4 Nursing Specialties with a Positive Job Outlook

Are you an RN looking to expand your career opportunities? Your passion for helping individuals has fueled your desire to be a nurse, but now you may be looking for ways to focus and expand your skill set within a specialization or a more advanced degree. Most nurse specialties offer opportunities to master a component of nursing that you really enjoy, focus on providing a specific type of care that is most rewarding to you and/or tend to a specific population that you are passionate about. Keep reading to learn more about nursing specializations with positive job outlooks for the coming years.

1. Neonatal Nurse Practitioner

   Nurses that specialize in neonatal work provide care for infants and toddlers through age two who are ill or require specific medical care. These nurses are often monitoring a patient’s status and vital signs, administering medication, performing tests and maintaining records. This specialization is expected to experience a growth of at least 35% by 2024. Neonatal nurses make a lasting impact on the lives of infants and their families during a time of high stress. If you enjoy being around and providing care for infants and toddlers, this could be a great option for you.

2. Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives and Nurse Practitioners

   Nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives and nurse practitioners manage patient care and work independently or collaboratively with other medical staff and physicians. Having the option to work more independently as a nurse allows autonomy and can be very empowering. Many also have the opportunity to conduct research and/or teach. Primarily, these roles focus on administering anesthesia, providing care to women and working as a primary or specialist care provider, respectively. These specializations are projected to grow 26% by 2028. This explosive growth is due in part to the aging population.  

3. Travel Nurse

   Travel nurses work in a variety of environments across the country and/or internationally on one month to 13-week assignments. This unique specialization allows individuals to perform the duties of a registered nurse while experiencing new countries and cultures. These roles are often assigned through agencies based on a hospital or health system’s needs. Similarly to a registered nurse, these individuals work as supplemental nursing help. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 19% growth by the year 2022 for travel nurses. If traveling is on your bucket list and you’re struck with feelings of wanderlust, this might be a great specialization to pursue.

4. Informatics Nurse
   A career in nursing informatics concentrates on boosting the management of information and communications utilizing technology in the field of nursing. The goal of the field is to increase efficiency, cut costs and enhance patient care quality. A unique aspect of nursing informatics is that your role supports more than just patients. You will support nurses, consumers, inter-professional healthcare teams and other stakeholders too. The job market for nurses within nursing informatics is expanding due to the use of electronic medical records and general technology growth. This specialty is a great option for those who want to make an impact on a larger scale and for those who enjoy technology but want to stay in the field of nursing.

These are just a few of the many nurse specialties that can be found in this dynamic profession. Consider earning your BSN as your first step toward achieving your career goals. Chamberlain offers an RN to BSN Online Degree Completion Option that could be a great fit for you.

By Sunita Rao-Fogt