Nursing Careers and Work Settings

Nursing demand keeps growing, and the work holds up even when the broader economy slows. Beyond stability, the field is unusually versatile: you can build a career around almost any interest, from bedside acute care to travel nursing to legal nurse consulting. That ability to shape your own path is one of the profession's biggest draws.

Entry-Level vs. Advanced Practice

Entry-level programs prepare you for hospital and inpatient roles. You can enter through a licensed practical nursing (LPN) program or a registered nursing (RN) degree. Depending on whether you pursue a diploma, an associate degree, or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), entry-level education takes one to four years.

Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) hold a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and take on specialized roles, performing many of the same duties as a physician. The main APN categories are:

• Nurse Practitioner (NP)
• Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
• Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)
• Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)

Choosing a Specialty

The right specialty depends on where you want to take your career and what you care about. Nurses drawn to direct patient care might pursue adult, parent-child, or pediatric nursing. Those focused on prevention and population health often move into public health nursing. If you lean toward technology, nursing informatics is another route.

Where Nurses Work

Beyond hospitals and physicians' offices, nurses work in:

• Outpatient care facilities
• Clinics
• Nursing homes
• Schools
• Community health centers
• Patients' homes, for some specialties

Forensic nurses and legal nurse consultants spend much of their time investigating cases in research settings, offices, or interviews with the people involved.