There are countless nursing specialties that one can choose from, especially given the ongoing nursing shortage. But Nurse.org found that nurse educators, home health nurses, nurse managers, OR-perioperative nurses, and pediatric nurses reported the highest levels of job satisfaction.
Norway, a Scandinavian country known as the land of Fjords, has one of the highest standards of living in the world as well as job satisfaction for nurses.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) earn a nationwide average of $202,470 per year according to the BLS; this makes CRNAs the highest-paying type nursing job by a significant margin.
The most stressful nursing jobs include ICU nurse, ER nurse, and NICU nurse. In these roles, nurses work in an intense environment with high stakes. They manage emergency situations and care for critically ill patients. Other stressful nursing jobs include OR nursing, oncology nursing, and psychiatric nursing.
Registered nurse (RN)
BSN-prepared nurses are the most sought-after RNs in the job market and can advance to leadership and management roles more quickly than the ASN nurse.
Critical care nurses suffer the highest rates of burnout.
This is mainly due to the nature of the job, as critical care nurses work specialize in the emergency department (ED) and intensive care unit (ICU). As such, their work environment is constantly fast-paced, meticulous, and demanding.
Case in point, within all general areas of nursing, the Medical ICU, Trauma ICU, Peds ICU, Neonatal ICU, are perceived to require the highest skill set of nurses.
Below that, in the high 120's are lawyers, followed by accountants in the low 120's. Pharmacists average around 120 and nurses in the high 110's.
It would be logical to think that extroverts would be the ones to excel in the world of nursing because the profession is all about relationships and communication with patients, families, and doctors. However, introverts can fit well into the nursing field and give some of the best care and intuition around.
Burnout is High in Oncology and Emergency Care
"Oncology, critical care, and ICU nurses tend to report the most cases of burnout due to the high-pressure environment of these specialties," she says.
A July 2021 Nursing Central survey of thousands of U.S nurses revealed the following: 95% of nurses felt burned out at the time of the survey or during the previous three years. 91% considered leaving or were actively looking to leave the nursing profession.
Both doctors and nurses are equally stressed (p = 0.364).
A Mental Health Nurse is a professional healthcare provider specialising in treating clients with mental health issues; this has become one of the highest-paid nursing jobs in Australia.
#1: Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
So, it's no wonder this position offers such a high salary. The average salary for a CRNA is $202,470 per year.
California tops our list of the highest-paying states, where registered nurses make $124,000 per year on average. Following it is Hawaii, at $106,530, and Oregon at $98,6300. Washington, D.C., while not technically a state, also ranks among the top-paying U.S. regions with an average RN salary of $98,540.
Licensed Practical Nurse
An LPN program prepares students to become practical nurses in as little as 54 weeks. After graduation and successful passing of the NCLEX-PN exam, students can enter the field and provide basic nursing care under the supervision of a registered nurse or doctor.
1. Nursing assistant (CNA) Nursing assistants also go by the title of nursing aides or CNAs (Certified Nursing Assistants). While these professionals are not technically nurses, they are on the frontline of contact between medical staff and patients—and the role can serve as a starting point for many aspiring nurses.
More than 90% of nurses are satisfied with their careers and believe they make a difference in the lives of others.