Registered Nursing Specialties
Nurses Specializing in a Work Setting or Type of Treatment
There are many options for RNs who specialize in a work setting or type of treatment, ranging from ambulatory care to providing infusions to patients. Lean more about the different types available below:
Ambulatory Care Nursing
Ambulatory care nurses work with patients who seek care for health promotion, health maintenance, or health-related problems. Their emphasis is to help patients maintain health and independence in their home environment. They work in a diverse array of environments ranging from HMO Clinics to patient’s homes.
Critical Care Nursing
Critical care nurses specialize in providing care to critically ill patients who have serious, complex, and acute illnesses or injuries. Their main function is to deal with human responses to life-threatening problems. Critical care nurses practice in settings where patients require complex assessment, high-intensity therapies and interventions, and continuous nursing vigilance such as intensive care units, pediatric ICUs, cardiac care units and emergency rooms.
Trauma and ER Nursing
Emergency, or trauma, nurses work in hospital or stand-alone emergency departments, providing initial assessments and care for patients with life-threatening conditions. They specialize in rapid assessment and treatment when every second counts, particularly during the initial phase of acute illness and trauma. Some emergency nurses may become qualified to serve as transport nurses, who provide medical care to patients who are transported by helicopter or airplane to the nearest medical facility.
Holistic Nursing
Holistic nurses are defined by a common goal: to provide a nursing practice that focuses on healing the whole person. This practice recognizes the totality of the human being - the ways in which the body, mind, emotion, and spirit are connected. They work in a variety of different settings such as Alternative Medicine Clinics, Acupuncturist Offices and Universities. However, a holistic nurse can be found in any medical environment since it’s considered a nursing mentality rather than a full-fledged practice.
Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing
Hospice and palliative care nurses focus on end-of-life care, which includes 24-hour nursing availability, management of pain and other symptoms, and family support. Their focus is to reduce pain rather than to make someone well since their patients are terminally ill. Hospice Nurses work primarily work in patient’s home or hospice settings.
Infusion Nursing
Infusion nurses provide care to patients by administering fluids, medication, or blood products through injections into patients’ veins or by maintaining arterial catheters. These nurses are also responsible for monitoring patients, maintaining their tubing and bandages, and recognizing potential drug interactions and complications. Infusion Nurses work in hospitals; long-term care centers, clinics, and home health agencies.
