Nursing is one of the few professions where it is possible to pursue a wide range of specializations after earning a degree and obtaining a license. Licensed nurses can choose to work directly with patients, enter the academic world, pursue a career in administration or even function as a freelance professional. Below are just a few examples of the many different nursing concentrations available to nursing graduates today.

Critical Nurse

Hospitals and medical centers offer a number of options to nurses who prefer to work closely with their patients. As a critical care nurse, you are responsible for providing continual care to patients placed into a critical care unit. Often, the case load for this type of nurse is less demanding than that of nurses working in other areas of the hospital, since patients of this type often need more personalized attention.

Emergency Nurse

Closely related to the critical care nurse is the emergency nurse. For nurses that possess an ability to think quickly on their feet and love to work under pressure, processing patients who enter the facility due to an emergency situation may be an ideal fit. Nurses in this capacity need to have excellent organizational skills in order to quickly assess the patient's situation, prioritize the inbound patients, and carryout the necessary paperwork. An emergency nurse is also likely to begin interaction with a doctor on the process of treatment required for each patient.

A flight nurse is a specialized type of emergency nurse. Nurses working in this capacity perform many of the same tasks as an emergency room nurse. However, the difference is that the care takes place on board an airplane. Nurses of this type care for patients during medical flights, making sure they are kept stable and relatively comfortable during the flight. Most work on medical emergency teams that reach the sick or injured, or patients in remote areas, and administer treatment while the patient is airlifted to a nearby hospital. Other flight nurses work with emergency teams that arrive at disaster sites such as car accidents, warzones, and floods, and fly injured patients to the nearest trauma centers.

There are also nursing options that concentrate on the specific needs of patients outside of the hospital or nursing home setting. A dialysis nurse cares for patients dealing with acute and chronic kidney issues. Nursing in this capacity requires familiarity with hemodialysis equipment, handling transfusions, and making the patient as comfortable as possible during the dialysis process.

Oncology nurses work with patients who are dealing with cancer in varying stages. Nurses functioning in this capacity may be involved in the administration of chemotherapy or other required treatments. An oncology nurse also helps to educate the patient and caregivers regarding the disease, including specific information relevant to the individual patient.

A forensic nurse may work with law enforcement in situations where an individual has been assaulted or otherwise injured due to the illegal actions of one or more people. The nurse may help collect forensic evidence that will aid in the investigation as well as provide interim care to the victim.

In a similar manner, a legal nurse provides support to attorneys and other legal professionals, sometimes testifying in regard to medical procedures or serving as a consultant for a legal firm. The legal nurse may be a full time employee of the firm or work with different firms on a freelance basis.

There are also administrative concentrations available for qualified nurses. Nursing professionals with particularly strong leadership skills may function as a manager within a clinic or hospital. In this capacity, the administrator is usually involved in matters such as personnel hiring and firing, departmental budgeting, overseeing operations, and working with other members of the management team on strategic planning projects.

Academic Nurse

Academic nurses are essentially nurses that teach other aspiring nurses about the profession. For those that go on to obtain a master's degree or a doctorate in nursing, the decision to teach their field of expertise is often a very popular career path. As with most instructors at the collegiate level, an academic nurse usually specializes in a specific area of medicine and medical care, such as microbiology, physiology, and biochemistry.

These are just a few of the paths and concentrations that are available to nursing graduates. From working directly with patients to supporting the efforts of law enforcement, to teaching a new generation of students about some of the exciting aspects of the nursing profession, the career paths for a qualified nurse are plentiful. If you have just graduated from nursing school and are wondering what path to follow, take some time and explore all of your options.