NURSING …

                                                NURSING
                                    What can I do with this degree?
                  AREAS                              EMPLOYERS                                       STRATEGIES

STAFF NURSING
Hospital Specialties Include:       Hospitals                                          Gain experience through externship or internship
  Pediatrics                        Clinics and medical centers                           programs.
  Surgical                          Physicians' offices and medical groups             Work or volunteer in healthcare and medical settings
  Emergency                         Outpatient surgery centers                            during summers and breaks.
  Critical Care                     Home health agencies                               Take electives in areas such as wellness, holistic
  Maternity                         Extended care facilities:                             health, medical ethics, and death and dying.
  Women's Health                       Nursing homes                                   Develop good organizational skills and the ability to
  Newborn Intensive Care               Rehabilitation centers                             handle stress.
  Cancer Treatment                     Hospices                                        Develop patience, ability to work with both patients
  Psychiatric/Mental Health         Psychiatric hospitals and mental health agencies      and families for long periods, and good listening
  Operating Room/Recovery Room      Educational institutions                              skills.
  Various Others                    Large corporations                                 Be prepared to work nights, weekends, and holidays
Occupational or Industrial Health                                                         in a hospital setting.
                                                                                       Obtain a master's degree for positions such as
                                                                                          nurse practitioner, clinical specialist, or nurse
                                                                                          administrator.
                                                                                       Cultivate managerial skills for head nurse or other
                                                                                          supervisory positions.


COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC HEALTH
                                    Public and private schools                         Develop knowledge and skills in management,
Home Health                                                                              decision-making, mediation, teaching,
Rural Nursing                       Daycare centers
                                    Mental health facilities                             counseling, speaking, and writing.
Health Education                                                                       Gain experience in the ability to handle emergen-
                                    State and local health departments
                                    Home healthcare agencies                             cies, work independently, and be flexible.
                                    Senior centers                                     Develop expertise in first aid procedures.
                                    Nurse-run clinics                                  Expand knowledge of health issues related to age,
                                    Religious organizations                              cultures, religions, ethics, and government
                                    Social service agencies                              policies.
                                                                                       Obtain a master's degree for nurse practitioner
                                                                                         positions.
(Nursing, Page 2)

                    AREAS                         EMPLOYERS                                        STRATEGIES

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE
Temporary Staffing              Healthcare staffing agencies                        Gained the required years of experience.
Travel Nursing                  Travel companies                                    Learn to work autonomously and make decisions
Personal Services Contracting   Businesses and organizations with temporary needs      independently.
Private Duty                    Private households                                  Be prepared to move frequently to various locations
Midwifery                                                                              either locally or abroad.
                                                                                    Become flexible and adaptable.


GOVERNMENT SERVICE              Government health agencies including:               Define an area of interest since government work
Staff Nursing
                                   Public Health Service                               offers a variety of practices.
Administration
                                   Indian Health Service                            Plan on graduate study in teaching, research, or
Policy Development
                                   Veterans Administration                             administration for advancement.
Research
                                   Peace Corps                                      Become familiar with other cultures, languages,
                                   VISTA                                               health systems and beliefs.
                                Armed services                                      Be prepared for combat nursing in armed services.
                                Prisons
EDUCATION
Teaching                        Teaching hospitals                                  Develop patience, sensitivity to the needs of young
Educational Administration      Colleges and universities                              adults as well as patients, and the ability to
                                Schools of nursing                                     accept responsibility for the actions of others.
                                Wellness centers                                    Take courses in the principles and practices of
                                Public school systems                                  teaching.
                                Community education programs                        Earn an advanced degree to teach at the college or
                                                                                       university level.
                                                                                    Gain experience in public speaking.

NURSING RESEARCH
                                Large hospitals and medical centers                 Gain experience with research through supervised
                                Colleges and universities                             independent study or class projects.
                                Centers for nursing research                        Develop curiosity, analytical thinking, attention to
                                National Institute for Nursing                        detail, persistence, good writing skills, and an
                                Pharmaceutical companies                              understanding of statistics.
                                                                                    Obtain a Ph.D.

TELEHEALTH                                                                          Work in other practices for five to ten years to gain
                                Call centers
                                Private Offices                                       the necessary experience.
                                Clinics                                             Develop good communication skills and the ability to
                                HMO's                                                 make important decisions quickly.
                                Hospitals
(Nursing, Page 3)

                    AREAS                                               EMPLOYERS                                                   STRATEGIES

INTERNATIONAL HEALTH
                                                         Embassies                                                Consider advanced education as a clinical nurse
                                                         Military bases                                              specialist or nurse practitioner to be more
                                                         National or international government agencies               marketable.
                                                         Private voluntary organizations                          Learn a foreign language and an appreciation for other
                                                         Church-related mission services                             cultures.
                                                         World Health Organization                                Inquire about the need for additional preparation in
                                                                                                                     religious studies or similar courses.
                                                                                                                  Research nursing requirements in other countries.

OTHER AREAS
Insurance                                                Insurance companies                                      Combine interest nursing and healthcare with
    Underwriting and Claims                              Hospitals                                                   another field by earning appropriate graduate
Sales                                                    HMO's                                                       degrees or gaining relevant experience.
Product Management                                       Business and industry:                                   Minor in business or communications as an under-
Quality Assurance                                           Pharmaceutical                                           graduate.
Writing                                                     Medical equipment and supplies                        Develop strong computer skills and an understanding
Law                                                         Medical marketing companies                              of business practices.
Healthcare Administration                                Law firms
Information Management                                   Medical and health publications
Patient Advocacy                                         Healthcare websites
Forensic Nursing                                         Healthcare advertising agencies
                                                         Public relations firms
                                                         Professional associations


GENERAL INFORMATION
· Nursing is the largest healthcare field. Three out of five nurses work in hospitals. Many nurses work part-time.
· Nursing combines science and technology with the desire to help people. One must enjoy helping people of all types and backgrounds.
· Nursing requires both physical stamina and emotional stability. Nurses must be able to follow orders and direct others.
· Earn a master's degree to prepare for advanced practice nursing including: clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, nurse anesthetist, and
       administration. Earn a doctoral degree for research or teaching at a university.
· All states regulate nursing by requiring licensure.




                   Prepared by the Career Planning staff of Career Services at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. (1995, Revised 2000, Revised 2004)
                                                             UTK is an EEO/AA Title IX/504/ADA/ADEA Employer