If you are working as a registered nurse, then you probably know that this is a career with lots of different advancement opportunities that you can take advantage of to take your career where you want it to go. Nurses have a rather unique opportunity to take their career in the direction that they want with plenty of options to work in different areas of healthcare. If you are interested in a specialist role or want to move up the career ladder in nursing, getting an advanced nursing degree such as a master’s or doctorate degree in nursing can lead to a huge range of career opportunities. And with an increasing number of nursing schools and colleges now offering the option to study for an advanced nursing degree qualification online, reaching your career goals has never been easier. Nurses can now fit studying from home around full-time work to get their advanced degree. But with advanced degrees more accessible to nurses, what kind of career options might be available for you once you graduate?

Clinical Nurse Leader

Clinical nurse leaders are advanced nurses who have a significant level of clinical competence and knowledge. They will usually work with a specific patient set that they are assigned to, overseeing care at the head of a professional nursing and healthcare team. As a clinical nurse leader, you will be required to stay up to date with the latest healthcare innovations and put evidence-based practice into action to ensure that patients get the best care experience. 

Nurse Educator

To work as a nurse educator, you will need a minimum of an MSN. With an online DNP program from Baylor University, nurse educators can teach advanced nursing students. This role may be ideal for you if you are interested in influencing the next generation of nurses and playing a key part in reducing the nursing shortage. Nurse educators work in colleges and nursing schools along with healthcare settings, where they help students improve their professional development in nursing. 

Nurse Manager

A nurse manager is a professional who is responsible for overseeing clinical operations within the patient care unit. A major part of this role involves facilitating the work of healthcare professionals who are responsible for providing direct care to patients. The role focuses on making sure that the highest quality and standards are met when it comes to providing patient care. Nurse managers will also often represent the needs of their unit to the relevant stakeholders, and this role gives you one of the best opportunities to advocate for your patients. 

Nurse Executive

Although nursing is known for being a caring profession first and foremost, there are also countless opportunities for nurses who prefer the idea of working in a management or leadership position. Nurse executives are senior level nurses and they have a significant influence on shaping clinical practice and patient care within the organizations that they work for. The role of a nurse leader involves defining visions and strategies for success while working collaboratively with other nursing and healthcare professionals across the entire organization to make sure that a high standard of patient care is met. To work in the role of a nurse executive, you will be required to have an advanced degree, extensive nursing experience, and experience in case management nursing jobs, human resources, operational management, and finance. 

Clinical Trial Nurse

If you are a nurse and are interested in getting into a role where you will play a part in cutting-edge medical research, becoming a clinical trial nurse might be an ideal career choice for you once you have an advanced nursing degree. Clinical trials are large research studies that prove the efficacy and safety of new medications, treatments, and care strategies such as medical devices, protocols, and drugs. A clinical trial nurse is responsible for coordinating the research, the protection of study participants, and the integrity of the data. They may also provide direct care to patients when necessary. 

Care Coordinator

The role of a care coordinator is one that is fairly new in the world of healthcare. It is designed to focus on improving quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness within the healthcare industry. Many care coordinators are trained nurses, and they are responsible for making sure that patients are being provided with the right type of care at the right time. Care coordinators are typically in charge of care transitions, including transferring patients to different departments, clinics, and hospitals, and making sure that there are no gaps in the treatment plan while this is done. The role of a care coordinator involves collaboration with patients, healthcare providers, insurance companies, equipment providers, and many other organizations to improve the standard of patient care and ensure that it is organized well. 

Critical Care Nurse

A critical care nurse is a nurse that works with patients who are dealing with life-threatening situations. They treat serious injuries and illnesses and usually work in hospitals and ICU departments. However, they are in demand anywhere in the healthcare system where patients may be in life-threatening situations, including anywhere where high-intensity interventions, complex assessment and therapies, or a high level of continuous nursing care is required by patients. 

Nurse Practitioner

For nurses who are not interested in moving away from the bedside while progressing with their career, the role of a nurse practitioner can be an ideal one. Nurse practitioners often specialize in a certain patient population, for example, working with the general population, children, older adults, or patients who are suffering from certain conditions such as cancer or mental health problems. In the majority of states, nurse practitioners are awarded full practice authority, which allows them to diagnose, treat, and prescribe medication to their patients without sign-off from a primary care physician required. 

Whether you’re already working as a registered nurse or are just at the beginning and planning your nursing career for the future, these are some of the most interesting roles that you could end up working in when you study for an advanced nursing degree such as an MSN or DNP.