Nursing is one of the most popular careers. It has also been considered the most trusted profession, especially in the post-pandemic period. Nursing is increasingly becoming the choice of individuals who want to work in healthcare in jobs other than doctors and physicians. The demand for nurses continues to upsurge due to a snowballing population of baby boomers and the impending retirement of nurses. Nurses can choose an area of work and specialize in it. Some specializations are more in-demand than others. Therefore, if you want to be part of this profession, it is better to choose one of the most sought-after specializations to increase your chances of employment exponentially. On the contrary, if you are already part of healthcare, earning a specialization can boost your career and amplify your potential to excel. So, we are sharing a list of nurse specializations preferred by employers.

1. Nurse researchers

The impact of the illnesses has become more profound, novel viruses and diseases are surfacing, and patient care has become more complex. Hence, healthcare needs individuals who can study these phenomena and look for better patient care practices. Here the nurse researchers come into the picture. They ”study various aspects of health and patient care and implement studies in the practical context.

As a nurse assistant, you will conduct research, collect and analyze data, find new results, and report them. You will write grant proposals as most of the research is funded by grants and communicate with stakeholders. Therefore, communication skills are a must for this job. You will also write articles and scientific reports for journals to publish the results of your findings. According to payscale, the average nurse researcher salary is $81500 per year, making it one of the lucrative professions in healthcare.

2. Oncology nurse

Next is the job of an oncology nurse who is part of a patient’s cancer treatment and diagnosis. You will be working with cancer patients throughout their journey of treatment. You have a variety of options when it comes to work settings; there are hospitals, private care clinics, dedicated cancer centers, or home care. Cancer can be diagnosed in anyone, but according to the National Cancer Institute statistics, most cancer patients are between 55 and 84 of age. So as the number of baby boomers increases, so does the demand for oncology nurses. Therefore, employers are always looking for qualified oncology nurses to improve patient care in their facilities. The recommended qualification to become an oncology nurse is BSN, though you can work with an ASN too. But with a higher degree, you may have better job opportunities and a higher earning potential. The average annual salary of an oncology nurse is $74,090.

3. Nurse Manager

If you are interested in performing other than clinical roles, you can go into administrative jobs in nursing. In this capacity, you can work to oversee the work of teams of professionals. Nurse Managers take care of the whole department, oversee their work, and make sure the staff adheres to the departmental and organizational goals. A nurse manager will look after the human resource, budgeting, staffing functions. Nurse managers keep all the staff ready professionally and ensure they have adequate qualifications and training to perform their job. An effective nurse manager displays a combination of the right education and skills to perform their job. The minimum qualification needed for a nurse manager position is a BSN, but MSN is more preferred by employers. As for the skills, you must have strong communication skills, leadership skills, and critical thinking skills. A nurse manager can earn a very handsome salary. The average yearly income is $88562.

4. Nursing educator

Apart from leadership and clinical roles, nurses are also required in educational roles. In the coming decade, thousands of senior nurses will age out of this profession and retire. Hence, there is a shortage of qualified nurses who can prepare the new generation of nurses. Nursing educators are required to assume educational duties and train the next cohort of nurses about patient care and medicine. A nurse educator needs to earn a minimum of MSN or a higher level education such as DNP to be eligible for this role. You may find nurse educators in the education institutions such as schools and colleges. They might be working in the hospitals to train staff nurses too. The average salary of a nurse educator is $90,834 per year, according to March 2022 estimates. As experienced professionals, nurse educators can mitigate patient risks, promote evidence-based practices and lower the rate of errors.

5. Nurse anesthetist

Nurse aesthetics are extremely in demand. Their job is to administer anesthesia to the patients before a procedure. Latter, they stay with the patients until they come to their normal state of mind. You have to be trained to administer the anesthesia with the right qualification to work in this field. Nurse anesthetics can work in many healthcare settings, including hospitals, doctor’s private practice, military hospitals, and medically under deserved areas. The employment of these nurses is expected to grow by 13% from 2020 to 2030. The median salary of a nurse anesthetist is $183,580.

Conclusion

Healthcare needs nurses, but some specializations are more demanded than others. So, when you plan to earn a specialization, try to choose the fields which are more lucrative and sought after by employers. The above mentioned is a glimpse of the most in-demand nurses. Have a look at their job duties before deciding.

nurse researcher salary

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