Nurses can work in many different specialties; however, most of them work in just one field. There are many specialties that they may perform in many different places such like hospitals, nursery homes, shelters, the army and many others. Following, you will find a list and a little description of the functions every nurse specialty involves.
Ambulatory care nurses are those who treat patients suffering several diseases and injuries on an outpatient basis, either in the offices of physicians or clinics. Some nurses dedicated to this field are also related to telehealth, which consists of offering basic care education through means of communication such as the Internet or videoconferencing. Another category or specialty is the one performed by critical care nurses. They work in the critical or intensive units of the hospital and are in charge of offering care to patients who suffer respiratory, cardiovascular or pulmonary diseases.
Emergency nurses are those who work in the emergency departments of hospitals or clinics and assist patients with life treating circumstances caused by accidents, strokes, heart attacks or any other unexpected situation. Some nurses specialized in this field have to fly in helicopters to transport seriously hurt patients from the place of the accident to the closest medical center. Holistic nurses offer special services such as acupuncture, aroma therapy, massages and biofeedback to treat spiritual problems that may affect the physical health condition too.
Home health care nurses work in facilities where patients recuperate after an accident or a surgery. Hospice and palliative care nurses provide care to those patients who are in their terminal phase of a disease. Infusion nurses are in charge of administering medicines, blood and different fluids to the patients through vaccines. Long term care nurses offer medical services to patients who suffer chronic mental or physical disorders.
A very important group is the one made up of assistant surgery nurses who assist doctors during a surgery. Occupational health nurses offer treatment for job-linked damages and diseases, helping employers identify dangerous workplaces to take all the health and safety measures. All these specialties are just a few of all the fields that a nurse may perform in; however, there are many others.