Nurses work in hospitals, general practice, community healthcare, aged care, education and research roles as well as many specialist areas of clinical practice. Our healthcare system is continuing to evolve, and nurses are needed more than ever to provide clinical care and drive policy, lead teams, educate future generations and improve health service delivery.
This means there are many opportunities for nurses of all skills and interests. If you want to continue practising in a clinical area, work with specific populations or move into healthcare administration, nursing can open many doors for your career.
Here are just a few options for your nursing career.
1. Nurse Practitioner and Advanced Clinical Practice
Registered nurses with ambitions to learn advanced clinical skills and knowledge may choose to follow an advanced nursing pathway with further study. Graduate certificates, diplomas, or earning your Masters of Nursing provide pathways to expand your skillset and learn about specialised care. Further study allows nurses to learn about more complex care management and prepare for expanded roles.
Specialisations after postgraduate study can vary depending on the nurse’s area of interest. These specialisations may include emergency care, aged care, mental health or chronic disease care. Nurses may also choose to gain skills to work in clinical leadership positions. Advanced practice registered nurses work in collaboration with doctors and other health professionals.
Graduating with a Master of Nursing can allow you to expand your role even further. Nurses with advanced degrees may move into clinical leadership roles, education, research or healthcare innovation. Advanced nursing degrees create pathways for nurses to become leaders in improving quality, access and effectiveness of care.
2. Emergency and Critical Care Nursing
Emergency and critical care nursing is ideal for RNs who like working quickly and know how to make a difference when it matters most. From emergency rooms to ICUs, emergency and critical care nurses care for patients who are experiencing traumatic injuries, acute illnesses or life-threatening conditions that need immediate care.
Clinical judgement is important in emergency and critical care, as nurses will often need to prioritise treatment and think on their feet if a patient’s condition suddenly changes. Whether you’re assisting with trauma cases or helping patients during unforeseen medical emergencies, emergency nursing allows you to be there for your patients when they need you most.
Empathy, collaboration and stamina are just a few of the many skills essential for nursing in high-stress environments. Emergency nurses work alongside physicians, allied health professionals and emergency responders to ensure patients are receiving care in a timely manner. If you find solving problems, working in fast-paced settings and being part of a team during emergencies exciting, you may want to consider a career in emergency and critical care nursing.
3. Mental Health Nursing
Mental health nursing is one of the largest nursing specialties and continues to grow as more links are discovered between mental and overall health. Mental health nurses care for patients who are facing problems like anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction and other mental illnesses. Mental Health Nurses guide patients through these trying times with both empathy and clinical know-how.
Nurses in mental health provide care, complete assessments, and create a wellness plan based around the patient’s strengths and wellness goals. Mental health nursing is unique in that it focuses on the whole person, not just the illness. Mental health nurses look at not only a person’s mental health but also their social and physical health.
Working in mental health can take place in a variety of settings: hospitals, community health centres, nursing homes, and dedicated mental health facilities. Mental health nursing is a great way to use your RN degree to become a driving force in the lives of not only patients but their families and your community.
4. Community and Public Health Nursing
Hospitals aren’t the only place RNs can work. It's not just hospitals and doctors' offices where nurses make a difference. There are RN jobs in community health nursing and public health.
Community health nurses and public health nurses care for patients outside of the clinical setting. They may visit someone’s home or workplace to help keep them as healthy as possible. Nursing in this field focuses on preventative care and catching things before they become a problem.
Community health nurses work with the public to promote healthy living. They may help people manage chronic diseases, administer vaccinations, support mothers in maternal-child health programs or educate people about exercise and good nutrition. A big part of community nursing involves serving the underprivileged who may have difficulty receiving care elsewhere.
As a public health nurse, you can work in schools, community health clinics, government-run health initiatives and more. Public health nurses can create a bond with the people they serve and help bring better care to the community.
5. Aged Care and Geriatric Nursing
Australia’s ageing population is growing each year, making aged care and geriatric nursing more prevalent in our health care system. We are now entering a new era for aged care. This new approach is focused on providing more personalised support, putting an emphasis on the dignity, independence and quality of life of older Australians.
