What Are the Different Types of Nursing?

The nursing field is a broad one. Not only are there different types of nurses—including licensed practical nurses (LPNs), registered nurses (RNs) and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs)—but there are also dozens of different nursing specialties. And each specialty has its own experience, training and nurse education requirements.

In this article, we begin by exploring what the three primary types of nurses are and what they do. We then take a look at a few nursing specialties: forensic nurse, family nurse practitioner (FNP) and nurse educator.

Types of Nurses: RN, LPN, APRN

The following are three types of licensed nurses, listed from least advanced to most advanced.

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

Licensed practical nurses (LPNs), called licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) in some states, administer basic medical care to patients or to persons with disabilities. LPNs/LVNs work under the supervision of RNs and doctors, and their responsibilities may include taking and monitoring patient vital signs (blood pressure, temperature, oxygen levels, etc.); changing bandages; assisting with bathing and dressing; and updating patient health records.¹

To become an LPN/LVN, a candidate must have a high school diploma, complete a state-approved LPN/LVN training/educational course, pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN) and then obtain state licensure.¹

Registered Nurse (RN)

Registered nurses (RNs) administer direct care to patients. Typical RN duties include assessing patient conditions, observing patients, administering medications, operating medical equipment, assisting with diagnostic testing, and educating patients and their families on how to manage and treat their medical conditions at home. An RN’s job title may depend on where they work or the specific patient group they work with—for example, cardiac nurses (a/k/a cardiovascular nurses) care for patients with heart conditions, oncology nurses care for patients with cancer, and ICU nurses (a/k/a critical care nurses) care for patients who are critically ill or injured or who are recovering from a serious medical condition.²

Aspiring registered nurses must complete a state-approved nursing diploma, associate degree in nursing (ADN or ASN) or bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) program. All of these nursing programs require completing a certain number of hours of supervised clinical experience. After completing the nursing educational program, candidates must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN)³ and then obtain state licensure.²

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)

Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) coordinate patient care and, depending on their scope of practice and the state they practice in, may provide primary or specialty healthcare. While some APRN duties may overlap with those of RNs, they also may perform many of the same duties as physicians—for example, APRNs are trained to order diagnostic tests, diagnose medical conditions and prescribe medications. As with RNs, there are different types of APRNs. Nurse practitioners (NPs), for example, may specialize in a specific patient population (e.g., geriatric NPs, pediatric NPs or psychiatric NPs).⁴

Aspiring APRNs must possess an RN license and a master’s degree or doctorate in nursing. After completing a graduate-level nursing degree program, they must pass a national APRN licensing exam and obtain state APRN licensure. Which national licensing exam an aspiring APRN sits for will depend on the type of APRN licensure being sought (nurse anesthetist, nurse midwife, nurse practitioner, etc.). Most states require national APRN certification.⁴

Potential Nursing Career Paths

One of the great things about pursuing a nursing career path is how many specialization options there are. Here we explore three.

Forensic Nurse

What Does a Forensic Nurse Do?

A forensic nurse is an RN or APRN whose education and training prepares them for treating patients experiencing health consequences resulting from victimization or violence.⁵ While forensic nursing is its own specialty, forensic nurses may further specialize in intimate partner violence, elder abuse and child mistreatment; sexual assault; death investigation; and correctional nursing.⁶

Because forensic nurses “work at the intersection of nursing and the criminal justice system,”⁷ their duties go beyond providing medical care to patients: forensic nurses may provide consultation and testimony in criminal cases against alleged perpetrators of violence against patients in their care.⁵ Additionally, due to the nature of their work (treating patients who have been victimized), forensic nurses may work not only in traditional hospital settings but also in domestic violence centers, medical examiners’ offices and correctional facilities.⁷

How Does One Become a Forensic Nurse?

Although the path to becoming a forensic nurse varies by state, forensic nursing requirements are generally similar to those of other nursing specialties: you must have an RN license, have a certain amount of relevant clinical experience and obtain specialty-specific (forensic nursing) certification.⁷ Aspiring forensic nurse practitioners, a type of APRN, must earn at least a master’s degree in nursing (MSN).²

Forensic Nursing Certification

There are different types of forensic nursing certification that may be pursued. Examples include the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner-Adult/Adolescent (SANE-A^®) credential and the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner-Pediatric/Adolescent (SANE-P^®) credential, offered by the Commission for Forensic Nursing Certification (CFNC); and the Generalist Forensic Nurse—Certified^™ credential and Advanced Forensic Nurse—Certified^™ credential, offered by the Forensic Nursing Certification Board (FNCB).

Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)

What Does a Family Nurse Practitioner Do?

Family nurse practitioners (FNPs) are a type of APRN offering preventative and primary care healthcare services to patients of all ages—from infants to adults to senior citizens. Although the scope of primary care nursing is broad, FNPs can also seek additional certifications in subspecialty areas, such as gerontology or psychiatric-mental health.⁴

How Do You Become an FNP?

An aspiring FNP must hold a Master of Science in Nursing—Family Nurse Practitioner (MSN-FNP) degree, must be an RN, must pass a national certification exam and must obtain APRN licensure from their state after passing the certification exam.⁴

Family Nurse Practitioner Certification

There are different options for FNP certification, including Family Nurse Practitioner-Board Certified (FNP-BC^™), offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), offered by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB).

Nurse Educator

What Does a Nurse Educator Do?

Nurse educators teach patient care in academic and clinical settings to nursing students.⁸ They may orient new nursing staff, help to develop continuing education (CE) programs or be involved in research and policy development.⁹

How Do You Become a Nurse Educator?

Postsecondary teachers at four-year colleges and universities typically must hold a doctorate in their field of degree, although a master’s degree may be sufficient. For nurse educators, this means holding a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). Nurse educators must also hold a nursing license (RN license or APRN license) and have hands-on nursing experience.¹⁰

Nurse Educator Certification

Certified Nurse Educator (CNE^®) is a certification created for the nursing education specialty area of practice. According to the National League for Nursing, the organization that offers CNE certification, the exam measures competence in the full scope of the academic nurse educator practice role.¹¹

CalSouthern Nursing Degree Programs

California Southern University offers undergraduate and graduate online nursing degree programs designed for working adults who already hold an unencumbered RN license and who want to advance their education.

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-BSN) online degree program is programmatically accredited and designed for nurses who are interested in pursuing nurse management or leadership roles in various healthcare practice settings. Topics include theoretical and evidence-based practice and research, health promotion strategies through the lifespan, community health strategies, pathopharmacology and physical assessment, and more.*

The Master of Science in Nursing (RN-MSN) online degree program is programmatically accredited and designed for nurses who want to study advanced theoretical and evidence-based practices that can be applied to diverse patient populations in an array of healthcare settings. The program offers two concentration options MSN—Nurse Executive Leader and MSN—Nurse Educator.*

* This program is not designed to meet the educational requirements for a specific professional license or certification required for employment in an occupation. However, the program does meet the California Board of Registered Nursing requirements to apply for Public Health Nurse (PHN) certification in California. Otherwise, CalSouthern has made no other determination regarding prerequisites for licensure or certification in any state or jurisdiction.

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree programs at CalSouthern are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.

CalSouthern cannot guarantee employment, salary, or career advancement. REQ2196027 2/2026

¹ Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses,” https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/licensed-practical-and-licensed-vocational-nurses.htm (last visited Feb. 6, 2026).
² Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Registered Nurses,” https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm (last visited Feb. 6, 2026).
³ Jody Dugan, RN, BSN, “6 Things to Know About the NCLEX Examination” (updated Sep. 13, 2024), https://nursejournal.org/resources/nclex/things-to-know-about-the-nclex-exam/.
⁴ Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives and Nurse Practitioners,” https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nurse-anesthetists-nurse-midwives-and-nurse-practitioners.htm (last visited Feb. 6, 2026).
⁵ International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN), “What Is Forensic Nursing?,” https://www.forensicnurses.org/page/WhatisFN/ (last visited Feb. 6, 2026).
⁶ International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN), “Forensic Nursing Practice,” https://www.forensicnurses.org/page/AreasFNPractice (last visited Feb. 6, 2026).
⁷ American Nursing Association (ANA), “How to Become a Forensic Nurse,” May 17, 2023, https://www.nursingworld.org/content-hub/resources/nursing-resources/how-to-become-a-forensic-nurse/.
⁸ Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, “25-1072 Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary,” https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes251072.htm (last visited Feb. 6, 2026).
⁹ American Nursing Association (ANA), “Shaping Future Healthcare: The Path to Becoming a Nurse Educator,” https://www.nursingworld.org/content-hub/resources/nursing-resources/becoming-a-nurse-educator/ (last visited Feb. 6, 2026).
¹⁰ Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Postsecondary Teachers, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/postsecondary-teachers.htm (last visited Feb. 6, 2026).
¹¹ National League for Nursing, “CNE^® Eligibility,” https://www.nln.org/awards-recognition/cne/Certification-for-Nurse-Educatorscne/cne-eligibility (last visited Feb. 6, 2026).