Registered Nurse Careers
The medical field is not all about doctors. If you have the correct combination of compassion and commitment, nursing is the perfect profession for you in the healthcare sector. We all know that nursing is a service-oriented job, but as a registered nurse, countless opportunities are waiting for you inside and outside the country with high remunerations. Along with the technical skills you need to understand the medical equipment, basic skills are the most required ones. You need to keep professionalism while communicating with medical staff and patients. Keep your own problems aside while serving the injured and sick as you are working in a field where empathy matters, not sympathy. Your observation skills and attention to detail are important. Work as a team to care for and to provide for the needed. Now let’s look into some of the registered nurse jobs that help you to secure yourself a safe career in the health sector:-
CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST (CRNA)
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
CARDIOVASCULAR NURSES
GENETICS NURSES
NEONATOLOGY NURSE
NURSE EDUCATOR
PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES
REHABILITATION NURSES
CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALISTS (CNSs)
INTENSIVE CARE NURSES
LEGAL NURSE CONSULTANT
CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST (CRNA)
To be a CRNA, you need to have an immense understanding and knowledge about the field you are working in. By completing a master’s degree program in nurse anesthesia, an experienced and certified nurse can pursue this advanced practice. It will take a minimum of seven years to complete this. In rural areas, where anesthetists are rare or not available, you will have a high job demand. In most cases, you have to work alongside physicians by administering anesthesia and other pain management measures. You can either work independently or as a team. The job is high in demand, and has great opportunities are out there.
QUALIFICATIONS
The registered nurse license that you will achieve after completing a four-year bachelor’s degree in nursing is the first step to becoming a CRNA. A minimum of one year’s experience in acute care, along with a graduate degree in nurse anesthesia (MSN or DNP), is necessary. Then pursue the CRNA certification, and after completion, you will get the state licensing.
POSITIONS AVAILABLE
CRNAs can work in
Physicians offices
Outpatient care centers
Health practitioners offices
Specialty hospitals
General medical and surgical hospitals
Surgical centers
Dental offices
Public health centers
SALARY
Based on the country and work setting, nurse anesthetist salaries are among the highest in the field. According to the pay scale, an independent CRNA can make 6.2 lakhs annually.

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
As an occupational health nurse, you have to provide for and deliver safe and healthy programs to your co-workers. It is also your duty to promote and restore health, prevent illness and injury, and protect them from work-related and environmental hazards. You need to have a combined knowledge of business and health to balance a safe and healthy work environment. Regularly monitor the health status of workers, worker populations, and community groups. Communication skills and observation skills will help you to analyze complex work situations.
QUALIFICATIONS
A bachelor’s degree in nursing and experience in any health care sector will qualify you to work as an occupational health nurse. To be advanced and build your professional competency, you can obtain a master’s degree in public health, advanced practice or business, etc.
POSITIONS AVAILABLE
Occupational health nurses can work as clinicians, case managers, educators, directors, and consultants.
SALARY
According to the country and company you are working in, the salary packages may vary. But as a starter, you can earn 19,000 and above as an occupational health nurse in India per month.
CARDIOVASCULAR NURSE
A registered nurse who is specialized in the field of heart healthcare is a cardiovascular nurse. Patients with cardiovascular diseases can avail the nursing care provided by them. You have to keep the patient’s record, administer their medication, work closely with patients’ families, etc. To be a cardiac nurse, you must have human values because you will be working with the weak and vulnerable. Heartless is not in your dictionary, to be precise.
QUALIFICATIONS
A bachelor’s degree in nursing is a must. Board certification in a cardiac specialty is needed to be a registered cardiovascular nurse.
POSITIONS AVAILABLE
RN in the cardiac critical care unit
Geriatric emergency management nurse
Surgical ambulatory daycare nurse
RN in intensive and critical care
Associated director of care
SALARY
Annually, a cardiovascular nurse can earn more than 3.3 lakhs.

GENETICS NURSES
Patients who suffer from genetic diseases like cancer, diabetes, or Alzheimer’s disease are cared for and nurtured by genetics nurses. They need to have the same education and training as other registered nurses but complete additional classes and experiences related to genetics. You may have to diagnose and prescribe medical conditions and treatments, so you need to be that advanced. Be extra kind to those with memory issues, and always keep in mind that you are doing a job that requires compassion and commitment. These conditions may be unfamiliar and new to the family members, so you have to make sure that you are communicating with them with utmost understanding.
QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelors and masters in nursing will make you a nurse practitioner. Then you can specialize in genetics nursing by pursuing programs related to that. Either a minor in genetic nursing or a fellowship or graduate certificate program in the field.
POSITIONS AVAILABLE
Clinical research nurse coordinator
Genetic counselor
Assistant of a genetic counselor
Genetic counselor coordinator
SALARY
A starter in the field with an experience of 1-3 years can earn an average salary of 3.9 lakhs.
NEONATOLOGY NURSE
Premature and very ill newborn babies are cared for and provided by neonatal intensive care nurses. They need to provide immediate medical care and assistance and technologies that help their breathing. Babies are to be fed through IV, so neonatal nurses deal with some highly careful job here. Keep a record of their every movement, weight reduction and increase, etc. You have to be patient, a keen observer, and a kind, compassionate human being to become a neonatal nurse. Be highly flexible in managing stress and pay attention to every detail.
QUALIFICATIONS
Earn a nursing degree and pass the NCLEX-RN exam (National Council License Examination). Then get two years of clinical experience. It’s not important to pass that exam as you can work as a neonatal nurse just by having two years of clinical experience, but that will be an added advantage for you as a candidate. With a master’s degree, you can turn to any field in neonatal nursing.
POSITIONS AVAILABLE
Neonatal intensive care nurse
Nurse practitioner neonatal ICU
Labour and delivery nurse
NICU clinical nurse specialist
Pediatric operating room nurse
Pediatric nursing
Nursery nurse
SALARY
According to pay scale, the starting salary of a NICU nurse is 2.4 lakhs annually.

