Wound care nurses, sometimes referred to as wound, ostomy, and continence (WOC) nurses, specialize in wound management, the monitoring and treatment of wounds due to injury, disease or medical treatments. Their work promotes the safe and rapid healing of a wide variety of wounds, from chronic bed sores or ulcers to abscesses, feeding tube sites and recent surgical openings. The majority of wound care nurses work in hospitals, nursing homes or travel to patients’ homes as home health workers. Their main objectives are to assess the wounds, develop a treatment plan, clean wounds and monitor for signs of infection. If the wounds become worse, the nurses must be able to recognize symptoms that could require surgical debridement or surgical drains. Wound care nurses also work with patients and other care givers to educate them on wound prevention. For example, they could inform nursing home attendants of proper ways to avoid bed sores in elderly patients. Wound care nurses must be able to handle patients’ wound delicately, effectively and with respect.

How Can I Become a Wound Care Nurse?

Certification in wound care can be earned through three organizations: the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Certification Board (WOCNCB), the National Alliance of Wound Care (NAWC)and the American Academy of Wound Management (AAWM). The WOCNCB, NAWC and AAWM require candidates to be registered nurses, which can be achieved by earning a two or four year nursing degree and passing the national licensing exam. The organizations also require candidates to have either current experience in wound care nursing or have successfully completed an approved wound care educational program. If these requirements are satisfied, a candidate is eligible to sit for the certification exam. Exams are traditionally computer based, multiple choice exams that can take several hours to complete. In order to maintain the certification once it has been earned, the certifying authorities often require nurses to take a set number of continued education classes. This ensure the medical professionals are current with the latest wound care treatments and information.

What Is the Career and Salary Outlook for a Wound Care Nurse?

The average salary for regular registered nurses is around $62,000 per year. Nurses with specialized training and certifications, like wound care nurses, generally earn more than this. One of the greatest drawbacks to working as a wound care nurse is the various unpleasant tasks associated with the job. The sight and smell of an infected or untreated wound can be very hard to cope with even for seasoned medical professionals. Benefits of working as a wound care nurse include using one’s medical expertise and experience to improve the lives of their patients. The overall employment outlook for nursing in general is expected to be positive over the next several years. Nursing is one of the few industries that is steadily growing in the Unites States. Also, a nurse that provides more specialized medical care can expect to be more highly recruited by facilities and to receive a higher annual salary.

A urologic nurse is a nurse who specializes in treating patients with diseases related to the kidney, bladder, urethra, and other parts of the human urinary system. In some cases, urologic nurses are also involved in the treatment of the male and female reproductive systems. Since urinary and reproductive health are part and parcel of achieving and maintaining a healthy body overall, the work of urologic nurses is both important and rewarding. Urologic nurses often deal with kidney or renal stones, which are solidified substances from crystallized urine which impair the proper functioning of the kidney. Urologic nurses also treat urinary tract infections and bladder infections, two very common types of infections which can affect anyone at any time for a variety of reasons. Urologic nurses typically perform urinary health exams, diagnose problems like bladder incontinence, prescribe medication, and teach patients how to best maintain urinary health.

How Can I Become a Urologic Nurse?

Becoming a urologic nurse requires a specific type of education and training. An aspiring urologic nurse must first enroll in either a two-year associate’s degree program or a four-year bachelor’s degree program. Either is acceptable, although the four-year degree plan generally opens up more employment options. Basic courses that potential urologic nurses take as undergraduates include human anatomy, chemistry, and biology. In the latter part of study, students will take more specialized courses, leading up to a certification exam to become a Registered Nurse (RN). Once a student passes the exam, she is prepared to work in an entry-level general hospital position. Most urologic nurses begin by working as RNs, in which they encounter a variety of situations and medical conditions. Once an RN has a few years of experience, especially working with urinary conditions, she can apply to work at urology offices. Sometimes it is advisable to take certification tests through national organizations like the Certification Board for Urologic Nurses and Associates.

What Is the Career and Salary Outlook for a Urologic Nurse?

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the job outlook for registered nurses in general is said to be excellent and the industry as a whole is growing at a a rate that is much faster than average. Job growth between 2008 and 2018 is projected to be about 22%. According to Simplyhired.com, the average salary that urologic nurses can expect to make is roughly $48,000 a year. This figure, however , varies greatly from state to state, city to city, and hospital to hospital. Still, you can rest assured that urology is an exciting field that will provide endless opportunity for career growth. Conditions associated with urinary and reproductive health are extremely common, affecting nearly everyone in the general population. What’s more, as the baby boomer generation continues to age, these conditions will proliferate even more, meaning that urology nurses will be in particularly high demand.

