---
title: What Nursing Jobs Can I Get With a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing?
url: "https://arizonacollege.edu/answers/what-nursing-jobs-can-i-get-with-a-bachelors-degree-in-nursing/"
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# What Nursing Jobs Can I Get With a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing?

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# What Nursing Jobs Can I Get With a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing?

A bachelor’s degree in nursing qualifies you to pursue a career as a registered
nurse. Many of these nursing roles fall under four broad areas: hospital units,
specialized patient care, nursing leadership, and community and public health.

Each path opens once you finish your BSN, pass the NCLEX-RN exam, and earn a
license in your state. NCLEX-RN stands for the National Council Licensure
Examination for Registered Nurses, the national exam that qualifies graduates to
practice as licensed registered nurses.

## Hospital-Based Nursing Careers

Hospitals employ the largest share of registered nurses, and these positions
often serve as entry points for new graduates.

**Medical-Surgical Nursing** forms the foundation of hospital practice. Med-surg
nurses care for adult patients with a wide range of conditions while building
assessment skills and clinical judgment. They manage tasks like medication
administration, wound care, and patient education, often coordinating with
multiple specialists on a single patient’s care. These roles are widely
considered a common entry point for newly licensed nurses, offering a high
volume of job openings and broad experience across patient populations.

**Emergency Department Nursing** centers on urgent and trauma care, treating
conditions that range from minor injuries to life-threatening emergencies. ED
nurses think on their feet, quickly assessing patients and delivering critical
care in a fast-moving environment. The role suits nurses who enjoy variety,
hands-on problem-solving, and making a difference in urgent moments.

**Intensive Care and Critical Care Nursing** focuses on patients with
life-threatening conditions who need continuous monitoring. This specialty most
often takes place in the intensive care unit (ICU), though critical care can
also be delivered in other high-acuity settings before a patient is transferred.
ICU nurses work with advanced equipment and complex treatment protocols, and
these units typically maintain lower patient-to-nurse ratios than general
floors, allowing for closer, continuous assessment of patients on ventilators or
other critical support.

**Labor and Delivery Nursing** supports families through childbirth. L&D nurses
monitor fetal health, guide mothers through labor, and provide immediate newborn
care. They also recognize and respond to delivery complications, working closely
with obstetricians and anesthesia providers as needed.

**Operating Room (OR) and Perioperative Nursing** combines technical precision
with patient advocacy across the entire surgical experience, from preoperative
preparation through intraoperative care. OR nurses maintain sterile environments
and assist surgeons and anesthesia providers during procedures, while
perioperative nursing more broadly includes the preparation and coordination
that happens before and after surgery.

---

![Nursing Program with Clinical Experience](https://arizonacollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Nursing-Program-with-Clinical-Experience.webp?w=1024)

## Specialized Care Nursing Careers

Beyond general hospital units, registered nurses can focus their practice on
specific patient populations or care needs.

**Pediatric Nursing** concentrates on the health of children and adolescents,
from routine wellness to acute illness. These nurses adapt assessment and
communication approaches for different developmental stages and often work
closely with families as part of the care team.

**Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing** provides comfort-focused care for
patients managing serious illness or nearing the end of life. These nurses
manage pain and symptoms while supporting patients and families through the
emotional and practical aspects of end-of-life care.

**Home Health Nursing** delivers care in patients’ homes, often after a hospital
discharge, and offers autonomy along with one-on-one patient relationships.
Nurses in this role handle tasks such as wound care, medication management, and
recovery monitoring, typically with less immediate backup support than in a
hospital setting.

**Forensic Nursing** works at the intersection of healthcare and the legal
system, caring for patients while supporting investigations. This can include
examining and documenting evidence in cases involving violence or abuse and may
involve testifying in legal proceedings.

## Nursing Leadership and Administration Roles

**Charge Nursing** involves running a unit’s nursing operations during a given
shift, coordinating staff and patient flow. Charge nurses also act as a point of
contact for physicians and other departments, while typically continuing to
carry some direct patient care responsibilities.

