types of nurses

Types of Nurses: Job Descriptions and Salaries in 2024

The nursing profession has different specialties, each with its own specific duties, education requirements, and remunerations. In this blog, we will discuss various types of nurses, their responsibilities, educational background, and new salary prospects in 2024. 

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1. Acute Care RN


  • Job Description: Acute care RNs are specialized in offering services to patients who are facing severe and acute medical problems. These nurses provide care and observe the health status of patients in different areas of the hospital.
  • Educational Requirements: Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
  • 2024 Average Salary: $54.76 to $59.31

2. ER RN (Emergency Room Nurse)


  • Job Description: ER nurses are helpful in handling cases where patients require immediate care in order to be stabilized. They diagnose and manage acute injuries or conditions of the patient and usually work in environments with a fast pace and a lot of pressure.
  • Educational Requirements: ADN or BSN
  • 2024 Average Salary: $56.83 to $65.51

3. ICU RN (Intensive Care Unit Nurse)


  • Job Description: Intensive care unit (ICU) nurses work with patients suffering from severe medical conditions or who are seriously injured. They mainly observe their patients’ conditions, give medicines, and consult with doctors for intense care.
  • Educational Requirements: ADN or BSN
  • 2024 Average Salary: $55.90 to $64.72

4. L&D (Labor and Delivery Nurse)


  • Job Description: Labor and Delivery nurses attend to mothers from the time of birth up to when the baby is born. They ensure that the mother’s and the baby’s physiological status is constantly checked and collaborate during the delivery process and after birth.
  • Educational Requirements: ADN or BSN
  • 2024 Average Salary: $56.09 to $64.62

5. Med-Surg Nurse


  • Job Description: Medical-surgical nurses care for patients recovering from surgery or managing a variety of medical conditions. Their common responsibilities include, but are not limited to taking vital signs, dispensing medication and educating patients.
  • Educational Requirements: ADN or BSN
  • 2024 Average Salary: $53.16 to $60.48

6. OR RN (Operating Room Nurse)


  • Job Description: Operating Room nurses, also known as Perioperative nurses, help in surgeries by setting up the operating room, cleaning instruments among other tasks assistance in the OR.
  • Educational Requirements: ADN or BSN
  • 2024 Average Salary: $57.21 to $66.89

7. PCU Nurse (Progressive Care Unit)


  • Job Description: PCU nurses work with patients who are not as severely ill as those in the ICU, but their conditions warrant extra observation and intervention. They give sub-acute care and guide clients who are discharged from the ICU to a general surgical ward or medical ward.
  • Educational Requirements: ADN or BSN
  • 2024 Average Salary: $55.23 to $61.95

8. Stepdown RN


  • Job Description: Stepdown nurses serve clients who are in the process of transferring from one unit with extensive care to a unit with minimal care. They manage the case of a patient and see that there is a proper transfer to the recovery process.
  • Educational Requirements: ADN or BSN
  • 2024 Average Salary: $54.06 to $62.16

9. Telehealth Nurse


  • Job Description: Telehealth nurses deliver health rights services where they do not personally visit the patients, they use technology to evaluate, supervise and teach. This role has become more popular with the general public hence being adopted with ease because of the need for home solutions regarding healthcare.
  • Educational Requirements: ADN or BSN
  • 2024 Average Salary: $52.50 to $63.20

SkillGigs FAQs

An ADN commonly takes two years to accomplish and is the most elementary degree that allows a person to be an RN. The BSN degree takes four years to complete and the course exposes the nurses to more intensive training such as leadership and research. Nurses with a degree from BSN may secure a better job opportunity, and sometimes they can get a higher rank of jobs. 

It is imperative to understand that the certifications depend on the specialty. For instance, to work as an ER nurse, one may require certifications such as AS- BLS and AS- ACLS. Additional certifications that may be important for ICU nurses may include Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN).

Take into consideration your hobbies, abilities, and desires regarding your work setting. While some nurses might like the environment of the ER and the number of patients and speedy assistance required in an emergency, others might like the precise nature of surgery nursing or the continuous care and continuous association with the patients in TeleHealth nursing.

Of course, but if you’re planning to start nursing practice you may need to get a license for practice in each state. Several states are members of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) which enables the nurse to practice in up to 25 states on the basis of the license endorsed by the home state.

The demand for nurses still remains high and specifically in ICUs, ER, and TeleHealth because of the growing population and further development of healthcare services. Reward and demand for jobs are forecasted to be favorable.

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