After moving, I needed a new job. The last six years I have been on a medical-surgical, surgical oncology, orthopedic, respiratory, and medical-telemetry. The last year I also split my shifts between bedside and as a charge nurse. I’ve compiled ten of the most common or interesting positions I came across that were away from the bedside.
#1 Blogging /Writing
Blogging can be lucrative with an audience. I have found that writing my experience is more therapeutic than monetary, and if someone can resinate with my experience, goal accomplished. Another voice and experience is always welcome. Nurse writers submit articles to magazines or websites. Most positions are freelanced, meaning if your article is accepted, then you receive a paycheck. It can be a side gig if you love to write.
#2 Infusion Nurse
Are you good at placing IVs? Patients receive long-term antibiotics, chemo and other medications. As the nurse, you weigh the patient, get a set of vitals, insert an IV or access the port, administer the medication and observe for reactions and side effects. When they are all set and done, patients go home. These positions are a Monday thru Friday with limited Saturday hours and typically no holidays. The position can be full or part time.
#3 Charge or Management
Every hospital has different managerial systems or different titles in the same position. For instance, the hospital wide nurse manager referred to as the House Supervisor in another hospital is referred to as Nursing Administrative Manager (NAM) or Nurse Manager. The higher up the latter, the further from bedside. Charge nurses only have patients during extreme staff shortage. Charge nurse will complete audits, help nurses with patients, and extend the unit manager. When applying, confirm the job description. I am a Clinical Resource Leader (CRL) but I am doing what I did as a charge nurse at my other hospital.
#4 Home Care
The growth of our aging population, along with family and individuals wanting their loved ones to stay in the home. Help in the home is a growing field, from drivers to bring them to appointments or grocery store, companions to make meals or do laundry, CNA’s assist with showers, dressing, and other daily activities, and nurses. Nurses in the home will assist with medications, a set of vitals, an assessment and education. Nurses who I’ve talked to that say seeing how their patient lives gives them insight to better care for them. Home care allows for a very flexible schedule. Nurses work full or part-time.
#5 Outpatient
Any medical office or urgent clinic use RNs to educate patients, perform specific tasks based on the specialty, administer vaccines or other intramuscular or subcutaneous medication. They also make follow-up and educational phone calls. In this environment you work with doctor. These positions are Monday to Saturday with holidays off.
#6 Insurance
All over job searches, insurance agencies come up. I have never seen a salary along with any of these postings. The description of the job states the nurse will over review medical bills and contact customers. Several of these positions have become remote from the new work climate post-pandemic. Are you a self-motivated person with the internet, a phone, and enjoy work from home, then research insurance agencies need for RNs?
#7 Case Manager
Another remote or hybrid posting is Case Manager. Some will train new employee, other prefer an RN with a Master’s degree in case management. When job searching, this position can also be performed in a medical office or hospital. The case manager is the person who helps the patients by arranging oxygen, doctor’s appointment, and delivery of any equipment needed at home.
#8 Legal Reference
Law firms that take on suites against hospitals, doctors or nurses, the firms need someone who can give advice and read through charts. This position can either be remote or in person, part-time, full-time, or per diem. Especially if law interest you, this combines a brilliant mix of medical knowledge and law.
#9 Educator
An educator can work in either an academic or a hospital environment. In the hospital, educators work with specific units to keep the nurse up to date with protocols, procedures and devices. They begin the training of new nurses. In an academic atmosphere, they teach students who want to become CNAs, RNs or LPNs. You would work in the skills lab to help the next generation of nurses.
#10 Clinical Facilitator
Every nurse during their program had the clinical faculty, the faculty member that goes to the clinic site to watch you give medications and offer the hands-on component to the nursing field. They work with a small group of students, four to ten; you introduce them to the floor and in real time gain experience with skills and medications. This is a part-time position working one-to- three days a week.
My search for a new position opened my eyes to what’s out there. Nursing is a wide extreme of different areas and flexible schedules. What interesting job post have you found during your search?
Happy Nursing!