If you are considering a career in nursing, you may be wondering which nursing specialities require a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. You don’t need a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree to pass your nursing board exam and earn your Registered Nurse (RN) license, but you will need an associate’s degree in nursing. If you want to work in some specific fields of nursing though, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing may be required. This degree usually takes two years or less to earn if you already have your associate’s in nursing degree. Looking at some of the specialties that require a Bachelor of Science in Nursing can help you plan out your future and know what you need to get the job you want.
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Critical Care Nursing
Critical care is a field in the medical industry that deals with patients who need treatment quickly. Nurses in this field can work in an urgent care center or the emergency room/department of a hospital. They must know how to think quickly on their feet and have strong problem solving skills. These nurses usually need both a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a critical care nursing certificate. Hospitals may ask that you have some experience as a nurse before hiring you.
Nurse Educator
Not all nurses spend as much time with patients as others do. Working as a nurse educator allows you to spend more time working with students and future nurses. This specialty requires that you have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and a few years of professional experience. You might work for a vocational school, community college or university. You may work directly with new nursing students and those further along in their studies. Hospitals also hire educators to work with students doing their clinical rotations. You’ll oversee these students to ensure they develop the right skills.
Family Care Nursing
Those who want to know what nursing specialities require a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree may not consider family care nursing. These are the nurses who work in practices that specialize in treating the whole family. Instead of working with just older people or kids, you’ll work with a wide range of ages every day. As a family nurse practitioner, you’ll talk with patients about their symptoms and get medical histories from them. You may have the chance to actually treat some patients after speaking to a doctor. Most of these nurses work in family care centers and family medical offices.
Nurse Midwife
Another career path open to you once you have your Bachelor of Science in Nursing is that of a nurse midwife. Nurse midwives help pregnant women and those trying to become pregnant as well as women nearing the end of their pregnancies. You may offer some medical help and support after a patient gives birth, too. Nurse midwives make more money when they have their certification, which requires that you take an exam and submit an application. You may also need to take some graduate courses. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean salary for a nurse midwife is more than $102,000 a year, which is nearly $50 an hour.
Getting your Bachelor of Science in Nursing is an important step for all nurses. Some hospitals across the country will no longer hire new nurses unless they have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. You’ll find that you also need the degree to work in certain fields of nursing. Looking at which nursing specialities require a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree will help you determine which you degree you’ll need to work in your desired field of nursing.
