Job Opportunities With A Nursing Degree 2024

If you want to work in health care but don’t want to go through as much training as a doctor, try becoming a nurse.

Whether you pursue an associate, bachelor’s, or master’s degree in this field, you can advance your career as a specialist registered nurse, nurse educator, or nurse practitioner.

Researching appropriate career pathways can help you organize your schooling and discover a job that aligns with your interests, talents, and professional goals.

Jobs for nursing degree

1. Nurse health coach

• National average salary: $41,488 per year

A nurse health coach works with patients to help them achieve their wellness objectives. They may assess a patient’s existing lifestyle and develop individualized strategies to promote healthy food and exercise habits. Other responsibilities include motivating patients, recognizing health hazards, and collaborating with their healthcare providers.

2. Nurse nutritionist

• National average salary: $44,956 per year

A nurse nutritionist specializes in advising customers on their diets. They determine a patient’s nutritional goals, design menus, and tailor their recommendations to the individual patient. For example, a nutritionist may assist a diabetic client in planning healthy, delicious meals that help them regulate their glucose levels. Becoming a nutritionist can be an excellent career option for nurses who love working with individual patients in a slower-paced, office-based work environment.

3. Medical claims analyst

• National average salary: $47,305 per year

A medical claims analyst works for insurance companies, evaluating medical claims and determining client compensation. They analyze claims using their understanding of legal regulations governing insurance coverage and their clinical medical knowledge, while adhering to legal guidelines that safeguard patient confidentiality. Nurses can become good medical claims analysts because of their knowledge of medical language and experience working in the health care field.

4. Public health nurse

• National average salary: $66,588 per year

A public health nurse works to improve the health of a community by advocating for preventative health care and developing mental health programs. They are more likely to work in research settings and confer with policymakers than deal directly with patients. A public health nurse, for example, may collaborate with the school system to enhance students’ health education programs. Another example is a public health nurse who collaborates with correctional facilities to improve patient care systems for inmates.

5. Hospice nurse

• National average salary: $83,288 per year

A hospice nurse assists patients getting hospice care following a terminal diagnosis. This type of nurse maintains their patients’ comfort, offers emotional support, and teaches family caregivers. Other responsibilities include monitoring a patient’s vital signs, administering prescriptions, and working with hospice aides.

6. Nurse educator

• National average salary: $84,060 per year

A nurse educator is someone who teaches nursing students. They create course curriculum, deliver training, supervise nursing residencies, and act as mentors. Nurse educators frequently work at higher education institutions, such as community colleges, vocational schools, and universities.

Nurse educators work in both hospitals and private practices. They establish strategies to guarantee that the organization’s nurses meet continuous educational requirements for registration.

7. Health services director

• National average salary: $84,191 per year

A health services director is an administrator who oversees the medical facility’s health care services. They decide what services the facility can offer, verify that legal laws are followed, help present employees improve professionally, and hire new personnel. Health service directors may also arrange budgets and purchase supplies on behalf of hospitals.

8. Home care nurse

• National average salary: $88,866 per year

A home care nurse provides care for patients in their homes. They may work with seniors, people with impairments, or patients who have recently been discharged from the hospital and require follow-up treatment. Because these nurses work outside of health care facilities, they may be more independent and self-directed than those who work in other settings. Routine patient visits and report writing for other health care providers are among the duties performed.

9. Legal nurse consultant

• National average salary: $96,139 per year

A legal nurse consultant advises attorneys on medical conditions. They may specialize in situations involving medical malpractice, forensic research, and disability compensation. Duties include assessing legal cases, consulting with clients, compiling case files, testifying in court, and advising parties on medical issues.

10. Medical writer

• National average salary: $98,713 per year

A medical writer writes health-care papers such as technical manuals, textbooks, medical brochures, and instructive pieces for the general public. These writers often have hands-on expertise in the medical profession, allowing them to create accurate and scientifically supported content for their target readership. Duties may include talking with industry experts, conducting research, confirming sources, and revising written content.

11. Nurse case manager

• National average salary: $99,245 per year

A nurse case manager is a highly qualified nurse who creates case management plans for patients or communities. They collect patient information, update medical records, and determine patient payment arrangements and insurance coverage. A nurse case manager in a hospital, for example, may meet with new patients to assess their condition and devise a plan for follow-up assessments and care.

12. Nurse midwife

• National average salary: $105,557 per year
  

A nurse midwife is an advanced practice nurse who focuses on female reproductive health. They offer gynecological care, monitor pregnancies, and help in childbirth. Other responsibilities for a qualified nurse midwife include ordering diagnostic testing, educating parents, and providing postnatal care.

13. Nurse practitioner

• National average salary: $118,894 per year

A nurse practitioner is a highly qualified registered nurse who can diagnose patients and prescribe medications in their specialty field of practice. Other responsibilities include consulting with doctors, ordering tests, and conducting patient assessments.

14. Emergency room nurse

• National average salary: $142,360 per year

An emergency room nurse provides care to patients who have experienced trauma or are suffering from serious illnesses. This nursing vocation involves using the triage approach to prioritize patients who require the most urgent treatment, treating wounds, and determining when a patient is ready for release.

15. Oncology nurse

• National average salary: $145,159 per year

An oncology nurse specializes in treating cancer patients. Duties include educating families, giving chemotherapy, supervising symptom management programs, and tracking a patient’s reaction to treatment. Oncology nurses may specialize on a certain patient population, such as small children or elderly people.

16. Nurse anesthetist

• National average salary: $199,887 per year

A nurse anesthetist specializes in administering anesthesia to patients undergoing certain medical procedures. Duties include evaluating a patient’s medical history, preparing an operating room and monitoring the patient’s vital signs during and after surgery.