A nursing career is probably the most humane profession of all. When a patient is sick or inured, and has to be hospitalized, nurses take care of them.

When a nursing career is chosen, right away it is taught that nurses have so many duties to perform in a day; often their shifts extend up to twelve or fourteen hours. They take patient histories, and record symptoms. A nurse changes the bed linen and reports to the doctor anything that occurs with the patient.

Nurses administer medication and some types of tests, operate medical equipment, bathe patients when needed, update charts, and sometimes just hold the patients hand and talk to them.

A nursing career takes a special kind of person. Someone who is above all compassionate. When someone is sick or injured, they are scared to be in a hospital. A smiling face and reassuring voice does wonders for a patient.

Nurses are there for the families of the sick or injured, instructing them what to do when the patient is to go home. Nurses are the emotional backbone of any hospital or medical facility.

When a nursing career is chosen, a specialty field must be chosen also. There are many different fields to choose from. Some nurses are trained in grief counseling, others promote the importance of health through holding clinics and instructing new mothers or the general public on the warning signs of illness and what they should do in case of emergency, a nurse can choose more than one specialty; a nurse can choose to work in the pediatric field, or cardiology. This choice is completely up to the nurse and what his or her preferences are.

Ambulatory care is another choice in a nursing career. This type of nursing care is treating patients on an outpatient basis such as same day surgery when a patient goes home the same day of their surgery. This is done mostly in clinic, but often it can be done in a doctor’s office.

Some nurses provide telehealth, this form of nursing is fairly recent, and is expected to grow. A nurse, through the telephone, conferencing, video, and the Internet, provide health advice to patients, and will also help a sick or injured person find the right doctor.

Critical care nurses is perhaps the most challenging nursing career choice there is. A critical care nurse is stationed in a hospital’s intensive care unit. They monitor every patient. They administer medication; chart all of the progress that is made, and keep the doctors well informed of all aspect of the patients care. They treat patients who have had heart attacks, respiratory failure, and any other life threatening illness or injury. This type of nursing career takes a very strong compassionate person, and often proves to be too much for some, and they end up choosing a different type of nursing career.

A holistic nursing career is different from any other. A holistic nurse treats patient’s physical, mental, and spiritual health. They provide treatment such as aromatherapy, massage and acupuncture.

A home health care field can also be chosen for a nursing career, these nurses provide care to patients in their own home.

For those who are recovering from out patient surgery, childbirth and accident victims. Home health care nurses also provide hospice care for the terminally ill.

There is virtually a nursing career for every aspect of the medical field. A nurse that administers intravenous medication and fluids is called an infusion nurse. They also administer blood transfusions.

A nurse that works in the operating room has a specific title. It is called a perianesthesia, and the duties include all pre and postoperative care. In the operation room, these are the nurses that hand the instrument to the surgeon.

A nurse in the perianesthesia field is also is licensed to work in a Plastic surgeons office.

A nursing career in the radiology field trains the nurse to provide tests that include ultrasounds, x-rays, diagnostic radiation procedures, and MRI’s.

There are so many choices when attending nursing school, and each field has its own specialty training, it can be a difficult to know what type of nursing career to choose, and sometimes it is necessary to use a rotation method to make the decision.

A hospital will allow a student nurse to work in different wards in order to decide which nursing career to choose. There are some nurse careers that do not require any patient contact. Although they do not work with patients directly, they are still required to have a license. For those patients that have been injured, a case manager can assist with all of the patient needs.

A forensic nursing career is possibly the most fascinating aspect to a nursing career. Forensic nursing is a combination of nursing and investigating crime. A forensic nurse works with law enforcement agencies to solve crimes involving child abuse, accidental death, or sexual assault cases in which the victim has died.

A nursing staff is supervised by nurse administrators, these nurse also establish and maintain schedules, supply inventory and work within the budget that established for that department.

Most health care facilities and hospitals have to maintain a certain level of cleanliness. A place that is not maintained or is not clean will be shut down.

