Nursing Career Paths & Salary Outlook

According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, nurses make up the largest group of people working in healthcare, a growing segment of our economy.

Nursing includes hundreds of career paths and options. Start as a floor nurse, become a shift manager. Move from a direct care role to a discharge planner. Shift to working in home health or assisted living. Remote nursing jobs are even a possibility!

Our students have gone on to work as ICU nurses, as a Unit Secretary for Medical Oncology, and returned to the classroom to teach other future nurses as a nurse educator. Check out this article on earning potential to see just how much nurses make across the nation. 

Add a more advanced credential, like a BSN or MSN, to open up even more advancement opportunities. Become a nurse educator, leader—or both.

The world needs nurses—the world needs you. Find your first or next role in the wide world of nursing through Galen.

Bring Your “Why” to Your “What”

At Galen, we always start with the “why”—why do you want to be a nurse? For many, the why starts with a strong career. Fine tune your own idea of “being a nurse” as your education and experience advance. Start with your “why” and keep growing.

Nurses work at every level, and the work varies, too—from monitoring patients in the hospital to taking health histories in a doctor’s office. They teach, manage, and make reports to the board of directors. Bedside to boardroom, or somewhere in between—find your perfect fit for a career that can last a lifetime.

Here are some of the—perhaps surprising—roles you can take up as a nurse:

• Nursing Informaticist: Use data and software to improve and interpret patient charts
• Travel Nurse: Fill staffing shortages wherever, one 13-week contract at a time
• Behavioral Health Nurse: Help people reach recovery goals and regain mental wellness
• Care Manager: Review records and improve care; work for a healthcare or insurance company
• Flight Nurse: Go to new heights as part of the pre-hospital critical care team
• NICU Nurse: Care for the smallest and most vulnerable babies and their families
• Forensic Nurse: Work with people who have suffered abuse or assault, gather evidence, and work with law enforcement

This is just a sample! In your Galen courses, you learn the foundations of nursing and gain a vision for how far and how wide your nursing career can take you. Talk to your Galen Enrollment Counselor to chart your course from where you are to how and where you want to be a nurse.

Get the Education You Need for Your Next Goal

As you work with patients in different settings, your “why” may evolve. Your foundations in nursing theory and practice help you adapt to new goals as they appear. When it’s time for the next big leap in your skills and credentials, come back to Galen for a post-RN licensure degree.^ⓘ