A travel nurse is in many ways like a Registered Nurse (RN). In fact, all travel nurses are registered; the only difference is that travel nurses work temporary shifts at hospitals around the country and in some cases, overseas. The typical domestic shift is 4 to 13 weeks, while an overseas stint can be for up to a year or two long. After receiving the required training, education, and initial experience, a travel nurse first applies through a nursing placement agency. The agency will eventually serve as the nurse’s liaison in finding different placements. As of 2009, there are about 340 nursing placement agencies in the country, working on behalf of travel nurses everywhere. If you are interested in pursuing a career in nursing but you enjoy a constant change of scenery, possible private perks such as housing and transportation, and meeting a growing need for nurses across the country, then travel nursing may just be the thing for you.

How Can I Become a Travel Nurse?

Becoming a traveling nurse requires you to pass through the usual stages of nursing school. The accepted minimum is Registered Nurse, which entails about two to three years of schooling. You can complete an associate’s degree in two years, or you can go for the bachelor’s degree, which takes about four years. There also the diploma in nursing option (DN), which is completed at a hospital and takes about two to three years as well. Depending on the time you want to spend and the career mobility you plan on achieving, the different degrees are really up to you. To become a travel nurse specifically, most nursing placement agencies require at least one to two years of RN nursing experience. Applying to a nursing agency is perhaps one of the most difficult parts of becoming a nurse, as it requires lots of paperwork. However, once the work is completed, your files will usually transfer from one agency to another without any problem.

What Is the Career and Salary Outlook for a Travel Nurse?

A travel nurse’s career outlook is “great” according to PayScale.com. The average hourly wage for a travel nurse ranges from about thirty to forty dollars an hour. What’s more, travel nurses can often have their agencies pay for their utilities, housing, and other personal costs associated with constant moving. Because there is a severe shortage of nurses across the country, the demand for travel nurses is quite high, which means that agencies are now competing heavily in terms of recruitment. With more competition, the wages and benefits of travel nurses will continue to escalate. Of course, as with physicians’ salaries, wages vary heavily by location. California is one state with higher wages and a large demand for traveling nurses. Metropolitan areas like New York City and Chicago are also well-paying. Note, however, that most of these locations have higher cost-of-living prices, too. All in all, if you want to pursue a rewarding career which enables you to travel, care for the sick, and have many of your personal expenses compensated, then this is precisely the career path for you.

A trauma nurse specializes in caring for patients who are in a state of emergency. This means that the trauma nurse is especially equipped to handle urgent medical situations in which a diagnosis has not been made and the causes of injury or disease are not yet known. Trauma nurses often work in emergency rooms and other chaotic environments. A typical task assigned to a trauma nurse is the processing of patients in an emergency room setting. They also run into a high degree of stressful situations and are often called upon to coordinate with doctors, family members, and other nurses. Trauma nurses work long, and sometimes odd hours. They also must become quickly accustomed to situations in which patients are severely and horrifically injured. However, those looking for a fast-paced career in which saving lives is a daily occurrence, then becoming a trauma nurse may be just the thing for you.

How Can I Become a Trauma Nurse?

Becoming a trauma nurse is relatively simple, and it does not differ very much, at least in training, from other nursing careers. For one, potential trauma nurses are Registered Nurses and must pass the National Council Licensure Examination. Trauma nurses usually specialize in specific areas of expertise, like emergency care, and they may obtain additional certifications in areas like injury prevention. In terms of education and training, trauma nurses must receive a mix of formal schooling and clinical experience before they can expect to be established in the field. There are several degree programs that trauma nurses seek, among them being a four-year bachelor’s degree, a two-year associate’s degree, or a hospital diploma. There are several distance learning, accredited programs online that enable those who desire more flexibility to still pursue their dreams. Whatever you choose, make sure that the program you select has all the necessary components that will guide you straight into the career of trauma nursing. This means the program must encompass rigorous preparation for exams and hands-on hospital experience.

What Is the Career and Salary Outlook for a Trauma Nurse?

According to Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the career outlook for trauma nurses is positive. From 2006 to 2016, the field is expected to grow by about 23%, a figure that is much higher than most fields. The average salary of a trauma nurse stands at about $60,000 a year, although the salary does vary widely from city to city and from hospital to hospital. The salary also depends on other key factors like level of education, experience, industry, and employer. In any case, you can be sure that entering the field of trauma nursing is going to be an exciting career that leaves open room for advancement. Based on that current statistics and projections, this career path will no doubt offer solid, reliable job security for years to come. What’s more, trauma nursing is a special field that not only will provide for you financial well being. More than that, the rewards of saving lives every day are a priceless dividend reaped in and of itself.

