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If you have a love for people, want to work in the medical field, and are looking for job security, you should consider a career in nursing. It is estimated that there will be a need for more than one million new nurses in the field between now and 2022. While approximately half of these will be needed to replace nurses who are retiring or leaving the field for other reasons, the other half will be due to the growing demand. Some of this demand is being created for nurses who have specialized training found at some of the top nursing colleges around the country. If you are interested, here are a couple of the specialties you may consider.

Nurse Informaticist

A nurse informaticist works with the developers of the communication and information systems to ensure the following are done:

• Health care policy used to advance the public's health is defined.
• Information and communication technologies are available to address the interprofessional work flow needs.
• Data and communication standards needed to build an interoperable national data infrastructure are in place.
• Dissemination of new knowledge into the practice by various research methodologies.
• Ensure information presentation and retrieval practices are in place that will support safe and secure patient-centered care.
• Help provide the vision, as well as the management used for the development, design, and implementation of all of the communication, as well as information technology used within a practice.

You will be able to find these positions not only in the health care field, but also within private businesses, industries and even within the realm of academia. If you choose to work in this field, you may also be called clinical analysts, nurse data scientists, nurse specialist, or a chief nursing informatics officer. No matter what you are called, you can expect an average salary of more than $100,000.

To work as a nurse informaticist, you will need a bachelor's degree in nursing, as well as a strong background in electronic health records. Many employees are even looking for those who have a master's degree in the field of Health Informatics, Quality Management, or Healthcare Management.

Certified Nurse Midwife

If data is not your thing because you enjoy the hands-on aspect nursing allows you to do, and you want to work in one of the older areas of nursing, you may consider a career as a certified nurse midwife (CNM). While once thought of as a practice for women who may not have access to physicians, or other types of medical care, it is estimated that in the United States, soon one in ten babies will be delivered by a certified nurse midwife.

As a certified nurse midwife, you will help to bring new life into the world by managing most perinatal care. This care includes prenatal, delivery, as well as postpartum care. You will also be qualified to help women of all ages with their family planning, as well as other gynecological needs. Some of the duties you will perform will include:

• Taking complete medical histories
• Performing physical exams
• Ordering lab tests, and performing procedures
• Write prescriptions
• Educating, and conducting activities to promote women's health
• Delivering babies

You will work in a wide variety of settings which may include private practice, hospitals, healthcare clinics, health departments, birthing centers, as well as your patient's home. To become a CNM in most states you are required to continue your education after you have become a registered nurse.

Some of the top nursing colleges will require you to receive an advanced degree, while others only require you to complete their CNM program. Once your education is complete, you will be required to pass the American Midwifery Certification Board exam, and be licensed by your state. Check with your state for their licensing requirements, as licensure varies by state. The salary of a CNM will vary based on where you work and the type of services you provide, but the average salary exceeds $86,000 per year. 

There is a wide range of positions you can hold with a degree in nursing and advanced training. These are just two. Contact nearby top nursing colleges to find out more information on how you can get started in an exciting career.