Nowadays, nurses are not bound to work in hospitals and clinics anymore. With several fields and domains emerging every year, there’s a lucrative career path for everyone. If you’re a nurse who has gotten tired of years of working as an RN, it’s time for you to explore other options. Of course, we aren’t saying that all the hard work and time you dedicated to your clinical nursing career will go to waste. We understand that being a nurse is your passion, and you don’t want to trade that for anything. Instead, you could change the work environment to find something fresh and invigorating. If you’ve come to this conclusion, we’re here to help you decide which non-clinical jobs are most in-demand.
Fortunately, there are several jobs in the healthcare industry for nurses who no longer want to work in a clinical setting. So, let’s list some non-clinical nursing roles that will help you utilize years of experience and expertise.
1. Legal nurse consultant
As a registered nurse, your experience and expertise in the field hold significant value in the legal world. Therefore, you can use your medical expertise in legal cases related to health issues, abuse, or malpractice. Your job will revolve around helping attorneys understand case-related medical terms and vocabulary and assist in interpreting client/patient charts. And, if needed, their health history. Moreover, you can also work for health facilities, insurance companies, government agencies, and even the pharmaceutical industry. According to the latest nursing trends, this career is exceptionally popular among nursing aspirants today.
It also gives you the freedom to pick your industry and work as a self-employed consultant, dealing with several clients.
2. Nursing informatics
Nursing informatics is another non-clinical nursing position, where the medical field of nursing combines with IT and computer science. As a nurse informaticist, you will coordinate with the information systems department to interpret patient data and manage it for the healthcare facilities. For example, it’s the responsibility of nurse informaticists to predict infection rates in a particular area and assist the healthcare facility in developing new preventative protocols.
Moreover, nurse informaticists conduct research and train novice nurses to leverage the latest technologies and tools. More importantly, they implement new technological systems and procedures in multiple healthcare settings.
3. Public health nurse
As a public health nurse, you’ll get the opportunity to work for the community and improve public health. Initially, you’ll have to collaborate with the community leaders to educate the community members about diseases and their health risks. You’ll also help them devise and execute healthcare education programs that help individuals combat different lifestyle problems such as STDS, obesity, etc.
Unearthing community health problems and devising programs and policies to mitigate them will be your utmost responsibility. Nonetheless, your work responsibilities might vary according to the organization you join.
4. Nursing administrator
If you’re hesitant to perform clinical duties, becoming a nurse administrator is a viable decision. A nursing administrator is a leader in the healthcare industry who combines their management skill with clinical experience to run the facility smoothly. Their primary responsibilities include budgeting, hiring nurses, collaborating with other facility managers, etc.
Moreover, some nursing administrators overlook patient care and handle their complaints and grievances. Therefore, if you’re willing to utilize your clinical skills alongside managerial ones, this profession is indeed suitable for you.
5. Nurse educator
If you have immense experience as a registered nurse, opting for a nurse educator position will prove worthwhile. Nurse educators are former RNs shouldering the responsibility of imparting their medical knowledge and experience to others. For this purpose, you will be training junior nurses or teaching nursing courses at a college level.
Additionally, you’ll have to use organizational and leadership skills to inspire young nurses to do their best in the field. You can carry on your teaching responsibilities along with the nursing work or dedicate your time to teaching and training entirely. UTA’s grad degree for nurse educators can be completed online if you do decide to continue working as a nurse while completing the program.
6. Nurse ethicist
The emerging careers in nursing allow registered nurses to explore another side of healthcare: ethics. The utmost responsibility of a nurse ethicist is to help patients and healthcare providers deal with difficult moral and medical situations. For example, if a patient needs consultation for an end-of-life decision, an ethical nurse can guide them. Likewise, they can mediate between the healthcare workers and the patients regarding treatments. It allows both parties to come to terms with each other’s demands and communicate more thoroughly if there’s a conflict.
Therefore, if you’re an RN willing to help patients, their families, and the healthcare workers navigate ethical and moral decisions, this career is ideal.
7. Nurse researcher
The job of a nurse researcher demands exceptional clinical experience and skillset to leverage that knowledge in research. As research is a crucial component of medical science, nurse researchers play a significant role. They analyze data patterns and help execute innovative medical practices and advancements in the medical field.
Hence, if you’re a detail-oriented person and have a lot of experience as a registered nurse, this specialization will prove worth the effort. What’s more, you may find the research and analytical process enjoyable.
8. Addiction counselor
Nurses specializing in pain management and human behavioral psychology can consider this domain. Your responsibility will be to provide guidance and support to people struggling to overcome addiction, mostly through therapy and treatment. After the treatment, you’ll assist individuals in regaining their health and leading a vibrant lifestyle. However, you will have to undergo extensive training to acquire the license to practice in your state.
Conclusion
Merely shifting the focus of your career from patient care to another doesn’t mean that you won’t be advancing your career. In contrast, the diversity of practice will broaden your exposure, add to your experience, and boost your skillset. Moreover, these non-clinical jobs are perfect for you if you seek to explore other fields and industries. In today’s rapidly transforming healthcare sector, it’s crucial to strengthen your career profile. And there’s undoubtedly not a better way to do so than venturing into various domains and settings. Along the way, you’ll hone new skills, interact with industry leaders, and expand your intellectual horizon, all of which will prove instrumental for your nursing career.
