Alternative Careers For Nurses
What is one good alternative career for a nurse?
To help nurses discover alternative employment opportunities, we asked recruiters and business professionals this question for their best insights. From becoming a medical researcher to healthcare educator, there are several opportunities that nurses should consider when looking for alternative careers.
Here are nine alternative careers for nurses:
- Medical Researcher
What Careers Can I Consider After Nursing
The best careers to consider after nursing are those that use your nursing skills in a different way. A nurse educator, for example, uses their nursing skills to teach other nurses rather than working as a nurse themself. In addition to nursing skills, your skills in organization, conflict resolution, and the soft skills mentioned above can help you qualify for your next position.
What Can You Do With A Nursing Degree Besides Nursing
Professionals with training and experience in nursing can find fulfilling work in a variety of related career paths. In this section, we provide brief overviews of the essential details of each potential new career track, including education requirements, applicable skills, and salary information. We consider jobs located in several industries, such as health and nutrition, social work, public health, education, research, and counseling.
Medical Records and Health Information Technicians
These professionals typically need a postsecondary certification or an associate degree to find entry-level jobs in the field. Professionals who apply for these jobs may need to acquire a certification for consideration, such as the Registered Health Information Technician or Certified Tumor Registrar.
Those with nursing training in these roles put to use their knowledge of medical terminology, health data requirements, and hospital and clinic coding and classification systems. These professionals also need strong communication and interpersonal skills commonly found among nurses who work directly with patients in a hospital or clinical setting. Alternative job titles for this role include medical information clerks.
Salary: $40,350
Pharmaceutical Sales
Salary: $63,000
Nutritionist
Salary: $61,270
Health Educator
Salary: $46,910
Administrative Services Manager
Salary: $96,940
Medical and Health Service Managers
Salary: $100,980
Clinical Social Worker
Salary: $50,470
Salary: $79,120
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Procurement Nurse / Organ Transplant Coordinator
Job Description: Procurement nurses are responsible for handling the entire process of organ transplant from evaluating donors eligibility and coordinating with the donors family to procurement of organ, coordinating recovery post-surgery, and everything in between.
Salary Range: $49,000 $94,000
Degrees Required: A bachelors degree or an associates degree in nursing is enough. A Certified Procurement Transplant Coordinator certification is often required.
Remote Availability: Yes
Setting: Hospital
Script Consultant / Medical Script Nurse
Job Description: Script consultants are hired by studio, television, or theater productions to provide script notes and feedback. They are mostly enlisted by screenwriters to provide feedback and detailed analysis on their script.
Salary Range: $17,500 $155,000
Degrees Required: No specific degree or certification is required.
Remote Availability: Yes
Setting: Non-hospital
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Administrative Services Manager / Healthcare Administrators
Job Description: Administrative service managers are responsible for planning and coordinating activities in a healthcare facility or medical institution to ensure a smooth and efficient operational workflow. Duties include supervising administrative staff, managing records, overseeing maintenance of equipment, and coordinating health services.
Salary Range: $42,000 $133,000
Degrees Required: A bachelors degree in healthcare administration, nursing or related field is required. A masters degree in public health or administration is a bonus.
Remote Availability: Yes
Setting: Hospital
Career Changes For Nurses
The nursing workforce is taking on more and more roles, from traditional patient care to research, from education to forensics, or from informatics to nutrition. Career paths for nurses are more diversified than ever. Nurses who decide to change their careers often cite burnout, 12-hour shifts, and workplace incivility as the main workplace challenges they face. So, should a nurse decide they want a job that offers more stability and flexibility, then changing the setting is now more achievable than ever.
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Browse Open Nursing Jobs
If youve ever had a conversation about in-demand careers, nursing is bound to come up. Healthcare is an enormous field especially for RNs and according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job outlook for RNs is expected to continue growing between now and 2022. With numbers like that, its no wonder so many people are signing up for nursing programs.
You may have never pictured yourself working in a hospital or wearing scrubs at your day job, but thats no reason to kick the idea of getting a nursing degree to the curb. There are several career paths you can take that wont require you to work at a hospital. Consider these six alternatives:
Prepare For Alternative Nursing Jobs At Mvnu
With numerous non-bedside nursing jobs available, there is no need for students and professionals to limit themselves to one career path. If you wish to pursue new nursing career opportunities, turn to MVNU for high-quality and convenient educational programs.
We offer an online Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program for registered nurses looking to enhance their knowledge of the healthcare industry and provide a Master of Science in Nursing degree program that enables working nurses to seek advanced positions in nursing education, leadership, and administration. Request information online today to learn more about these and other degree programs.