The standard working conditions for nurses are sometimes very tough. There are long hours, working holidays, weekends and nights. Sometimes a nurse can work for more than a week without a day off. Their pay rate is not very high, and sometimes it is not very rewarding. But their training has taught them that no matter how bad of a day they are having, the patient is having a worse one. After all, they are the ones that are sick or injured. This usually puts things into perspective and they can get on with their day.

A nursing career is a calling, and is not for everybody. Men can seek a nursing career, although ninety five percent of the nursing community is women.

Not only are nurses in great demand, but the opportunities in the field of nursing are practically limitless. Nurses today have a wide array of specializations and career paths to choose from, some traditional and others are new and/or emerging. As the meaning and concept of healthcare and treatment evolves so will the definition of nursing. We will take a look at a few of the alternative specializations within the field of nursing.

Holistic Nursing is one of the youngest specializations in the field of nursing. And what it means to be a holistic nurse is constantly changing. Yet, the most functional of all definitions is to incorporate traditional nursing skills and knowledge with methodologies, techniques, and ideologies to heal, the mind, body, and spirit. Although the majority of holistic nurses work with terminally ill, severe burn and long term rehabilitation patients, the demand for holistic nurses is growing. Holistic nursing requires the same initial qualifications as a traditional nurse, but also requires additional certifications, which usually revolve around the psychological aspects of severe injuries, illnesses, and depression.

While holistic nursing is among the youngest alternative specialization in the field of nursing, forensic nursing is probably among the most popular. Though there are a number of concentrations within the specialization of forensic nursing, the basic definition would be to use nursing knowledge and skills to provide care to victims of crimes while collecting evidence. Thanks to a number of popular televisions shows such as CSI, forensic nursing has become more visible. It is not uncommon for a forensic nurse to take a few seminars or training on the practices and procedures of handling evidence. However, most have no other certification than the RN license. Forensic nurses can be found in a variety of places, from hospitals to law firms.

Infection control nursing is also considered a deviation from more traditional nursing specialties. Infection nurses work to identify, investigate, and control infections that occur within a specific community, hospital, or particular area. Most commonly, infection nurses work with STDs, HIV, TB, and childhood infections. Infection control nurses are usually found in hospital settings, or as consultants to governmental agencies, municipalities, or large pharmaceutical companies. Aside from the RN license, infection control nurses are required to have an additional infection control certification.

There are several types of case management nursing specialties. Case management nurses coordinate all aspects of treatment for specific types of patients. Case management nurses often work with rehab patients, long term care patients, and patients with serious work injuries. Also, nurse case managers act as a liaison between the patient and a third party, such as an insurance company or employer. Case management nurses can be found at a variety of places, some of which include schools, insurance companies, hospitals, and rehabilitation centers. Nurse case management is also a specialty that can easily become its own private business. There are additional certifications for case management nurses, but these added credentials will depend heavily on the type of case management that you choose.

Although international and trans-cultural nursing are two different nursing specialties, their training will be similar. International nurses are those who decide to practice nursing in a different country than their own. Most of these nurses choose to work in underdeveloped nations with dire medical needs. Trans-cultural nurses are those who choose to work with individuals from various cultures and with alternative beliefs to medicine and treatments. Though there are no specific certifications other than a RN license, many of these nurses choose to seek additional training in cultural sensitivity and beliefs, and also learn to speak a number of different languages.

Another new and expanding specialization in the field of nursing is dermatology nursing. Dermatology nurses care for and provide information to those that are suffering from infections, serious wounds, and diseases of the skin. There is an advanced certification for dermatology nurses, many of which can be found at hospitals and dermatology clinics.