**Nurse Management** covers supervising nursing staff and handling the
administrative side of a unit or department. This can include scheduling,
budgeting, hiring, and ensuring compliance with hospital policies and regulatory
standards. You can
[learn more about becoming a nurse manager](https://www.nursingcolleges.com/careers/nurse-manager)
through outside career resources.

**Utilization Review Nursing** evaluates whether healthcare services are
necessary and delivered efficiently, bridging clinical knowledge and care
coordination. These nurses typically review patient records against clinical
guidelines to support decisions on treatment authorization, length of stay, or
insurance coverage.

## Community and Public Health Roles

Some registered nurses work outside traditional clinical walls to serve broader
populations.

**Public Health Nursing** addresses community-wide health through education,
immunizations, screenings, and preventive care. This work often involves
partnering with community organizations and government agencies to address
health disparities across populations.

**School Nursing** delivers healthcare in educational settings, managing student
health needs, medications, and emergencies. These nurses also track immunization
compliance and often serve as a resource for families managing a child’s health
condition at school.

**Occupational Health Nursing** focuses on workplace health and safety,
supporting employee wellness and injury prevention. This can include conducting
health screenings, managing workplace injury response, and advising employers on
safety compliance.

## Where Registered Nurses Work

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), registered nurses held about
3.4 million jobs in 2024, with the largest share (59%) working in hospitals.
Other significant employment settings include ambulatory healthcare services
(19%), nursing and residential care facilities (6%), government agencies (5%),
and educational services (3%). Data last updated July, 2026. Source:
[U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm#tab-3)
.

## Before You Can Pursue These Roles

A BSN degree alone does not qualify you to work as a registered nurse. You must
also pass the NCLEX-RN exam and obtain a license in the state where you plan to
work before any of these career paths become available to you.

## Request Information To Speak With An Advisor Today

##  Campus Specific FAQs

[AZ – Phoenix](https://arizonacollege.edu/phoenix-nursing-school/faq/)

[AZ – Tempe](https://arizonacollege.edu/tempe-nursing-school/faq/)

[AZ – Tucson](https://arizonacollege.edu/tucson-nursing-school/)

[CA – Ontario](https://arizonacollege.edu/ontario-nursing-school/faq/)

[CO – Aurora](https://arizonacollege.edu/aurora-colorado-nursing-school/faq/)

[CT – Hartford](https://arizonacollege.edu/hartford-nursing-school/faq/)

[FL – Fort Lauderdale](https://arizonacollege.edu/fort-lauderdale-nursing-school/faq/)

[FL – Melbourne](https://arizonacollege.edu/melbourne-nursing-school/faq/)

[FL – Sarasota](https://arizonacollege.edu/sarasota-nursing-school/faq/)

[FL – Tampa](https://arizonacollege.edu/tampa-nursing-school/faq/)

[MI – Southfield](https://arizonacollege.edu/southfield-michigan-nursing-school/faq/)

[MO – St. Louis](https://arizonacollege.edu/st-louis-nursing-school/faq/)

[NV – Las Vegas](https://arizonacollege.edu/las-vegas-nursing-school/faq/)

[OH – Cincinnati](https://arizonacollege.edu/cincinnati-nursing-school/faq/)

[OH – Cleveland](https://arizonacollege.edu/cleveland-nursing-school/faq/)

[OH – Columbus](https://arizonacollege.edu/columbus-nursing-school/faq/)

[SC – Greenville](https://arizonacollege.edu/greenville-nursing-school/faq/)

[TX – Dallas](https://arizonacollege.edu/dallas-nursing-school/faq/)

[TX – Fort Worth](https://arizonacollege.edu/fort-worth-nursing-school/faq/)

[UT – Salt Lake City](https://arizonacollege.edu/salt-lake-city-utah-nursing-school/faq/)

[VA – Chesapeake](https://arizonacollege.edu/chesapeake-nursing-school/faq/)

[VA – Falls Church](https://arizonacollege.edu/falls-church-nursing-school/faq/)

[WI – Milwaukee](https://arizonacollege.edu/milwaukee-nursing-school/faq/)