Aged care nurses work with people who have an array of healthcare needs. This can include any person who has concerns with chronic conditions, mobility issues, medication adherence or complex medical needs. Instead of only addressing the health concern, aged care nurses use a person-centred approach which focuses on the individual’s lifestyle, preferences and wellbeing.
Registered nurses have the opportunity to work in residential aged care facilities, home care services and community care centres. Aged care allows nurses to build strong relationships with patients and their families. Assisting older Australians to live their best life by helping them stay independent and enjoy the highest quality of life possible. If you are looking for a career where you can make a difference, aged care nursing is a growing field with plenty of opportunities.
6. Nurse Educator and Clinical Training Roles
Working as a nurse educator or clinical trainer can be ideal for those nurses who love having students on rotation and enjoy sharing their knowledge and experience. If you're the type of nurse who enjoys guiding newer staff or eagerly shares your expertise with colleagues, a role in clinical training could be a perfect fit.
A nurse educator can work at a university or healthcare organisation training student nurses. Nurse educators can support nursing students through their training by working in clinical environments. Training nursing students gives you the chance to work hands-on in nursing while sharing your expertise with students. As a nurse educator you can help students gain the confidence they need to translate their knowledge into practical skills when working with patients.
Some nurse educators may also work to enhance clinical practice for teams and healthcare organisations. Developing education plans and training packages, implementing best practice knowledge and encouraging lifelong learning are just some of the ways that nurse educators can impact the healthcare industry.
7. Nurse Leadership, Management and Healthcare Administration
Successful registered nurses with excellent communication skills may consider leadership, management and administration roles. Leadership and management allow nurses to impact not only individual patients, but nursing teams and healthcare systems as a whole.
Working as a leader or manager allows you to help your team run more efficiently and enhance the way care is provided. Nurse leaders may be nurse unit managers, clinical coordinators or healthcare administrators who help manage teams and provide care to patients.
If you're interested in nursing leadership, you'll use your clinical expertise and knowledge to work with others to design and implement plans of care. Nurse leaders also work with individuals across the healthcare continuum to help administer resources and provide positive patient outcomes.
Future healthcare professionals will need strong leadership to help them navigate an expanding population. By helping to guide those who care for our families and friends, you can be an advocate for your team and help improve healthcare.
8. Research, Policy and Global Health Nursing
Working as a research nurse means using your clinical knowledge to discover ways we can improve health care and influence its future. With skills grounded in hands-on patient care, research nurses use real-world evidence to improve treatments, develop better systems and find more effective ways to keep people healthy.
Research nurses work on clinical trials, investigate health care outcomes and evaluate the practices that give patients the best care based on proven evidence. Other nurses take their knowledge into health policy work.
Health policy researchers have a direct impact on decisions about healthcare accessibility, service delivery and safety regulations. Nurses bring a unique perspective to this work by using their experiences and empathy to help transform health care on a large scale.
There are many avenues for research and policy nursing. Nurses can work in universities, health departments, nonprofit research facilities or with organisations like the World Health Organisation. Research and policy can include public health, program evaluation or global health initiatives.
For those who want to make a wider impact beyond individual patient interactions, the future’s in good health when studying nursing can include shaping the systems, policies and practices that support healthier communities worldwide.
Choosing the Right Nursing Career Pathway
Being a registered nurse opens up a wide variety of career options for you. There are many career pathways available to you outside of traditional bedside care. Advancing into clinical practice, becoming an emergency nurse, moving into nursing education, leadership or research and finding a role in community healthcare are just some of the options.
As the healthcare landscape grows and changes, nurses are in high demand to specialise in their skills, move into leadership positions, mentor and educate future nurses and help improve healthcare systems. No matter what pathway you choose within nursing, you can make a positive impact on the lives of others.
Think about what you’re passionate about. If you love hands-on care, then perhaps continuing to work directly with patients is the right pathway for you. If you find yourself drawn to teaching and helping others learn, you may enjoy nursing education. Maybe you want to help improve healthcare systems and practices. Or perhaps you’d like to focus on helping improve the lives of those in your community.
There are many opportunities in nursing that can help you create a fulfilling career that allows you to make a difference.