Genetics nursing is another young specialty. Genetic nurses provide care for patients with genetic diseases. These nurses are involved in various levels of genetic treatment, from explaining treatment and conditions to patients, to risk identification, and screening. Genetic nurses are also involved in genetic counseling and clinical trials. There are different levels of credentialing for genetic nurses. All genetic nurses start with the RN license, they are then required to obtain either a Bachelors or Masters Degree in nursing, at least 3 years of experience as a genetic nurse, a number of documented case histories, and letters of recommendation.

It is important to note that these are just a few of the alternative specializations in nursing. Also, similar to more traditional nursing specialties, many of these have their own associations. The nursing industry is growing and it is a career path that is expected to continue growing and changing in the years to come.

Holistic nursing is one of the newer nursing specialties around today. Its growing popularity has caused more and more new nurses to choose it as a specialty. Holistic nursing incorporates the skill and knowledge of traditional nursing with the training, methodologies, and ideologies to treat and heal the mind, body, and spirit. Like any career path, holistic nursing has its benefits and its challenges. If you are thinking about choosing holistic nursing as a specialty, there are a few things you may want to consider.

The first thing you may want to do is to explore different religious and spiritual beliefs. As a holistic nurse you will be responsible for mending your patients’ spirits as well as their minds and bodies. Not all of your patients will have the same spiritual and religious beliefs as you. You might want to do a tiny bit of research on different religions, especially those that are most common in your particular field of medicine. Try to stay abreast of any issues that might affect the way a patient chooses their medical treatment with respect to beliefs.

Prior to entering the field, you should talk to a current holistic nurse, or try to find a real life mentor. Holistic nursing is a specialty that can be easily romanticized. It is important that you have a realistic idea of the day to day challenges that a holistic nurse may face. A holistic nurse will be the best source of what the position may entail. This is not the most popular step, although it will prevent you from undertaking in a profession that you are not ideally suited for.

Feel it in your heart

This may not be the type of tip that you would expect, but it is vital to your happiness as a holistic nurse. You will be working with patients with severe injuries, burns, terminal illnesses, and other more serious conditions. There are days in the profession of holistic nursing that will be emotionally draining. You will have patients that pass away, some will have broken spirits; and there will be families that don’t get the miracle that they were praying for. Staying strong for those that you care for will demand much more than many people are willing or able to give on a daily basis. However, this can be argued of all nursing specialties. Holistic nurses usually have cultivated a one on one relationship with patients and their families over the course of a few months or even years that is not afforded to other nursing specialties.

Know when to recharge your battery

This is important for all nurses. Again, this job can be emotionally draining, as well as a physically demanding position. It is very easy for passion to prevent you from taking much needed vacation time. In order to be your best for you patients, you need to know when to take care of yourself. Take some time each day and each week that is just for you.

Try popular techniques yourself

The alternative medicines that are combined with traditional treatments are often perceived as weird or pointless to many, both inside and out of the medical community. In order to stand by these techniques it is important that you are able to easily speak on the benefits and positive effects of holistic medicine. You might want to try the aromatherapy, journaling, massage therapy, yoga, music therapy, or other treatments that you may use in your professional life. See for yourself if it lifts your spirit, mood, or disposition. This type of first hand experience will help you explain the positive uses to patients and their families.

Get the appropriate certifications

Although this is a tip, for many holistic nurses it is a requirement. Having your Holistic Nursing Certification or HNC provides you the scientific and/or psychological reasoning behind the alternative techniques that you will need to incorporate. You will also gain the knowledge of how to spot and treat depression and talk to and work with patients with severe injuries and terminal illnesses. You will also learn how to use alternative techniques effectively.

Join the American Holistic Nurses Association or AHNA

Becoming a member of the holistic nurses trade association will give you a much needed support group. Trade associations like this one help you stay on top of industry changes and trends, provide additional trainings through conferences, and can allow you to come together with others who will understand the challenges that you face.

Being a holistic nurse will give you a feeling of job satisfaction that many others only dream of obtaining. However, the challenges that come with it make holistic nursing a career path for those who are strong in spirit. Though nothing will make this choice easy, considering these tips will give you a clearer picture of what lies ahead.