Do you want to become a nurse but not sure what type of job you’re looking for?
Are you an experienced nurse facing burnout and looking for a fresh start?
Let me tell you, there’s more to nursing than just scrubs and stethoscopes. The beauty of nursing is that there are so many fulfilling roles to take on. This is the reason many of us became nurses in the first place.
Nursing has gone through significant changes over the course of the 20th century. The role of the nurse was relatively limited in decades past. Previously, typical duties included administering medications, checking vital signs, and simply following the directions of the physician in charge.
Now, clinicians collect raw data, interpret findings, make diagnoses, and establish treatment plans. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the profession has continued to elevate its standards and offers the professional opportunities many of us are looking for.
So — What Does This Mean?
As a veteran nurse, I’ve seen that the most common reason for individuals leaving the profession is burnout and emotional fatigue. We’ve all gone through tough shifts that leave us fried, numb, and frustrated. We’ve all had feelings of deep dread going into work, impending doom after a rough shift & thoughts like, "Is this really what I want to do the REST of my life?" The expectations seem to keep going up and up for bedside nurses, and people are leaving the profession altogether.
So what can you do if you’re looking for a change?
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again — SHIFT AND PIVOT! Research new jobs, spruce up your portfolio, and dig deep to find out the move that makes the most sense for YOU! Once you realize how many options are out there, you may even feel a sense of freedom and excitement! One principle that will always exist in society is the necessity for those who care for physical and mental health. As a nurse, our holistic approach to caring for the body is appreciated by so many people and is being integrated into all sorts of new roles.
Curious what types of opportunities are available? Check out these 51 nursing roles to spice up your career and make a change for the better!
51 ROLES A NURSE CAN CONSIDER!
Most of us start here in our careers! While you may be burned out from being a bedside nurse there are so many different specialties you can transition to depending on where you have experience. Switching hospitals or departments is probably the easiest move to make as a nurse, as jobs are always available and facilities are always looking for new, excited staff to join their team!
Nurse entrepreneurs apply their nursing backgrounds and professional experiences to create a healthcare business. Much like entrepreneurs in other industries, they identify a need in the marketplace, conceptualize how to solve current problems, and build a business that meets these needs. They may offer independent nursing services, such as private home care or consulting, or create and sell medical devices or hygiene products.
Transcultural nursing is a distinct specialty that focuses on celebrating cultural differences and incorporating culturally competent principles and values into care practices. These nurses often treat patients who are new to an area due to migration, immigration, or are refugees from an area of war or violence. As the world becomes more ethnically and culturally diverse, these nurses are always in high demand, especially in cities and urban areas.
Health policy nurses work to review and revise healthcare laws, policies, and regulations. Their goal is to improve care access and quality by enhancing care guidelines. They can work at the facility, region, state, federal, or global level — the opportunities are endless!
Fertility nurses help facilitate the egg donation and implantation process, providing support and guidance to couples looking to conceive. Reproductive nurses work with a team of specialized healthcare professionals in fertility clinics, obstetric/gynecology offices, or egg donor centers.
Substance abuse nurses provide emotional support and rehabilitative care to individuals who struggle with substance use. Because caring for patients requires knowledge of general medicine and psychology, substance abuse nurses receive training in both disciplines.
A genetics nurse is an RN with additional training and education in genetics. Genetic nurses care for patients who are at risk for or are affected by hereditary diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer's. In addition to providing direct patient care, genetics nurses also perform risk assessments, analyze the results and counsel patients on the ongoing management of their conditions or conditions they may be at risk for.
Research nurses work collaboratively with physicians, research assistants, pharmacists, and data analysts to coordinate care for patients who are enrolled in IRB clinical research trials. These nurses assist in the assessment, management and coordination of care across the continuum (outpatient, inpatient and home health), including triage and proactive patient communication.
Occupational health nurses provide care to employees and workers of a particular company or organization. They focus on promoting health, preventing ailments and injuries, and protecting workers from occupation-related and environmental hazards. They also help ensure that employees who are injured on the job get the care they need and assist with disability forms and other insurance paperwork.
Nurse coaches use a variety of health-promotion and illness-prevention strategies to help their patients improve their overall health and well-being. They can work independently or through a health agency and may practice virtually (phone calls or telehealth video platforms) or provide in-person care.
