The purpose of this chapter is to familiarize the reader with the variety of nursing positions that exist in the traditional and nontraditional sense within and outside of the hospital setting. Opportunities for advancement such as, advanced practice nursing and certification programs are also reviewed.

Changes in health care has lead to the natural evolution of different types of positions in nursing such as, staff nurse, unit manager, nursing director, case manager, visiting nurses, and so forth. Nursing has moved from not only providing service within hospitals to expanding into ambulatory clinics, physician official settings, schools and community sites. Many levels of education exist to prepare nurses to work in these settings.

In addition to the two-year associate degree nurse, three-year diploma graduate, and four-year baccalaureate degree nurse, advanced roles exist for further nursing development. There are over 80 certifications available for nurses through multiple agencies and organizations. Certification, as described by the author, is a process by which a non-governmental agency or association certifies that a licensed individual has met predetermined standards specified by the profession for practice. These certifications range from basic life support (BLS) to highly specialized areas such as critical care registered nurse (CCRN), and so forth.

A description is provided regarding multiple types of novel nursing positions including: traveling nurses, medical sales and pharmaceutical representatives, case managers, entrepreneurs, flight nursing, advanced practice nurses and wound ostomy, and continence nurse specialists. Significant descriptions are provided related to select specialty nurses with advanced preparation. They are: certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), certified nurse midwife (CNM), clinical nurse specialist (CNS) and nurse practitioner (NP).

Nursing has a clear advantage as a profession as it has many options available for the future.