Occupational Health
One of the easiest nursing jobs to get into is in the field of occupational health. Occupational health nurses work in large industries, HMOs, and factories to treat work-related injuries and onsite illnesses.
Institutional Nurses
These nurses administer more basic care and typically don't have to work long hours and overnight shifts, so this field of nursing tends to be low-stress.
Critical care nurses suffer the highest rates of burnout.
This is mainly due to the nature of the job, as critical care nurses work specialize in the emergency department (ED) and intensive care unit (ICU). As such, their work environment is constantly fast-paced, meticulous, and demanding.
Case in point, within all general areas of nursing, the Medical ICU, Trauma ICU, Peds ICU, Neonatal ICU, are perceived to require the highest skill set of nurses.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists earn a median salary of $195,610 per year according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, making it the top paying nursing specialty. CRNAs typically work 40 hours per week, making the hourly wage average out to approximately $94.04 per hour.
BSN-prepared nurses are the most sought-after RNs in the job market and can advance to leadership and management roles more quickly than the ASN nurse.
Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurses
ICU is an extremely high-pressure environment and these nurses work with patients who have significant injuries and disease with added morbidity risks. Unstable patients require lifesaving interventions and once stabilized, are transferred to a different unit.
Research Nurse
As one of the least stressful nursing jobs, research nurses utilize their medical knowledge and nursing expertise to study health conditions and find ways to improve patient outcomes in the long run.
The fastest way to become an RN is through an RN diploma program, which can be completed in as little as a year. While completing this program does not lead to a degree, it does make the individual eligible to take the NCLEX and earn their RN license.
Licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) and Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) have the least education requirements among nurses and therefore tend to make lower incomes than other nursing specialties. LVNs and LPNs can increase their income by getting an associate degree or a bachelor's degree in nursing.
Nursing is a complex profession. KNOW this: the first year is the toughest. It takes time to develop good clinical judgment and quality time management.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) earn a nationwide average of $202,470 per year according to the BLS; this makes CRNAs the highest-paying type nursing job by a significant margin.
Norway, a Scandinavian country known as the land of Fjords, has one of the highest standards of living in the world as well as job satisfaction for nurses.
Below that, in the high 120's are lawyers, followed by accountants in the low 120's. Pharmacists average around 120 and nurses in the high 110's. You can find a link to the full list with more professions in the description. So what does this mean?
Some of the most common reasons for nurse burnout include long work hours, sleep deprivation, a high-stress work environment, lack of support, and emotional strain from patient care.
Scores of 27 or higher on EE, 10 or higher on DP, and 33 or lower on PA are considered as indicating “high burnout.” Scores of 20 to 26 on EE, 7 to 9 on DP, and 34 to 39 on PA are considered as “moderate burnout.” Finally, scores of 19 or lower on EE, 6 or lower on DP, and 40 or higher on PA are considered “low burnout ...
A study published in the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation determined that as many as 48% of nurses working in intensive care units (ICUs) meet the criteria for PTSD.
In most cases, hospitals will not allow nurses to work more than 16 hours in a row. Clinic nurses (private practice) typically will not work more than 8 hours per day. Scheduled shifts are typically either 8, 10, or 12 hours in duration and may not follow the typical pattern of the day, evening, or night shifts.