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Where Do Nurses Work
Not all nurses work in a hospital setting. You can find nurses in a wide variety of direct and indirect patient care settings, including urgent care settings, public schools, doctors offices, pharmacies, clinics, private homes, hospice care, and government jobs. Across the entire patient experience, you can find nurses who use their skills wherever there is someone in need of care. The most common places where nurses work include:
- Nursing and Residential Care Facilities
- Schools – State, Local, and Private
Choosing The Right Nursing Career For You
These are just a few of the awesome careers nurses can pursue. And while it may not seem as exciting or glamorous to work in a hospital or clinic, there are still many benefits to working in those traditional settings. Access to state-of-the-art medical equipment, incredible growth potential, and being part of a large medical team are just a few worth mentioning.
Before you give up on your hospital job and pack up to become a yacht nurse, find out if there are other great opportunities nearby by checking out our nurse job board. A simple change of scenery can do wonders for your career.
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What Kind Of Income Can I Expect
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the median pay for an LPN was $47,000 per year in 2019. The alternative LPN careers listed above cover a spectrum of earnings from being in the same range to considerably higher. While the median salary for medical billers is slightly less than the median salary for LPNs, the average base salary for pharmaceutical reps is over $75,000 a year, according to Indeed.com.
Alternative Nursing Careers That Go Beyond The Hospital
By Anna Heinrich on 09/11/2017
When you hear the word nursing, you may conjure up images of someone in scrubs, hurrying from patient to patient in a hospital. And while you have considered nursing as a career, this image doesnt seem to align with your own goals and passions. You are interested in healthcare, but either dont want to work in hands-on care, or youd like to help more people than just day-to-day patients.
Weve got you covered. Nursing is a huge field experiencing tremendous growthin fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts nursing employment to grow 16 percent by 2024much faster than the national average. As the field grows, it also changes, with opportunities extending outside the hospital and even beyond wearing scrubs. A traditional nursing career is now not the only way you can take advantage of a Nursing degree in the growing healthcare industry.
We talked to real RNs, did our research and dug up seven alternative nursing careers you might not have known existed. Who knows? Maybe one of these could be your future career!
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Reasons To Transition From Rn To Him
1. HIM jobs are plentiful and in high demand.
The healthcare industry as a whole is seeing increased demand for medical servicesand medical personnel. This, of course, includes HIM professionals. Widespread use of electronic health records will continue to create demand for managers who can organize, manage, and integrate these records for all healthcare providersbe they large or small organizations, long-term care facilities or hospital systems.
Job titles and specific duties of HIM professionals vary considerably. With an advanceddegree in HIM, RNs are qualified for many of the roles, including nursing informatics specialist, clinical documentation improvement specialist, and healthcare administrator.
2. The HIM department offers a predictable work schedule and environment.
One of the most common reasons RNs change careers is to gain more control of their work hours. In fact, 74% of respondents from the HOLLIBLU and Feedtrail survey reported experiencing high levels of anxiety and emotional stress. For others, likeUW graduate Heather Smith, the physical demands of nursing become challenging.
Overall, HIM staff enjoy more consistent schedules and less physically-demanding work environments than those in clinical roles. HIM professionals tend to work nine-to-five schedules in office environments within healthcare institutions or from satellite locations. More and more HIM departments are virtual as well, with some staff working remotely.
Nursing Jobs Nurses Can Work Instead Of Bedside
Learn about our editorial process.
Registered nurses are not limited to just working bedside. Their education, background, and skills apply to many other roles. Professionals may have many reasons to prefer non-bedside nursing jobs , most of which depend upon their specialty career choice and desired employment setting.
Non-hospital settings allow RNs to work more traditional hours and pursue opportunities in different workplaces. In the wake of burnout experienced from the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses are searching for lower stress job options other than bedside nursing.
Regardless of their workplace, RNs develop valuable skills across multiple settings, including:
- Critical thinking
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Are Hospitals The Only Venue For Nurses
One of the best things about a nursing course is its flexibility you learn different skills that you can apply in different working fields. In many cases, not all nurses want to work in hospitals others even go out from their profession and pursue another career. And theres nothing wrong with that. If you are a nurse, and you want to work outside hospitals, then you do have a lot of choices. Here are 20 non-hospitable jobs for nurses to consider:
Looking For Similar Professions To Registered Nurse Here Are 5 Reasons To Consider Him
Home » Stories & News » Looking for Similar Professions to Registered Nurse? Here Are 5 Reasons to Consider HIM
If youre a registered nurse thinking about changing careers, youre not alone. A recent survey by HOLLIBLU, a community for nurses and technology app, and Feedtrail, a real-time feedback provider platform, shows that 67% of over 1,200 nurses surveyed from more than 400 different hospitals said they are likely to leave their current facility or the industry altogether. The respondents expressed the physical, mental and emotional toll during the COVID-19 pandemic.
You might have specific reasons. Perhaps:
- Working nights and weekends is increasingly difficult.
- You like healthcare but feel overworked in direct patient care.
- You want to use your experience and knowledge to streamline healthcare processes and improve care on a larger scale.
- Your goal is to advance to a leadership role and increase your salary.
