2026 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
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), American Association of Occupational Health Nurses( www. aaohn. 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
Oncology Nurse
Oncology nursing is both challenging and rewarding, combining both the science and art of nursing. Exciting
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