Transplant nurses are specially trained to provide nursing care and support for patients before, during and after they receive an organ transplant. They also work with living donors, educating them on their upcoming surgical procedure, how they should prepare, and any risks involved in donation. Living donors are those who voluntarily choose to donate organs and tissues such as bone marrow, a kidney or even a portion of their liver. Other patients, however, receive essential organs, such as a heart or lungs, from donors who have already died. Transplant nurses take medical histories, ensure that the proper documentation is signed, order lab tests to confirm an organ match, and clear patients and donors for surgical procedures with the help of one or more physicians. Some transplant nurses assist with the surgical procedure, passing medical instruments and checking vitals. Others work only in post-operative care, monitoring the patient for signs of organ rejection, monitoring donors for signs of complications, administering pain medications and/or positioning the patient so that they can recover as quickly and comfortably as possible.

How Can I Become a Transplant Nurse?

The first step toward becoming a transplant nurse is to complete an approved nursing education program. The most common way of doing this is to earn a degree in nursing. Most nurses have earned either an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from an accredited college or university, although the BSN is overwhelmingly the preferred degree. Less common is earning a nursing diploma, a program typically offered through hospitals. During your nursing education, it is helpful to specialize in medical-surgical nursing. After completing a nursing program, all future nurses go on to take an exam called the NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) so they can become licensed to practice nursing in their state. Most nurses must gain a few years experience as a staff nurse working in critical care, intensive care or medical-surgical nursing before moving into transplant nursing. After accumulating significant clinical experience working with organ transplant patients, you can become board certified as a Certified Clinical Transplant Nurse through the American Board for Transplant Certification.

What Is the Career and Salary Outlook for a Transplant Nurse?

The career outlook for registered nurses overall is excellent, and experienced nurses who specialize in a particular area of health care, such as transplant nursing, are often highly sought-after. The demand for organ transplants is already high (more than 100,000 people are awaiting organs in the U.S. alone) and is only expected to increase as the population grows; the number of donors is also increasing every year. This should lead to significant job growth for transplant nurses. The overall employment of registered nurses is projected to grow by 22 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average annual salary for a transplant nurse is $62,000, according to SimplyHired.com, a site that calculates average salaries based on what is listed in the job postings it receives. A number of factors can affect your salary as a transplant nurse, including how many years of experience you have, what certifications you have, what region of the U.S. you live in, and whether you are working in a metropolitan or rural area.

Toxicology nurses are specially trained to work with patients who have ingested poisons or have otherwise come into contact with hazardous toxins. Some toxicology nurses even work with patients who have been bitten by venomous snakes or who are having a severe allergic reaction to a bee, wasp or scorpion sting. It all comes down to developing an individual plan of care for patients who have been exposed in one way or another to a poisonous or toxic substance. Toxicology nurses often work alongside pharmacists at poison control centers as telenurses, although they may work directly with patients in a variety of other health care facilities. That means they are often the professionals on the other end of the line when you call a poison control hotline and desperately need to know what to do. Toxicology nurses may also work in community health, speaking with the public, particularly young children, about the dangers of poisons and hazardous materials. Some emergency room nurses also have toxicology training.

How Can I Become a Toxicology Nurse?

The first step toward becoming a toxicology nurse is to complete an approved nursing education program. The most common way of doing this is to earn a degree in nursing. Most nurses have earned either an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from an accredited college or university, although the BSN is overwhelmingly the preferred degree. Less common is earning a nursing diploma, a program typically offered through hospitals. During your nursing education, it is helpful to take additional elective courses in pharmacology or poison control, if possible. After completing a nursing program, all future nurses go on to take an exam called the NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) so they can become licensed to practice nursing in their state. Most nurses must gain a few years experience as a staff nurse working in critical care or intensive care unit (ICU) nursing before moving into toxicology nursing. After accumulating significant clinical experience working in toxicology, you can proceed to become a Certified Specialist in Poison Information by taking an exam offered through the American Association of Poison Control Centers.

What Is the Career and Salary Outlook for a Toxicology Nurse?

The career outlook for registered nurses overall is excellent, and experienced nurses who specialize in a particular area of health care, such as toxicology, are often highly sought-after. Becoming certified can greatly increase your job prospects. However, toxicology nursing is a niche profession with very little turnover, which means jobs that fit the description of a toxicology nurse could be scarce. The overall employment of registered nurses is projected to grow by 22 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average annual salary for a toxicology nurse is $47,000, according to SimplyHired.com, a site that calculates average salaries based on what is listed in the job postings it receives. A number of factors can affect your salary as a toxicology nurse, including how many years of experience you have, what certifications you have, what region of the U.S. you live in, and whether you are working in a metropolitan or rural area.

