In-demand nursing specialties in North Carolina
As a registered nurse (RN) in North Carolina, you are qualified to handle a variety of clinical and administrative responsibilities as a nursing generalist. You also have the option to choose a nursing specialty that involves specific populations, clinical areas or settings.
Whether you want to follow a passion, expand your level of expertise or boost your salary potential, the options for specialty nursing in North Carolina are limitless in the ever-changing field of health care. Choosing an area that has promising job prospects in the state can expand your long-term opportunities as you grow in your area of expertise.
Choosing an area that has promising job prospects in the state can expand your long-term opportunities as you grow in your area of expertise.
Read on to find out more about specialty nursing in North Carolina and whether this pathway is right for you. Learn about in-demand nursing specialties in North Carolina and what these roles involve.
In this Article
Required NC education | Understanding where demand is highest | Types of nurses in demand in North Carolina
Required education: Nursing schools in North Carolina
The level of education required for a nursing specialty varies for each role. While some nursing specialties accept an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) as the minimum education, other areas require a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). In all areas, nurses who pursue a BSN may find a wider range of opportunities for long-term career growth.
“The national nursing shortage has led to an overall demand for both ADN and BSN-prepared nurses. Regarding the [North Carolina] Nurse Practice Act, the scope of practice for both ADN and BSN-prepared nurses is the same; however, BSN-prepared nurses have more opportunities to serve in specialty areas and administrative and leadership roles,” says Dr. Tracy Arnold, DNP, RN, CNE, Director of the Hunt School of Nursing at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina.
“…the scope of practice for both ADN and BSN-prepared nurses [in North Carolina] is the same; however, BSN-prepared nurses have more opportunities to serve in specialty areas and administrative and leadership roles.”
Dr. Tracy Arnold
Generally, many organizations prefer BSN-prepared nurses in all areas, which may translate to higher salaries and an edge in getting preferred roles. Options such as accelerated BSN programs and online RN-to-BSN programs can help nurses overcome obstacles to achieving the BSN and expanding their opportunities in any specialty, says Arnold.
Some nursing specialties require additional education, experience and/or professional certification past the ADN or BSN. While not always required, some employers prefer hiring nurses with a specialty certification. Whether required or optional, certification shows that you have proven your competency in a nursing specialty based on established professional standards. It confirms that you have specialized knowledge, experience and skills beyond a general nursing education, which can also help to advance your career.
Projecting where demand may be highest
The outlook is promising for all nurses in North Carolina. Long-term employment trends from the U.S. Department of Labor project 12% growth for registered nurses through 2034 in North Carolina. That represents double the 4.9% job growth expected for all U.S. nurses projected through 2034 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
While the BLS does not project which specialty areas are likely to have the most opportunities, statewide data on the nursing shortage in North Carolina offers some guidance. State-wide data on RN supply and demand is compiled by The Program on Health Workforce Research and Policy at the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research in partnership with the North Carolina Board of Nursing. In a 2021 report, “NC Nursecast: A Supply and Demand Model for Nurses in North Carolina,” the group reported a projected shortage of 12,459 nurses (or 11% of the projected RN workforce) across all settings by 2033.
The Program projects that the largest shortages of RNs in North Carolina are likely to occur in the following settings:
These types of work settings exist throughout the state. Major academic centers that include teaching hospitals and research facilities are in the Research Triangle in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. More rural areas have opportunities to work with underserved and/or remote communities in community and population health or telehealth, says Arnold.
North Carolina’s state-specific projections are in line with the results of “The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity,” from the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine. This report projects significant shortages in the following specialties across the United States:
In-demand nursing jobs in North Carolina
It’s a good time to consider becoming a nurse in North Carolina. Based on state-specific and national projections, here are just a few of the nursing specialties most likely to have a high demand for registered nurses in North Carolina:
Medical surgical nurse
What they do: Medical-surgical nurses provide care to adults with a wide range of medical issues during their preparation for and recuperation from surgery. They handle a range of responsibilities related to patient safety, comfort and healing.
Where they work: Medical-surgical nurses typically work in the medical or surgical inpatient unit of a hospital.
Optional certification: Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification (MEDSURG-BC)
Operating room (OR) nurse
What they do: Operating room nurses educate and prepare patients for surgery. They can also prepare operating rooms and equipment, administer IV medication, manage patient care and support the operating room team to promote patient safety and optimal outcomes.
Where they work: Operating room nurses work in operating rooms and recovery rooms in hospitals, clinics and outpatient surgery centers.
Optional certification: Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
Infection control nurse
What they do: Infection control nurses specialize in preventing, treating and controlling infectious diseases. They analyze infectious data, treat people with infectious diseases, develop outbreak action plans and educate health professionals.
Where they work: Infection control nurses work in hospitals, clinics and long-term care facilities. They also work in public health departments, emergency preparedness organizations and home health organizations.
Optional certification: Certified Infection Control (CIC) nurse or Associate–Infection Prevention and Control (a-IPC)
Clinical research nurse
What they do: Clinical research nurses work in dedicated clinical research settings and serve as liaisons between researchers and patient volunteers. They provide a combination of patient care, academic reporting and record maintenance. Their primary function is ensuring patients are treated ethically and safely throughout the research process.
Where they work: Clinical research nurses work in clinical research units in research labs, hospitals, universities, pharmaceutical companies and healthcare organizations.
Optional certification: Clinical research nurse (CRN-BC)
Informatics nurse
What they do: Informatics nurses integrate nursing science with data and technology. They help enhance clinical workflow and support better outcomes by developing communications and information technologies in healthcare settings. Informatics nurses work with electronic health records, clinical decision support systems and telemedicine platforms.
Where they work: Informatics nurses work in healthcare systems, hospitals and other virtually all types of clinical settings.