11. Nurse Informaticist
A nurse informaticist is someone skilled at identifying care deficiencies and innovating technological advancements to meet the needs of the changing healthcare environment. They act as liaisons between healthcare providers and technology companies to design products, tools, and charting platforms that improve the care delivery process.
Telehealth nurses, sometimes referred to as virtual care nurses, provide support and care to patients from a remote location. These nurses often work through email, video, or telephone platforms to triage patient needs and help find the care they need. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, this specialty has exploded, so there’s always an array of jobs available!
13. Nurse Writer
A nurse writer creates informative content for nurses, patients and healthcare administrators to learn about healthcare specific news and policy changes. Sometimes these writers create clinical content, while others specialize in subjects like healthcare law or healthcare finance. This is a great path for someone who wants to step away from patient care and live with a more flexible lifestyle and schedule.
14. Infusion Therapy Nurse
Infusion nurses provide medications through IVs, ports, and PICC lines. They often work in oncology offices, blood donation centers, or wellness clinics but can also provide home-based care to those that aren’t able to leave home. An infusion nurse is an integral member of the health care team and collaborates with physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists to ensure the vascular access device and medication being infused are the best options for the patient’s unique needs.
The Nurse Corps has five Reserve components and, although similar, each branch has its own commitment requirements:
Army Reserve
Navy Reserve
Air force Reserve
Air National Guard
Army National Guard
This is a great opportunity for nurses looking to gain leadership skills, travel the world, and serve their country.
A nurse executive often holds the most senior nursing position in their place of employment, and can even hold a title such as Director of Nursing. In order to be an effective nurse executive, RNs must clearly and effectively communicate with their nursing staff to help provide the best patient care possible.
This is obviously a role for those with clinical experience, but anyone can become an administrator after working for a few years. A good way to get started on this career path is to get involved in your organization’s nursing councils or committees.
Nurse consultants identify care delivery problems and develop solutions to improve patient outcomes. They usually work remotely but may also be asked to attend meetings and inspections at a hospital or care facility.
Aesthetic nurses provide cosmetic treatments and beauty services to patients. While most work in private health clinics or offices, some work in plastic surgery centers. Common tasks include providing facials, injectables (fillers), Botox, and waxing services to patients.
19. Insurance Nurse
Insurance nurses, formally known as legal nurse consultants (LNCs), provide assistance to law firms, government offices, and insurance companies. A legal nurse consultant has training as a registered nurse and provides an important service related to analyzing health care facts, issues, and outcomes for those in the legal and healthcare professions. Many nurses I know who work in this specialty do this in addition to their bedside jobs as supplemental income as the hours may fluctuate.
20. Quality Management Nurse
A quality management nurse collaborates with a variety of healthcare professionals to improve care safety and quality. They investigate safety events and work to minimize future harm by collecting data and educating bedside clinicians.
Correctional nurses work in prisons, jails, and state penitentiaries, providing care to inmates and staff. Correctional nursing activities include patient assessment, medication administration, treatments and evaluation of their effects, crisis intervention, patient education and patient advocacy. This specialty is not for the faint of heart and comes with safety risks, but is known for being incredibly rewarding.
A postpartum nurse cares for a mother and their newborn baby after the birthing period. These nurses utilize a strong set of skills to recognize and act upon postpartum emergencies for both patients. A large part of this nurse's job is teaching new mothers how to properly care for herself and their newborn after the delivery.
Cruise ships are pretty much small cities floating in the water with the average cruise ship holding around 3,000 guests and crew members. Medical emergencies don’t stop on vacation, and as a cruise ship nurse you’d be there to get travellers back on their feet. Nurses who are looking to escape busy EDs and hospitals might find working on a cruise ship to be a dream job.
Forensic nurses care for patients who have been victimized by trauma, violence, and abuse. They often have experience working in the criminal justice system and are on the front lines when victims of crimes need help the most. They provide sensitive, compassionate care while meticulously collecting relevant evidence that may be needed later in court. Some forensic nurses choose to specialize in sexual assault/trauma by becoming certified as Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE).
25. School Nurse
School nurses care for children who fall ill or get injured while at school. They assist with medication distribution and communicate health concerns to parents and guardians. One of the major perks of being a school nurse is that you would follow the school calendar and usually wouldn’t have to work during school breaks and the summer holidays.