Surgical nurses, often called medical-surgical nurses, are specially trained to provide nursing care for patients before, during and after surgery. They are valued members of a medical facility’s surgical team who assist surgeons, anesthesiologists, and other health care professionals during surgical procedures. Surgical nursing is the oldest nursing specialty, and medical-surgical nurses make up the lion’s share of all nurses in the U.S. Before surgery, a surgical nurse explains to the patient how the procedure will go, answering any questions they have and informing them of any risks. They take medical histories and clear patients for surgery. During surgery, they sterilize the surgical area, pass instruments to the physician, monitor vital signs, and perform certain medical tasks at the surgery site. After surgery, they manage a patient’s post-operative care, which includes pain relief and positioning of the patient, as well as close monitoring for signs of complications. Surgical nurses must have a broad range of skills, as they work with patients with various acute conditions and chronic illnesses.

How Can I Become a Surgical Nurse?

The first step toward becoming a surgical nurse is to complete an approved nursing education program. The most common way of doing this is to earn a degree in nursing. Most nurses have earned either an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from an accredited college or university, although the BSN is the preferred degree. Less common is earning a nursing diploma, a program typically offered through hospitals. During your nursing education, it is helpful to take elective courses in medical-surgical nursing, if possible. After completing a nursing program, all future nurses go on to take an exam called the NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) so they can become licensed to practice nursing in their state. Many nurses gain experience as a staff nurse working in critical care or intensive care nursing before moving into medical-surgical nursing. After accumulating significant clinical experience working with surgical patients, you can proceed to become board certified through the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses.

What Is the Career and Salary Outlook for a Surgical Nurse?

The career outlook for registered nurses overall is excellent, and experienced nurses who specialize in a particular area of health care, such as surgical nursing, are often highly sought-after. Becoming certified can greatly increase your job prospects. The overall employment of registered nurses is projected to grow by 22 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The annual salary for a medical-surgical nurse is between $49,000 and $66,000, according to SimplyHired.com, a site that calculates average salaries based on what is listed in the job postings it receives. A number of factors can affect your salary as a surgical nurse, including how many years of experience you have, what certifications you have, what region of the U.S. you live in, and whether you are working in a metropolitan or rural area.

Nurses that work in substance abuse are often specialized in pain management and help to regulate the treatment and administering of medication for patients addicted to drugs, alcohol and other substances. To work as a substance abuse nurse, one must have a thick skin, be compassionate and sympathetic. These nurses also spend a great deal of time educating their patients about the dangers of substance abuse and possible treatment options. They provide a great deal of support for people that have little else in their lives besides addiction. Substance abuse nurses can work in private facilities, mental health clinics, psychiatric wards, hospitals and inpatient or outpatient treatment center. Because addiction is both a mental and physical disease unique to each patient, substance abuse nurses should be knowledgeable about both general medicine and specialized addiction related medicine, as well as be able to customize their treatment programs to their patients.

How Can I Become a Substance Abuse Nurse?

To become a substance abuse nurse, one must first become a licensed registered nurse. To accomplish this, a student can attend a two or four year program in nursing, where they will learn anatomy, chemistry, physiology and patient care. They must then successfully pass the national licensing exam, NCLEX – RN. After this, a nurse must log around three years of practical work experience as a registered nurse with 4,000 hours, or two years, in substance abuse nursing before they can be eligible to sit for the certification exam. This exam is sponsored by the International Nurses Society on Addictions and is only available twice a year, so candidates should prepare accordingly. Passing the exam allows a nurse to be called a Certified Addictions Registered Nurse (CARN) and offers them to be more competitive in the workforce and even command a higher salary.

What Is the Career and Salary Outlook for a Substance Abuse Nurse?

There is currently a high demand for nurses across the United States, but especially for substance abuse nurses. As the number of addicts in this country rises, so does the demand for specialized medical professionals. Today, one in every ten Americans abuses some kind of substance. One of the benefits to working as a substance abuse nurse is the freedom and autonomy it can allow. These nurses can organize family member support groups, serve on task forces, lead educational programs and become abuse counselors. Also, the ability to help a patient recover from an addition and essentially save their life can be very rewarding. One of the biggest drawbacks to working as a substance abuse nurse is how close you can get to patients, and the challenge of working long hours. Patients will often call their nurses at all hours of the day looking for support, drugs, medication or other aids. This can be tiring and disappointing for the nurse.