Optional certification: Informatics Nursing Certification (NI-BC)
Geriatric nurse
What they do: Geriatric nurses specialize in the treatment and care of older adults. They focus on the unique needs and conditions of the elderly. They often deal with people whose care involves conditions such as dementia, heart failure, cancer, chronic pain or stroke.
Where they work: Geriatric nurses work in nursing homes, extended care facilities, retirement communities and assisted living facilities. They may also provide care in patients’ homes as part of home health or hospice services.
Optional certification: Gerontological Nursing Certification (GERO-BC)
Palliative care nurse
What they do: Palliative care nurses provide short-term or long-term curative and noncurative services for patients who are living with severe illnesses at any stage of diagnosis. These nurses monitor pain symptoms and provide pain management. They relieve patients’ symptoms and help them maintain the best possible quality of life by providing physical, mental, emotional and spiritual support.
Where they work: Palliative care nurses work in patients’ homes, clinics, residential hospices, long-term and skilled care facilities and acute in-patient facilities.
Optional certification: Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (CHPN)
Home health nurse
What they do: Home health nurses provide in-home care for people who have difficulty traveling to a care center. This often includes patients who are elderly or chronically or terminally ill. Pregnant women and newborns are also served. Home health nurses can specialize in working with specific populations or clinical specialty areas.
Where they work: Home health nurses work in patients’ homes.
Optional certification: No specific certification is available for nurses new to this field. Nurses in this field can pursue certification in an area of clinical expertise if applicable, such as gerontology, pediatrics or physical therapy.
Nurse educator
What they do: Nurse educators teach nurses at all levels about nursing issues and patient care in the classroom and clinical settings. Depending on your education and experience, you can qualify to teach aspiring nurses, new RNs, experienced nurses preparing for a specialty certification or graduate nurses pursuing advanced degrees.
Where they work: Nurse educators work in colleges, universities and junior colleges. They also work in general medical and surgical hospitals, business schools and technical or trade schools.
Optional certification: Certified Nurse Educator (CNE), Certified Academic Clinical Nurse Educator (CNEcl) or Certified Academic Nurse Educator Novice (CNEn)
Correctional forensic nurse
What they do: Correctional forensic nurses provide nursing care to people incarcerated in settings that are part of the criminal justice system. They deal with patients who have a wide range of acute and chronic conditions and may not have had recent medical treatment for their problems.
Where they work: Correctional forensic nurses work in jails, prisons, halfway houses and group homes.
Optional certification: Certified Correctional Health Professional (CCHP), Certified Correctional Health Professional (CCHP–RN)
Psychiatric-mental health nurse
What they do: Psychiatric-mental health nurses provide comprehensive mental health care to individuals, families, groups and communities. They promote mental well-being through prevention and education. These nurses work with patients who have mental health conditions such as depression, attention disorders and substance abuse disorders.
Where they work: Mental health nurses work in hospitals, psychiatric clinics, long-term care facilities, rehabilitation facilities and schools.
Optional certification: Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Certification (PBH-BC)
Addictions nurse
What they do: Addictions nurses guide and monitor patients who are navigating recovery from alcohol or drug addiction using medically-assisted treatment. They also educate patients about the recovery process to improve outcomes. Addiction nurses can also work as advocates for substance abuse prevention.
Where they work: Addictions nurses work in hospitals, inpatient and/or outpatient treatment centers, mental health clinics, psychiatric wards and private practice.
Optional certification: Certified Addictions Registered Nurse (CARN)
Public health nurse
What they do: Public health nurses focus on population health to promote health and prevent disease and disability for a specific population. Their responsibilities can involve education, patient care and advocacy for positive change.
Where they work: Public health nurses work in community health centers. They also work in clinics and other facilities sponsored by government agencies and nonprofit groups.
Optional certification: Advanced Public Health Nursing Certification (PHNA-BC)
Ambulatory care nurse
What they do: Ambulatory care nurses provide nursing care across the lifespan for individuals, families, groups, communities and populations. Their work often involves dealing with a high volume of patients in a short period of time.
Where they work: Ambulatory care nurses work in a variety of settings that include outpatient clinics, private medical practices, military and veteran’s care settings and managed care organizations. These nurses also work in settings that provide telehealth as part of their care.
Optional certification: Ambulatory Care Nurse–Board Certified (AMB-BC)
Telehealth nurse
What they do: Telehealth nurses use technology like telephones and computers to virtually provide nursing care. They have many of the same responsibilities that a general registered nurse provides in person. They can remotely monitor patient health or provide care during video, email, telephone or chat communications. A telehealth nurse may also provide care coordination, case management, education and pre-surgical or post-surgical care.
Where they work: Telehealth nurses work in hospitals, urgent care settings, nursing care call centers or even in their own homes on behalf of their employer.
Optional certification: Telehealth nurses may also earn the Ambulatory Care Nurse–Board Certified (AMB-BC) certification
School nurse
What they do: School nurses assess, document and manage the healthcare needs of students to help keep them in school. They provide first aid, coordinate care for students with chronic or acute health conditions and administer medications when appropriate. They may also conduct vision and hearing screenings.
Where they work: School nurses work in public and private schools that range from daycare centers to colleges. They also work in other academic settings such as summer camps.
Optional certification: Nationally Certified School Nurse (NCSN)
Labor and delivery nurse
What they do: Labor and delivery nurses specialize in the care of pregnant women beginning with their admission to a healthcare facility through the birthing process. They monitor the patient and newborn during the birthing process and postpartum period. They may also educate new mothers and their partners on newborn care.
Where they work: Labor and delivery nurses work in labor and delivery units in hospitals and birthing centers.
Optional certification: Inpatient Obstetric Nursing (RNC-OB)