Career Diversity: 10 Types of Nurses and How Much They Earn

Career Diversity: 10 Types of Nurses and How Much They Earn

Nursing is one of the fastest-growing careers in the U.S. Nurses are needed in every hospital and clinic to help sick patients and injured people. Doctors need nurses to help them cure the injured and sick. It is a very rewarding job.

Nursing salaries have been rising with job security, but nurses need education and training to qualify for these jobs. There are at least 10 different types of nurses, so people can choose what direction they want to take in their nursing career.

Getting Training

People who are seeking a nursing career should get a college associate degree or a diploma designating them as registered nurses or RNs and then complete their BSN or bachelor of science degree. The best way forward for a person seeking a nursing degree is to contact nursing programs at nearby colleges or nursing schools for guidance.

The RN-to-BSN Program at Felbry College School of Nursing in Columbus, OH, or similar programs can offer in-person or online programs. The time to start considering a nursing career is while a person is in high school, but it is never too late to pursue a nursing career. Look for a nursing training program that offers the classes approved for the nursing specialty and the type of learning chosen. It may be necessary to take a combination of in-person and online learning formats.

10 Types of Nurses and Average Earnings

There are many types of nursing specialties to choose from, but these are 10 of the fastest growing nursing specialties:

1. A telemetry nurse earns an average salary of $158,336 per year. These nurses work with critical care patients, do diagnostic testing, and are trained in using advanced medical equipment. They also assist doctors during procedures.

2. A traveling nurse makes an average yearly salary of $108,994 per year. This is a registered nurse who travels to fill in as needed at clinics, hospitals, or other health care locations. Shortages are occurring all over the nation because of the pandemic and demographic changes.

3. Home health nurses earn an average of $63,936. They visit patient homes as needed to perform diagnostic testing and provide needed healthcare services. They do patient assessments and decide if patients need transport to a clinic or hospital. They do not work under a doctor’s supervision but communicate with a doctor.

4. A hospice nurse has an average yearly salary of $79,969. These nurses care for terminally ill patients to make the end-of-life process as painless and comfortable as it can be.

5. An intensive care, or ICU, a nurse earns an average yearly salary of $140,079. These highly qualified nurses care for patients in intensive care units of hospitals.

6. Nurses aides have less training and earn about $36,962 per year. They assist medical staff, doctors, and nurses in caring for patients and performing administrative duties. 

7. The director of nursing job pays about $90,822 a year and is a supervisory job. A director of nursing is responsible for leading a medical or nursing unit, hiring and firing staff, implementing policies and procedures, and other duties.

8. RN-acute care nurses earn approximately $88,137 per year. They are responsible for caring for patients with serious conditions like heart attacks, respiratory conditions, and other critical conditions.

9. A licensed practical nurse has an average annual salary of $47,186 a year. An LPN works under the supervision of doctors and registered nurses to perform healthcare duties.

10. The private duty nurse earns an average salary of $56,097 per year. Working in private homes or other private settings, the private duty nurse will have nursing duties and also might be responsible for cooking, cleaning, bathing patients, administering medications, and other duties as needed.

All of these types of nurses can earn good salaries depending on where they are working, their education, and their duties. A person can start at one level and obtain additional training to advance to a higher paying level of nursing.

Christie Lewis
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