Five Nursing Specialties Explained: Neonatal Nurse, Clinical Nurse, Critical Care Nurse & Informatics Nurse

Male nursing looking at IV bag

Nursing students enrolled in an LVN program in Los Angeles are granting themselves access to an exciting and rewarding career path. Whether or not you have considered transitioning to an RN later, anyone new to nursing has plenty of opportunity down the line to specialize. Once you start out as an LVN, you may soon discover that you are attracted to the fact and hectic pace of the ER or the demanding focus of the ICU. You could quickly learn, for example, that there’s nowhere on earth you’d rather be than the neo-natal unit.  We put together a brief primer on some of the most popular nursing specialties for students and professionals looking for a new challenge.

Neonatal Nurse

A neonatal nurse works with premature or newborn babies who have serious health problems. Expect to spend a lot of time working closely with other highly-trained specialists in an intensive care environment. Because medical advancements offer higher survival rates for infants born with infections, cardiac problems, and other issues that require surgery, demand for nurses who are able to care for those babies who sometimes spend months in the hospital is in increasing demand.

Clinical Nurse

If you are interested in working with critically ill people who suffer from a range of chronic, and sometimes fatal, conditions: critical nursing is your area. You may need to specialize even further to work with specific conditions, and you will become an expert in critical care for those diseases. Some clinical nurses work closely with their patients, coordinate a number of factors surrounding patient care, and more depending on the condition. Some clinical nurses with doctorates go on to hold administrative and leadership positions in a variety of environments.

Critical Care Nurse

Critical care nursing involves caring for the most vulnerable patients in the ICU, hospice, or nursing homes. Critical care nurses monitor vital signs, and often have to respond to life-saving situations. This area requires a lot of patience, observation, and coordination. These nurses also need to recognize serious complications and respond quickly to a crisis situation. This is a demanding role, and ideal for people who love to be on their feet and in high-stress situations.

Informatics Nurse

Informatics nurses have expertise in both nursing and data management. It’s a quickly developing field and ideal for RNs who love analytical sciences, communication, and information processes. The “NI” works with patients, healthcare teams, and administrators to identify trends and potential areas of improvements for nursing teams. It’s a research-heavy position, so it’s a great role for nurses who are less interested in patient interaction and fascinated by how data management and IT can improve patient care in both facilities and communities.

An LVN program is a great place to start your nursing journey, especially with an affordable accelerated program where you’ll be out in the field in just over a year.  Ready to change your life and start your career as a nurse? Contact us today to get started.

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