practice” specialties which require extra schooling and/or experience and formal certification.
What they do: As a certified nurse midwife, you will work alongside obstetricians seeing patients. When low-risk pregnancies are involved, you will follow your patient throughout her pregnancy, provide routine check-ups and educate her on prenatal care.
In some states, you even can deliver babies by yourself. You certainly will help deliver babies, whether you are allowed to do it solo or not.
After the birth, you will continue to educate your patients in how to care for their newborn, and continue with routine exams as needed.






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