Nursing is so vast a career choice and continually growing. If you have Registered Nurse license and are ready to work, what could you do? If you are a LVN/LPN, some of these jobs are open to you also. If you are an advanced practice nurse, you may work in any one of these areas or have your own clinic and work independently (depending on the state).
Here are some ideas...
Advice Nurse take calls and give advice based on protocols
Camp Nurse. This one can be fun. If you have kids, this could be an opportunity to go to camp with them and they may get a discount to attend. (I have done this and will expand on this on a different post) you will need to know your basic first aid and be prepared for injuries and illness in both campers and staff. You may not have support, you may be the only medically trained person there.
Clinic Nurse. work in a clinic setting. Pediatrics, OB/GYN, Chronic illnesses, cardiology, urology, renal, geriatrics, orthopedics, workmans' comp/employee health, general medicine, dermatology, infectious diseases, oncology, and so many more...
Conference Nurse. This could be an opportunity for you to attend a conference that interests you or your kids and go for free (but you will have to work as the nurse) and your kids may get a discount. (I have done this and will expand on this on a different post) this is like camp nursing, but in a more academic setting.
Cruise Nurse. Another possibly fun job. Your spouse may be able to go for a discount. You will work and also have free time to enjoy the ship.
Director of Nursing (DON). Generally administrative, most often requires a Masters degree. You may be held responsible for other people's mistakes. Oversees the nursing staff and overall nursing operations of the healthcare facility. Evaluating and directing all nursing employees, establishing goals for the nursing department and creating and enforcing compliant healthcare policies.
Discharge Planner coordinates the discharge of a patient from a hospital or skilled nursing facility to their home or another facility. Assess the patient's needs, develop a continuing care plan, and review it with the patient and their family. Provide information to other staff and agencies regarding reimbursement, policies, and resources.
Flight Nurse. This is an elite group of nurses who transport critical patients by flight
Home care Nurse. work with pediatric through adult patients with injuries or chronic illnesses in their homes (I have done this and will expand in another post)
Hospice Nurse. making patients comfortable and at peace in the last part of their lives
Hospital Nurse. There are so many departments in a hospital that you could work in, such as MedSurg, Telemetry, Neonatal ICU (NICU), Pediatrics, Pediatric ICU (PICU), Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Critical Care Unit (CCU), Cardiovascular ICU (CVICU), Neuro ICU, Maternal Child/MotherBaby, Labor & Delivery (L&D), Emergency Department (ER/ED), Short Stay Unit (SSU), PACU, Surgery, Endoscopy, and Cath Lab to name a few.
Legal Nurse/Expert Practice Consultant/Witness. Use your nursing experience to communicate knowledge regarding nursing practice. Evaluate medical charts and evidence. Provide written reports. Work with attorneys and appear at hearings to provide expert testimony. (I have done this and will expand in another post)
Medical Social Worker. help patients and families cope with their illness or injuries. Provide counseling, crisis intervention, emotional and mental assessments, and information about resources and treatment plans. Advocate for patient needs.
Nurse Educator teaches other nurses and students in various settings. Develop and implement curriculum, evaluate and mentor learners, and serve as role models of effective and patient-centered care. Keep up with changing techniques and evidence-based practices in nursing and education. May require a higher level of education such as a Bachelors or Masters degree.
Nurse writer. use your knowledge to write in journals, textbooks, blogs, informational materials, education, books, magazines, and more
Nursing Administration. Generally administrative, most often requires at least a Bachelors degree. Typically manage staff in several medical departments or hospitals, and complete administrative tasks such as performance reviews, attending meetings, developing training and personnel procedures, and more. Typically reports directly to a hospital CEO and may oversee nurse managers.
Nurse Coach. Use your nursing knowledge to help people be healthier.
Nursing Instructor. Teach future generations of nurses/nursing students.
Nurse manager. creates and manages an environment of care focused on the patients, defining and elevating standards for patient care, develops and manages work-based teams for shifts, may train and/or hire new staff; and providing leadership for everyone on the nursing team You should have some experience before you try this and to be respected by your peers. Generally administrative, most often requires a Bachelors degree.
Organ Donation Nurse. Procurement nurses coordinate the harvesting and collection of organs. Other nurses work with patients waiting for transplant or with individuals who have already had organ transplants.
Patient educator. Educators are needed in areas of chronic illness teaching such as diabetes, congestive heart failure (CHF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), other heart and pulmonary disease, smoking cessation, and other specialized areas.
Prison Nurse. Prisons have medication nurses, clinics, and some have an infirmary/inpatient services. (I have done this and will expand on this in a different post)
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse helps patients with psychiatric disorders and mental illnesses by providing assessment, intervention, medication, therapy, and education. Work in various settings that offer mental health treatment services, such as hospitals, clinics, home healthcare, prisons, schools, and agencies.
Registry Nurse. I would recommend at least 1 year of experience before trying this. You will be expected to be able to perform with minimal to no training. This is a local "traveler" nurse that may work for one or more nursing agencies to fill positions in any type of nursing that he/she is qualified to do. I have done many interesting and different types of assignments through registry (I have done this and will expand on this in a different post)
Research Nurse provides care and treatment for human participants involved in medical or scientific experiments or studies. Responsible for monitoring the health and safety of patients under strict conditions of regulatory oversight, and for collecting and interpreting data for research purposes.
Quality Management Nurse. works to improve patient care, promote safety, and reduce errors. Responsible for compliance, quality, and policy development in accordance with the policies and regulations of their organization and the health center they serve. Develops, implements, and evaluates initiatives to enhance performance and productivity. Collaborate and communicate with clinical and operational leaders, medical staff, and front-line employees to set and execute a clear, consensus-driven agenda for quality and safety improvement. May assist with risk, billing, insurance, and patient case management, as well as training and education
School Nurse may tend to chronically ill children in schools or assess illness and injuries of students. Give medications as ordered. (I have done this and will expand on this in a different post)
Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Nurse. work in a nursing home, generally geriatric or chronically ill population
Travel Nurse. I would recommend 1-2 years of experience before trying this. You will be expected to be able to perform with minimal to no training. (more on this on a different post)
Some of these require experience. Many will train. Some are clinical and others are not.
In my opinion, your nursing fundamentals can be achieved in the Hospital setting. If you are not sure what you want to do, I recommend starting in MedSurg and then expand from there. If you always wanted to be a Labor & Delivery Nurse or a NICU Nurse, then go for it!
But...if you overspecialize from the very beginning, it may be more difficult to break into other areas. New-grad and training positions may be harder to come by and some may require cost-sharing of the training or require work time for a set amount of years afterwards.
...The key is to always keep learning. Be open to learn new things and be open to others showing you something you may not have known. Everybody has something to learn no matter how long you have been a nurse. If you act like you know it all you may have missed a learning opportunity. Nursing is not a fake it till you make it field. Be open to learn and be careful to recognize when you are placed in a position that is out of your scope. If you accept an assignment that you are not prepared for and something happens, your nursing license could be on the line.
Click here to read blog about nursing malpractice insurance.
This is not a complete list, and I am sure there are loads more that I have not listed. I will return to update as I think of more and please add in the comments if I have missed something!
I have briefly described some of these jobs so you get an idea and plan to go into further discussion on some of these in future posts.
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