There are four different types of advanced practice nurse roles to choose from after obtaining a master's degree and that includes nurse anesthetist, nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist and nurse midwife.
Working as a nurse practitioner, you would be required to provide primary care to patients, similar to physicians but with a limited scope. Those that work as an anesthetist would be required to administer anesthesia to patients that are undergoing surgeries and then monitor them throughout the surgery procedure. As a midwife, the nurse would work with pregnant women. The clinical nurses are required to improve the care in the health care facility.
The role of these advanced practice nursing positions allows professionals that qualify to practice for underserved populations. The pediatric nurse practitioner could provide direct care for inner city clinics. Then a midwife may offer pregnant women care in a rural health care center.
Some of the positions in the nursing field that one could choose after continuing their education include becoming an educator, nurse leader / researcher or direct care provider.
The medial annual salary for nurse anesthetists as of April 2009 was around $145,216 and nurse midwives were making around $89,337. Then the clinical nurse specialists' annual median salary was $80,975; while nurse practitioners brought in around $83,590 annually.