If any of these are true, one alternative career to consider ishealth information management . In the past two decades, HIM has transformed into the largest healthcare department not directly involved in patient care, and nurses are well positioned to transition to these roles.
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Alternative Nursing Career Options
The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed’s data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.
Nursing is a meaningful and important career with a dynamic and diverse area of specialty. Most people think being a nurse means staying at the patients bedside, checking their vital signs and making sure they are comfortable. However, the profession is more diverse than you think. There are many careers in this field that you can choose from as an alternative to being a bedside nurse. In this article, we will explore a list of nursing professions and their primary duties to help you decide which option is best for you.
Ten Careers Similar To Nursing
Nurse Assistant
Nurse assistants, or certified nursing assistants , perform some of the same tasks as registered nurses working in long-term care facilities and supporting treatment. Overall, though, this role requires fewer responsibilities and less education. CNAs are responsible for direct patient care.
These professionals are responsible for:
- taking vital signs
- assisting with some medical procedures
- gathering patient histories
CNAs work in all different kinds of medical facilities, including hospitals, long-term residential facilities, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, adult day care centers, and sometimes clinical facilities. CNAs may also perform their duties in a home healthcare setting.
CNAs are required to hold a high school diploma and have taken a CNA training course, which is typically a few months long. Additionally, in most states CNAs must earn a certification, which often includes a written or oral exam, as well as a demonstration exam where students show their ability to perform certain tasks.
While being a CNA is a great role in and of itself, its often used as a stepping stone to other, higher-paying careers. The skills youll learn in this career will set you up well to advance your career in many potential ways. CNAs earn $35,000 a year on average. Learn more about the responsibilities and job outlook for certified nursing assistants.
Sonographer
Some responsibilities of a sonographer include:
Radiologic Technologist
Clinical Technologist
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Cannabis Nurse / Dispensary Nurse
Job Description: A cannabis nurse works to educate patients on a variety of cannabis information and misinformation. They also provide training to other medical practitioners on cannabis therapeutics potential and benefits.
Salary Range: Not found
Degrees Required: Any licensed or registered nurse can become a cannabis nurse.
Remote Availability: Yes
Setting: Mostly non-hospital
How Do I Change Careers After Nursing
First, take stock of your strengths. Make a list of the skills and traits that could help with your career change. Then, honestly evaluate your weaknesses and make a plan to improve them. How well do your strengths match up with jobs you might consider doing? Decide what you need to work on to improve your chances of getting a new job.
Think about what jobs you could do with your skills. Make a list of the pros and cons for each job and take some time to evaluate your options. You shouldn’t necessarily rule out an occupation just because it requires more training â take your time and think about which position you would enjoy the most.
Many professions have professional organizations. For example, you may already be a member of the American Nurses Association. Check to see if there are any professional organizations for the career you’re preparing for. Becoming a member could provide you with access to networking opportunities in addition to looking good on your resume.
If you need to get a master’s degree or graduate certificate to qualify for your new position, now is the time to go back to college. Look around to find a quality program that you can afford. If you find an appealing part-time program, you may be able to keep working while you go to school.
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Want To Leave Nursing 5 Rewarding Career Options To Try
Nursing is a demanding career that requires a lot of time, energy, and dedication. But what if youre ready to leave nursing? Whether youre burnt out, looking for more flexible hours, or wanting to try something new, there are plenty of rewarding career options out there for nurses who want to make a change.
What can you do with a nursing degree if you dont want to be a nurse? This article discusses some reasons why nurses want to leave the profession, particularly the hospital setting, and the alternative career paths that are just as rewarding.
What Does A Nurse Do
In a field as varied as nursing, there is no all-encompassing answer. Due to the vast range of specializations, care settings, expertise, and patients physical, biological, and behavioral needs, each nurse may have different responsibilities. Job duties can range from promoting preventative health care strategies in schools to acute treatment decisions in an intensive care unit.
The primary unifying characteristic in every nursing role is that nurses use their judgment and specialized knowledge to deliver the best possible care and positively impact patient outcomes. Nurses must be smart, skilled in critical thinking, and capable of adapting to any situation. Specifically, here are a few of the general nurse duties:
- Conduct physical exams and collect detailed health care histories
- Collect vital signs, draw blood, and order diagnostic tests
- Administer medications and other personalized treatments
- Coordinate care with a wide array of health care professionals and specialists
- Provide health promotion, counseling, and healthcare education to patients
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Alternative Careers In Nursing
Osmosis TeamPublished on May 16, 2022. Updated on Aug 19, 2022.
Nursing is a complex and evolving profession that offers endless career opportunities. Depending on location, skills or interests, as well as financial capabilities and experiences, obtaining a nursing degree can lead to many opportunities in different healthcare settings.
In this article, we break down the different career paths for nursing, from basic to higher-level degrees, as well as a general description of different careers outside of the traditional hospital or acute care settings.