A flight nurse is an RN who provides emergency critical care to patients prior to arriving at the hospital. They usually work in helicopters, airplanes, and ambulances and are either employed by a healthcare facility or a third-party transport company.
Check out the Podcast, featuring Samantha Manassero, Episode # 7 For all things Emergency Flight & Transport Nurse, FIRST HAND!
A triage nurse is a clinical health care professional who assesses patients and evaluates their symptoms to determine the level of care they need. They can work in emergency departments, with transport teams, with community health agencies, or may even work remotely.
Pain management nurses are clinicians who specialize in the care of patients with chronic or acute pain. They are experts on pain management interventions and techniques and collaborate with doctors and surgeons to optimize a patient’s pain control to get them back to normal functioning as soon as possible.
A transplant coordinator plans and coordinates all facets of care for potential and active transplant candidates and recipients. They manage referrals and evaluations, collect pre-transplant data, and coordinate the post-operative care delivery for patients after they have their surgery. While transplant coordinators don’t necessarily need to have a nursing background, many facilities look to hire nurses who have worked in transplant units for their high level of experience.
30. Psychiatric Nurse
Psychiatric nurses specialize in mental health and care for individuals of all ages experiencing mental illnesses or distress. Common diagnoses you’d be expected to treat include schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, eating disorders, suicidal thoughts or ideation, psychosis, paranoia, and self-harm.
Sometimes referred to as infection control specialists or nurse infection preventionists, infection control nurses work to prevent, contain, and treat infectious diseases caused by agents like bacteria, parasites, viruses, and fungi. These clinicians must demonstrate a thorough understanding of anatomy, epidemiology, and pathophysiology. They also need to stay up-to-date on the latest infection prevention techniques to ensure patients receive the safest care possible.
Healthcare administrators are concerned with day-to-day operations at a care facility. Their primary focus is to optimize staff management and administrative procedures to streamline care delivery. They usually report to healthcare managers or executives, and work within individual departments as supervisors or managerial support.
33. Disaster Management
Disaster management nurses specialize in preparing facilities and clinical teams for emergency events like natural disasters, pandemics, and mass injury situations. Their primary duties include creating emergency preparedness protocols and educating clinicians on how to execute these plans in the event of a disaster.
A midwife is a nurse who provides care to pregnant women and their families, assisting with all stages of the pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum process. They provide lactation support, manage pain, and educate mothers and their partners how to provide safe infant care. In the U.S., certified nurse midwives (CNMs) have earned an advanced degree in addition to their traditional nursing education.
A plastic surgery nurse specializes in the reconstruction or restoration of a patient’s body. These nurses provide two types of treatment:
Essential, critical treatment after motor vehicle accidents, burns, and other major traumas
Aesthetic treatment to enhance the features of a patient at their request
These clinicians can work in acute care hospitals, surgical centers, aesthetic clinics, and med spas.
Public health nurses help to develop health policies, advocate for health access, and educate policymakers on community health needs. They work at the local, regional, state, and federal levels to improve care quality and health outcomes of the population they care for. Topics of interest include:
Immunizations
Infection prevention
Environmental health
Opioid crisis response
Sexual health promotion
Camp nurses care for children and teens in a camp environment. These roles are usually temporary and can include seasonal work or contract work that lasts from days to months at a time. These camps house children, staff, and administrators in a setting that may be in the wilderness or some distance from a hospital or health clinic, so camp nurses are crucial for these populations. Common duties include administering medication, providing first aid, and intervening during emergencies.
38. Nurse Coder
A nurse coder is a clinician who translates diagnoses, procedures, and treatments into medical codes. They work to ensure the providers they work for get paid correctly for the services they provide. They also assist with billing and insurance claims. This is a non-clinical role.
An advanced nurse lactation consultant (ANLC) is a nurse who has also earned their CLC or IBCLC in lactation management. They work to manage complex issues related to breastfeeding and human lactation. They often work in labor and delivery units or NICUs, but can also work privately, consulting in patient homes.
A hospice nurse cares for people who have been diagnosed with six months or less to live and have chosen hospice care at the end of life. Hospice nurses focus on providing comfort and enhancing quality of life rather than on curing disease or promoting healing. They provide individualized care based on each person’s unique needs and work closely with each patient’s family members to establish a plan of care that meets the patient’s wishes.