NURSE EDUCATOR
A nurse educator can teach nursing students at colleges and universities. You can train and educate future nurses in a classroom environment or clinics. To be a nurse educator, you need to have nursing skills plus teaching skills. You can guide the nursing students to take or retake their NCLEX-RN exams. You have to advise, evaluate, and teach your students constantly. You have the power to eradicate or reduce many contagious diseases, so use your education and skills wisely.
QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelors and master’s degree in nursing, along with a registered nurse license, will qualify you to pursue specialized and advanced roles in nursing education.
POSITIONS AVAILABLE
You can work as a nurse educator in community colleges, technical schools, trade or vocational schools, etc. You can also work in the healthcare sector to help the staff members and clinical supervisors in their professional development.
SALARY
An entry-level nurse educator’s annual average salary is 3.5 lakhs.

PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES
Rather than working in hospitals or clinics, public health nurses work directly with communities. Providing quality healthcare is your motto. You work with a wide range of people, starting from children to older people. Educating high-risk populations, including prostitution workers and drug users, about disease prevention and healthy behavior, is your duty. You have to be socially interactive with highly effective communication skills. You need to conduct awareness classes and different educational programs once in a while to promote healthy practices among the people.
QUALIFICATIONS
Complete and pass the NCLEX-RN exam, and after your bachelor’s degree in nursing, you can apply for your registered nurse license. Then a master’s level degree in nursing program is a must. By completing the professional experience, you can seek your public health nursing certification.
POSITIONS AVAILABLE
You can work in
Centers for disease control and prevention
The national institutes of health
Health care organizations
Educational institutions
SALARY
Entry-level public health nurses can earn 3.8 lakhs annually in India.
REHABILITATION NURSES
If only you are passionate about your job, you can pursue rehabilitation nursing as a career. You have to assist your patients to recover from chronic diseases or long-term physical abilities. Be with them in this process of regaining their strength and health. You may have to go through worse situations as every patient exhibits different characters, so you must be 100% confident that this is the career you will choose. Not only are the patients your concern, but also the family members. Dedication is the key. The job may be highly stressful, but you can’t just quit as this involves real human beings and their emotions. You have to slowly get your patients back to their regular routines with utmost patience and care.
QUALIFICATIONS
Earn your RN license first. Then you can complete two years of personal experience in rehabilitation centers and pursue certification opportunities.
POSITIONS AVAILABLE
Apart from working in rehabilitation hospitals or rehabilitation departments of a general hospital, you can work in long-term care facilities, physicians’ offices, assisted living facilities, etc.
SALARY
Entry-level salary according to pay scale is 2.4 lakhs and more annually.

CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALISTS
If you are interested in the nursing field and have exceptional problem-solving skills and critical thinking skills, you can consider CNS as a career option. As a CNS, you have to identify where the gaps are in health care delivery. To improve overall healthcare delivery, you need to help design and implement interventions and assess and evaluate methods. A clinical nurse specialist must have administration skills, research skills, and program-oriented skills.
QUALIFICATIONS
You need a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in nursing. Then complete practical experience in your desired field. A doctorate will work in your favor if you have plans to conduct further researches.
POSITIONS AVAILABLE
RN clinical education specialist
NICU clinical nurse specialist
CNS nurse educator
Nurse clinical specialist
Specialist medical-surgical unit
Clinical documentation specialist
SALARY
You can earn an average of 2.5 lakhs as a beginner with one year of experience in the CNS field.
INTENSIVE CARE NURSES
As the title suggests, you have to work closely with doctors to assist them in intensive care units and critical care units. You have to monitor life support equipment, administer IVs, give medication, and keenly observe the patient’s reaction to medication and improvement in vital signs. You must be experienced enough to handle critical situations and highly stressful situations. Technical knowledge about medical equipment is necessary.
QUALIFICATIONS
You can work as an intensive care nurse after obtaining your registered nurse license. Nursing experience is required. If you want to work as a critical care nurse, you must pass the national licensing exam.
POSITIONS AVAILABLE
You can work in ICUs and CCUs of multispecialty hospitals, super-specialty hospitals, etc.
SALARY
With an experience of 1-4 years, you can earn more than 2 lakhs as an ICN.

LEGAL NURSE CONSULTANT
Many legal industry professionals are not familiar with medical terms and don’t know how to read medical records. To fill this gap between legal and medical industries, legal nurse consultants are there. They offer medical information in medical-related cases to professionals in legal entities. Communication skills and attention to detail, and research skills are necessary to work as an LNC.
QUALIFICATIONS
You can start practicing as an LNC by obtaining an additional LNC training certificate after your nursing degree. High marketing skills, technical skills, and the ability to advertise yourself will make you last in this field.
POSITIONS AVAILABLE
LNCs can work in
Government offices
Insurance companies
Healthcare facilities
HMOs
Business legal departments
Patient safety advocacy groups
Forensic or criminal justice organizations
SALARY
The annual salary as a Legal nurse consultant beginner can be more than 3.4 lakhs annually.