What is the least stressful high paying nursing specialty?

roser13, ASN, RN · Aug 7, 2015

Any nursing position has the potential to provide a 6-figure income, provided you are willing to work 80+hr weeks in the shifts that provide a shift differential: week-ends, evenings and nights.

Stress level? No one can answer for anyone else when it comes to what that person's stressors are. I know nurses who get stressed when their adrenaline isn't running high enough.

emtb2rn, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Aug 7, 2015

Come to the er. Your monthly salary will be 6 figures (cents included) and your stress level will be non-existent because what could possibly happen in an emergency department that could cause stress?

SC_RNDude · Aug 7, 2015

Employee health nurse at Google.

llg, PhD, RN · Aug 7, 2015

It depends on what type of nursing you enjoy. As others have said, any specialty can pay at least reasonably well if you rise to the top of it ... and the stress will be tolerable if you really enjoy it.

However, any field you hate will be extremely stressful, in spite of what they pay you.

mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN · Aug 7, 2015

Informatics. I know the state that I live in is looking for a state insurance informatics nurse and it pays 6 figures. Not sure how much stress is involved, I am getting ready to find out. Starting a program in Jan.

Rumor has it that eventually it will be a 6 figure specialty field.

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Aug 7, 2015

Informatics. I know the state that I live in is looking for a state insurance informatics nurse and it pays 6 figures. Not sure how much stress is involved, I am getting ready to find out. Starting a program in Jan.
Rumor has it that eventually it will be a 6 figure specialty field.

Most informatics jobs require an MSN plus experience. OP is a new grad LVN

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Aug 7, 2015

Any nursing position with the potential for a 6-figure income is going to be stressful, or require long hours, experience, and training. I'm curious why you used midwife as an inquiry in your post? Midwives work on call 24/7/365. I was also told by an instructor that OB and anesthesia are the highest litigated medical specialties. If that's true, I would think midwives (advanced practice OB RNs) would get sued a fair amount as well. Just speculation.

CRNAs make good money, but only after some years of ICU nursing and very rigorous graduate program...and then the work can be stressful. Legal nurse consultants can make good money, but again after experience...and the court room is stressful.

Sorry, I got nothing.

Alicia777, MSN, NP · Aug 7, 2015

The million dollar question. The jobs can be found but it's a combination of preparation, luck, and timing...

SierraMoon, ADN, BSN, RN · Aug 7, 2015

I can't think of anything more stressful than being a midwife. Their bad days must be the worst.

allnurses Guide · Aug 7, 2015

All kidding asside I have known some nurses who worked on pharmacceutical research who get paid a decent amount (can't say it's 6 figures or not) but they seem pretty happy

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Aug 7, 2015

They are all RNs (and likely BSN at a minimum) with experience. Bummer, huh?

Oh, I don't know. An acquaintance of my son's just told him that now that she completed her vo-tec CNA training, she is a Certified Medical Professional and can do everything a nurse can do (except for hand out drugs, which is the easy part, we all know). Yep, 8 weeks part-time and she can now call herself a nurse. And there's my son, gently explaining to her that the "Assistant" part of "Nursing Assistant" was a crucial differentiation.....she still didn't get it. Oh well. I'm sure she expects to earn lots of money, too, without having to do any of that pesky education stuff.

Caffeine_IV · Aug 7, 2015

If I REALLY wanted 6 figures and low stress, I would look outside of the nursing realm.