41. Dialysis Nurse
Dialysis nurses manage patients who are undergoing dialysis treatments. They have a thorough understanding of kidney functioning and are familiar with the signs and symptoms of fluid imbalance. They must know how to work the dialysis machine and troubleshoot in the event of a malfunction or emergency. These nurses work in acute care centers, dialysis clinics, or in a private health environment, administering dialysis in patient’s homes.
Travel nurses are registered nurses who work in short-term roles at hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities around the world. Travel nurses help fill gaps in areas where there are nursing shortages and are usually employed by a third-party staffing agency instead of the hospital that they work in. Contract lengths can last from a single week to months at a time, depending on the needs of the hospital and the preferences of the travel nurse. This is a great opportunity for nurses who have worked for a few years and are looking to make a better salary while traveling around the country.
Vascular access nurses help insert IV catheters, PICC lines, port devices, and central line catheters. They generally work in acute care hospitals but can also work in specialty clinics or can provide care in patient homes.
44. Case Manager
Case managers are registered nurses who work to coordinate the plan of care for patients. They ensure that patients get prompt and cost-effective treatment, prepare for discharge and have the supplies they need, and reduce the need for hospital readmission by following up with patients after they’ve gone home. They collaborate with the interdisciplinary team and insurance providers to resolve barriers to care and ensure appropriate interventions are made.
45. Concierge Nurse
Concierge nurses provide individualized, non-emergency care to patients in their homes. They can provide a variety of specialty services, including wound care treatment, orthopedic rehab, infusion treatments, and medication administration. These nurses can work independently or can partner with an agency. This is a great option for nurses looking to set their own schedule and pay rate.
46. Wound Care Nurse
Wound care nurses care for burns, wounds, sores, and incisions. They focus on assessing wounds, choosing the medication or ointment best suited to heal each injury, and dressing wounds with the proper bandages. These hospitals tend to work in acute care hospitals or long-term care facilities, but can also work for home health agencies.
Nurse content creators share their nursing knowledge and experience on social media or in a blog, helping to empower those looking to become nurses or those just looking for a bit more insight into what goes on in the healthcare industry.
This is a rapidly growing profession, and nurses share their insights across platforms like Instagram, Tik Tok, Pinterest, Lemonade, and Youtube. In this role, nurses generally work for themselves and are able to release content on their time. Many clinicians form partnerships with big companies and make money promoting their goods or services.
48. Nurse Coroner
Nurse coroners work with law enforcement representatives, autopsy specialists, and other forensic investigators to shed light on the causes and circumstances surrounding an individual’s death. Usually, these clinicians work to identify the cause of death for people involved in accidents, homicides, suicides, or those that died under suspicious or unexplained circumstances. Their work helps to influence the development of laws, policies, and risk prevention strategies to prevent future incidents.
Nurses are often hired by scholarly journals, databases, publishers, and healthcare organizations to edit and peer-review their content. As an expert in his or her specialty, a nurse editor is responsible for developing and maintaining proprietary clinical content as well as critically appraising the work of others.
Most nurse editors work from home in a remote capacity. It’s important to note that these positions sometimes require an advanced degree, so be sure to check the job requirements for a position you’re interested in before applying to ensure you’re qualified.
Nurse educators teach prospective nurses and those working at the bedside how to perform clinical skills. They can work for universities or health systems and can serve as clinical instructors, professors, or unit educators.
Fitness nurses, sometimes called health coaches, work to promote patient health and wellness through fitness, mobility, and lifestyle education. They empower individuals and communities to adopt healthier habits to live more robust, fulfilling lives.
Tori's Tips on NICU NURSE 101: See Blog Post Tori Meskin MSN RNC-NIC. Nurse. Blogger. Content Creator. Tori has been a clinician since 2012, works in acute care/inpatient NICU & Pediatric settings in southern California. She is a blogger, podcaster, NICU & Pediatric Critical Care RN, Sponsored Capella University MSN student, a Barco Uniforms Ambassador & Brave beginnings Ambassador. She has obtained her National NICU Nurse Certification (RNC-NIC) & has previously worked as a travel nurse, pursuing bedside experiences in several NICU settings. Follow her as she shares her NICU journey married life & juggles work, school, content creation, & brings you top notch Tips & Tricks along the way. Find her at www.tipsfromtori.com or info@tipsfromtori.com
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