What can you do with your nursing degree?

Use this helpful chart to see where you can put your degree to work.  You may be surprised with options you hadn’t thought of!
                           Areas                                                     Employers                                                                          Strategies for success

Staff Nursing
  • Medical/surgical specialties 
  • Pediatrics
  • Operating room
  • Emergency room
  • Critical care units
  • Labor & delivery
  • Newborn units
  • Research, transplant, & detoxification units 
  • Hospitals, medical center, physician’s offices, medical groups, educational institutions, home health care services
  • Extended care facilities such as nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and hospices
  • Psychiatric units
  • Public health services (local, state, & federal)
  • Government institutions, armed services
  • Church related mission services, parish nursing
  • International health care agencies
  • Business & industry
  • Gain experience through externship/internship programs.
  • Work or volunteer in health care/medical settings during vacations.
  • Take electives in areas such as wellness, holistic health, medical ethics, death and dying.
  • Develop goo organizational skills and the ability to handle stress.
  • Plan on graduate education for positions such as clinical specialist or nurse administrator.
Community Agencies
  • Home health care
  • Public/community health
  • Rural nursing
  • Occupational/industrial health 
  • Public and private schools and camps
  • Health maintenance organizations (HMOs)
  • Day-care centers, senior centers, mental health centers
  • Business and industry (health services centers)
  • State and local health departments
  • Nurse-run clinics 
  • Develop knowledge & skills in management, decision making, mediation, teaching, counseling, and speaking & writing.
  • Gain experience in the ability to handle emergencies (including first-aid procedures), work independently, and be flexible.
  • Expand knowledge of health issues related to age, cultures, religions, ethics, and government policies.
  • Consider graduate preparation to become nurse practitioner.
Long Term Care Agencies
  • Chronic health conditions 
  • Nursing homes, retirement centers, residential day-care centers
  • Rehabilitation centers
  • Hospices 
  • Plan on graduate study as a nurse practitioner or clinical specialist for advancement.
  • Develop patience, ability to work with both patients and families for long periods, good listening skills.
  • Take additional courses in holistic health, death & dying, and medical ethics.
Independent Practice
  • Practitioner
  • Clinician
  • Anesthetist
  • Midwife
  • Private duty 
  • Physicians, clinics, health maintenance organizations (HMOs)
  • Hospitals, industries, long-term care facilities, colleges, public health agencies, prisons
  • Self-employment (independent or joint practice) 
  • Plan on acquiring experience, advanced education, and certification.
  • Must like to work autonomously, make independent decisions, & be self-directed & detail-oriented.
  • Master bilingual skills to be more valuable.
Government Service
  • Health agencies, including Public Health Service, Indian Health Service, Veterans Administration, civil service, Peace Corps, Volunteers in Service to American (VISTA)
  • Armed Services
  • International health agencies 
  • Identify interest in medical and hospital services, research, or public health.
  • Plan on graduate study in teaching, research, or administration for advancement.
  • Become familiar with other cultures, languages, health systems, and beliefs.
  • Be prepared for combat nursing in armed services.
Education
  • Teaching
  • Counseling
  • Admission/recruitment 
  • Vocational programs, hospitals
  • Colleges, universities
  • International health care organizations
  • Wellness centers
  • Public schools
  • Develop patience, sensitivity to needs of young adults as well as patients, and ability to accept responsibility for others’ actions.
  • Take courses in education, and principles & practices of teaching.
Nursing Research
  • Large hospitals, medical centers
  • Colleges, universities
  • Centers for Nursing Research
  • National Institute for Nursing
  • Gain experience with research through supervised independent study or course projects.
  • Develop curiosity, analytical thinking, attention to detail, persistence, & good speaking writing skills.
  • Plan to pursue a doctoral degree.
International fields
  • International health 
  • Embassies, military bases, national or international government agencies, private voluntary organizations, universities
  • Business & industry
  • Church-related mission services
  • World Health Organization
  • Consider advanced education as a clinical specialist or nurse practitioner.
  • Inquire about need for additional preparation in religious studies or similar courses.
Other Areas
  • Marketing/sales
  • Product manager
  • Entrepreneur
  • Quality assurance
  • Editor/writer
  • Communications specialist 
  • Hospitals
  • Business & industry (pharmaceutical companies, medical equipment, computers, insurance)
  • Medical/health publications (print or on-line)
  • Universities
  • Health care advertising agencies
  • Professional associations
  • Plan to earn a degree in business or communications.
  • Consider earning an advanced degree as an information specialist, a clinical specialist, or a nurse practitioner.
 

Back to previous page