Now that you have made the decision to become a nurse, it is now the time to pick a nursing career. There are so many nursing specialities for you to choose from, so we have created a resource that explains the different types of nursing career options.
As baby boomers continue to age, there will be an abundance of nursing careers available for new nurses to enter the job marketplace and get great paying jobs.
Below is a chart that features the different nursing specialties along with education requirements and characteristics of the job discipline.
| Nurse Specialty |
Education Requirements |
Work Environments |
| Acute Care Nurse Practitioner |
BSN and MSN |
Advanced Practice |
| Adult Nurse Practitioner |
BSN and MSN |
Advanced Practice |
| Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) |
BSN, MSN, or PhD |
Clinical | Community |
| Auxiliary Nurse |
NVQ |
Community |
| Cardiac Nurse Specialist |
BSN or MSN |
Clinical | Emergency |
| Certified Nurse Midwife |
RN Diploma, ASN, BSN or MSN |
Advanced Practice | Women’s Health |
| Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) |
BSN and MSN |
Advanced Practice | Surgical |
| Clinical Nurse Leader |
BSN and MSN |
Clinical | Management |
| Clinical Nurse Specialist |
BSN + MSN or PhD |
Advanced Practice | Clinical |
| Community Health Nursing |
RN Diploma, ASN or BSN |
Community |
| Critical Care Nursing |
BSN and MSN |
Emergency |
| Dental Nurse |
NEBDN Certificate |
Community |
| Emergency Nurse |
ASN or BSN |
Emergency |
| Emergency Nurse Practitioner |
BSN and MSN |
Advanced Practice | Emergency |
| Family Nurse Practitioner |
BSN and MSN |
Advanced Practice | Family |
| Flight Nurse |
RN Diploma, ASN or BSN |
Community |
| Forensic Nurse |
ASN or BSN |
Community |
| Geriatric Nurse |
RN Diploma, ASN or BSN |
Family |
| Holistic Nursing |
ASN or BSN |
Clinical | Community |
| Home Health Nurse |
RN Diploma, ASN or BSN |
Community |
| Hospice Nurse |
RN Diploma, ASN or BSN |
Community |
| Infection Control Nurse |
RN Diploma, ASN or BSN |
Clinical | Management |
| International Nursing |
RN Diploma, ASN or BSN |
Community |
| Labor and Delivery Nurse |
RN Diploma, ASN or BSN |
Women’s Health |
| Lactation Consultant |
RN Diploma, ASN or BSN |
Women’s Health |
| Legal Nurse Consultant |
ASN or BSN |
Management |
| Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) |
LPN Certification |
Clinical |
| Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) |
LVN Certification |
Community |
| Male Nurse |
ASN or BSN |
Community |
| Maternity Nurse |
RN Diploma, ASN or BSN |
Women’s Health |
| Medical Assistant |
AAMA, AS or BS |
Community |
| Medical Surgical Nursing |
RN Diploma, ASN or BSN |
Surgical |
| Military Nurse |
RN Diploma, ASN or BSN |
Community |
| Neonatal Nurse |
RN Diploma, ASN or BSN |
Family |
| Neonatal Nurse Practitioner |
BSN and MSN |
Advanced Practice | Family |
| Nurse Anesthetist |
BSN and MSN |
Advanced Practice | Surgical |
| Nurse Case Manager |
ASN or BSN |
Management | Clinical |
| Nurse Educator |
BSN or MSN or PhD |
Community | Management |
| Nurse Entrepreneur |
ASN or BSN |
Management |
| Nurse Manager |
BSN or MSN |
Management |
| Nurse Practitioner |
BSN and MSN |
Advanced Practice |
| Nurse Researcher |
BSN and MSN or PhD |
Community |
| Nursing Informatics |
BSN |
Management |
| Nursery Nurse |
ASN |
Community |
| Occupational Health Nurse |
BSN |
Community |
| Oncology Nurse |
BSN |
Clinical |
| Obstetrics Nurse |
RN Diploma, ASN or BSN |
Women’s Health |
| Palliative Nursing |
RN Diploma, ASN or BSN |
Community |
| Parish Nursing |
RN Diploma, ASN or BSN |
Community |
| Pediatric Nurse |
RN Diploma, ASN or BSN |
Family |
| Pediatric Nurse Practitioner |
BSN and MSN |
Advanced Practice | Family |
| Pediatric Oncology Nurse |
BSN |
Clinical |
| Practice Nurse |
BSN, MSN, or PhD |
Clinical Community |
| Perioperative Nursing |
BSN |
Surgical |
| Private Duty Nursing |
RN Diploma, LPN, or LVN Certification |
Community |
| Psychiatric Nurse |
RN Diploma, ASN or BSN |
Psychological |
| Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner |
BSN and MSN |
Advanced Practice | Psychological |
| Public Health Nurse |
RN Diploma, ASN or BSN |
Community |
| Registered Nurse (RN) |
RN Diploma, ASN, BSN or MSN |
Community | Clinical |
| Rehabilitation Nurse |
RN Diploma, ASN or BSN |
Psychological |
| RN Case Manager |
RN Diploma, ASN or BSN |
Clinical Management |
| School Nurse |
RN Diploma, ASN or BSN |
Community |
| Staff Nurse |
RN Diploma, ASN or BSN |
Community |
| Student Nurse |
Certification |
Community |
| Telemetry Nursing |
RN Diploma, ASN or BSN |
Community |
| Travel Nurse |
RN Diploma, ASN or BSN |
Community |
| Trauma Nurse |
RN Diploma, ASN or BSN |
Emergency |
| Triage Nurse |
RN Diploma, ASN or BSN |
Emergency | Community |
| Veterinary Nurse |
AS or BS |
Pet Health |
| Wound Care Nurse |
RN Diploma, ASN or BSN |
Clinical | Community |
| Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner |
BSN and MSN |
Advanced Practice | Women’s Health |