2024 Career Planning Guide
NURSING SPECIALITIES KEY : n Minimum Education required n Certifications required n Experience needed n Certification credential n Possible employment n Professional Organization n References / Resources
Nursing Professional Development Practitioner
The Nursing Professional Development ( NPD ) Practitioner is responsible for clinical nursing education which involves orienting , training , and professionally developing clinical staff in all settings and environments . NPD is a practice that improves professional development of nurses and other healthcare professionals by facilitating ongoing learning , change , role competence , and growth , with the intention of improving population health through indirect care .
n RN , ASN / ADN , BSN , MSN ( BSN , MSN , PhD , EdD , or DNP encouraged ) n NPD-BC n 2,000 hours of clinical practice in nursing professional development within the last 3 years . n Hospitals , continuing care , ambulatory care centers , outpatient surgery centers n Association for Nursing Professional Development ( www . anpd . org )
Nurse Researcher
Improve health care services and the field of nursing through research by constructing and implementing studies ( includes drafting grant proposals to conduct studies ), collecting data and reporting on findings .
n BSN and MSN , or PhD ( PhD often required ) n Research organizations , labs , universities n National Institute of Nursing Research ( www . ninr . nih . gov )
n Resources : “ Have You Considered a Career as a Researcher & Scholar in Nursing ” By Amber Brown and Carol A . Fetters Andersen ( Vol 53 , No 1 – January 2006 ) Read at http :// bit . ly / 1eL85gh
Occupational Health Nurse
Occupational health nurses / professionals take responsibility for employee care . They have a responsibility to advocate for organizational policies that help to recognize occupational hazards and advocate for new and safe technologies .
n RN , LPN , BSN *, MSN *, MBA *, PhD *, EdD *, DNP * (* Preferred ) n Occupational Health Nurse certification exam n 3,000 hours of experience in occupational health n COHN , COHN-S
n Hospitals ( acute care settings ), Continuing Care ( i . e . long- term and assisted living centers ), Ambulatory care centers , Out-patient surgery centers , Medical / physician offices , Home healthcare , Military service , Community health settings
n Association of Occupational Health Professionals in Healthcare ( www . aohp . org )
n Resources : “ The World of Occupational Health Nursing ” By E . Lukes and P . Moore ( Vol 57 , No 1 – January 2010 ) Read at : http :// bit . ly / 2jeXfNW
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