Chances are that when you were a child, you made several trips to the school nurse due to stomach aches, headaches, or a bad cold. School nurses are an integral part of keeping schoolchildren healthy. They are responsible for caring for students who get sick or injured during school hours. School nurses who work at universities may even be available at all hours of the day just in case a student needs medical attention on campus. They perform the same duties as any other nurse, including taking vital signs such as the patient’s temperature, recording symptoms, and administering basic medical aid. School nurses can handle common illnesses and injuries, though if the case is severe, they may make the decision to send the student home or to a hospital. In addition, school nurses educate students about health care and growth development. They also often administer routine check-ups, such as testing the auditory health of students and examining vision health.

How Can I Become a School Nurse?

Only registered nurses can become school nurses, so those interested in joining the field should look into earning licensure to practice as a registered nurse. This is different than earning licensure to practice as a licensed practical or vocational nurse, so be sure that you are completing the correct program if you wish to join the school nursing specialty. To become a registered nurse, prospective nurses need to earn a diploma, associate degree or bachelor’s degree in nursing. During the nursing program, students should take as many classes as possible related to the development of children and adolescents to prepare for a career in this specialty. After completing an accredited and approved nursing program, nursing students will need to successfully complete the NCLEX-RN examination to gain licensure. After earning a nursing license, new nurses will also need to become certified as a school nurse. This can be obtained through the National Board for Certification of School Nurses, which ensures that all certified school nurses meet a standard for education and work skills.

What Is the Career and Salary Outlook for a School Nurse?

There is reason to celebrate if you are looking to join the nursing field. Employment opportunities for registered nurses are projected to increase 22 percent during the 2008-18 decade, pouring approximately 581,500 more jobs into the market, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In fact, registered nurses make up the biggest group in the health care occupation, which means that there are more registered nurses in the health care industry than any other job, including physicians and technicians. With such good prospects, the career outlook for school nurses should be similarly sunny. An increasing number of students and schools should also add to the demand for school nurses, meaning that school nurses looking for work after completing a nursing program are likely to find a job fairly easily. The school nursing profession is a rewarding one that allows for nurses to work with children and young adults to promote healthy living choices and basic care. The earnings for school nurses vary greatly depending on the nurse’s employer, level of experience, and geographic location.

Rheumatology nurses provide support and treatment for patients dealing with Rheumatic diseases including lupus, Lyme disease, Rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, myositis, and spondylitis. Working with these types of patients involves duties like monitoring blood work, patient counseling and managing pain and the effectiveness of their medication. They can work in a variety of settings from patient assessment clinics, drug surveillance and counseling clinics, private rheumatology practices and hospitals. These rheumatology nurses must also be good communicators as they aim to inform their patients about helpful treatment programs and ways to manage their painful symptoms. They also work together with other nursing specialists, physicians, counselors and family members to provide the best possible care for the patients. Rheumatology nurses should be able to perform physical examinations, be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of rheumatic diseases and be able to design an appropriate treatment program for that patient, including medication prescription and physical therapy.

How Can I Become a Rheumatology Nurse?

As rheumatic diseases are associated with the muscles, joints and bones, rheumatology nurses should be very familiar with those parts of the human body. To work as a rheumatology nurse, one must first earn an education in nursing. This can be accomplished by attending a two or four year program in nursing and successfully passing the national licensing exam, NCLEX-RN. This license allows registered nurses to practice medicine legally in the United States. Currently, there is no recognized certification program for rheumatology nurses. Some hospitals or medical facilities offer training courses in the discipline for registered nurses with some working experience. If you are interested in working as a rheumatology nurse, consider taking courses in nursing school that directly relate to the discipline and contact a local hospital or rheumatology clinic for internship or training opportunities.

What Is the Career and Salary Outlook for a Rheumatology Nurse?

Currently, there are only around 5,000 rheumatology nurses working in the United States and research studies estimate this number won’t be enough to meet the growing demand in coming years. Experts believe that by the year 2025, there will be only half of the rheumatology nurses available than is needed by the health care industry. This shortage is promising news for nursing students interested in this field or registered nurses seeking a career change. With the demand for rheumatology nurses being greater than the supply, new professionals to this discipline can expect greater salaries than usual and very competitive benefits packages. This field is also growing rapidly thanks to advances in medical technology related to rheumatology, like understanding the immunology of these disorders and developing new treatment options. This means that today the field of rheumatology has shifted from diseases management to diseases prevention.