The pre-licensure program is the foundation for developing your skills in nursing. Everything you learn in the program lays the groundwork for your future nursing career. The first thing to do after graduating from the program is to take the NCLEX-RN exam, as you cannot practice as a nurse until you pass it (or are scheduled to take it in certain states).
If you want to learn more about the process from graduation to becoming an RN, check out our article on what to do after graduation!
Here are some common jobs available to RNs that use the skills learned in the nursing program.
Entry-Level RN Jobs
These are some common jobs for new BSN graduates that only require your nursing license and degree:
- Medical-Surgical Nurse: Being a med-surg nurse means providing comprehensive care for adult patients managing illness and recovering from surgery. Working in such a fast-paced environment means caring for several patients at once, each with diverse medical needs. Tasks might include administering medications, monitoring vital signs, and recognizing early signs of complications.
- Labor & Delivery Nurse: Be present at one of the most impactful moments of someone’s life. Labor & delivery nurses take care of patients through pregnancy, labor, and the immediate postpartum period. Tasks include assessing labor progression, ensuring newborn safety, and supporting and educating patients and families.
- School Nurse: This job focuses on helping students stay healthy and safe while at school and involves both routine and emergency health needs. Tasks can include anything from treating minor injuries or providing scheduled treatments, to coordinating with parents and teachers to ensure child safety.
- Clinic Nurse: A clinic nurse is a broad term referring to any RN working in an outpatient setting. This can refer to primary care clinics, but also specialty clinics like cardiology, dermatology or orthopedics. Their responsibilities vary by specialty, but often include rooming patients, helping with minor procedures, and calling patients with results or provider instructions.
- Operating Room Nurse: OR Nurses are focused on caring for patients before, during, and after surgery. There are two main roles that fall under this category for new RNs: Circulating Nurse and Scrub Nurse.
Circulating nurses work to ensure that the surgery goes smoothly. Think of them as the bridge between the patients, surgeons, and the patient’s family, helping to support each to ensure success. They perform preoperative assessments, ensure sterility and safety standards are followed, and retrieve equipment and supplies.
Being a scrub nurse is a lot less common for new grads but is still a possible option for new RNs. Scrub nurses assist the surgeon directly in the operating room, serving as support and an extra set of hands. They often set up sterile instruments and equipment, hand instruments to the surgeon, and anticipate surgical needs.
Note: Labor & Delivery and Operating Room Nurses usually need extra training, but not extra school. The good news is that most hospitals will train you and get you certified after they hire you. Some employers might prefer someone who has experience (like working in med-surg), but most will hire you and then train you during orientation or residency.
Jobs That Require Further Schooling
These specialized roles go beyond the scope of an RN and require graduate school or advanced certification pathways:
- Nurse Practitioner: Nurse practitioners provide many of the same services as physicians, such as diagnosing illnesses, interpreting tests, and prescribing medications. They work in a wide range of settings, like clinics, hospitals, and specialty practices, and have more autonomy and abilities than RNs.
- Certified Nurse Midwife: This is a nurse who specializes in pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care. They work with patients throughout pregnancy, meaning they can build strong relationships with patients and understand specific needs. Certified nurse midwives usually have routine prenatal visits, monitor growth and health of mom and baby, deliver babies, and have follow-up visits. While midwives usually specialize in low-risk births, they are trained to recognize complications quickly.
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist: Being a CRNA is one of the most advanced, highest paid roles in nursing. They specialize in providing anesthesia, pain management, and closely monitoring patients before, during, and after procedures. They can give all types of anesthesia, including general anesthesia, epidurals, sedation, and spinal anesthesia. In summary, nurse anesthetists ensure the patient has just the right dosage to keep them under while keeping them alive.
- Nurse Researcher: As the name suggests, nurse researchers specialize in researching new scientific knowledge that improves patient care, healthcare systems, and nursing practice. They design studies, collect and analyze data, publish findings, and influence healthcare policy and practice guidelines. Nurse researchers are at the forefront of advancing the science of nursing.
- Nurse Administrator: Nurse administrators focus on leadership and operations rather than working directly with patients. They oversee teams, budgets, staffing, and overall functioning of nursing units or healthcare organizations. Because nurse administrators work at many different levels their responsibilities can vary, but general duties can include supervising nurses, hiring and training staff, and creating and managing budgets.
Keys to Success
Both your experience in the nursing program and your nursing license are essential building blocks that propel you into many different career opportunities. These keys to success are what will prepare you to help others and open the door to many exciting opportunities for your future.
Sources
What is Medical Surgical (Med-Surg) Nursing?
Nurse Journal: Operating Room Nurse Career Overview
4 Misconceptions about Nurse Midwives
Nursing World: How to Become a Research Nurse
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Medical and Health Services Managers