Non-Hospital Nursing Professions
Out of the many industries and professions that exist, would you think that nursing can be just as broad as any of them? Maybe, maybe not - but we’re here to tell you that nursing is not just working in a hospital or clinic!
The reality is that the skills you earn and all of the knowledge you acquire in nursing school and/or on the job can easily transfer to many different kinds of roles. Whether you are a soon-to-be nursing grad or looking to make a switch, you’ve definitely got options.
Stay with us, read on and learn more about nursing professions that go beyond the traditional hospital roles!
School Nurse
School nurses have the ability to work in any school setting, from K-12 to college level! As a school nurse you are still performing nurse-like duties, like treating patients (students in this case) and providing your expertise to ill or injured students.
As a school nurse, you also have the ability to represent health and wellness at the school you work in. You can offer your services to teachers who teach health/nutrition classes, speak to students about the field of nursing and more!
The added benefit of working at a school is that you still get the face-to-face interaction with your patients as you would in a clinic or hospital setting. There’s also an opportunity for you to explore a new passion or hobby. If you’ve ever wanted to work with kids or young adults and tap into your educational side, this could be the perfect role for you!
Forensic Nurse
Forensic nursing has reached mainstream audiences thanks to shows like CSI, Castle and more. Those shows should be taken with a grain of salt and are often a highly dramatized or fictional take on very real events. However, forensic nursing is in fact a real profession that exists outside of your TV!
As a forensic nurse, you might help collect evidence or lend your clinical expertise to solve a crime or testify in court. You’ll work closely with police officers or other government entities and coroners/medical examiners. Of course nursing - even the forensic kind - can also provide you with an opportunity to provide compassionate care for your patients. In particular, victims or survivors of traumatic events/disasters. Your compassion and bedside manner can help a victim/survivor process their trauma (even for a moment) and receive medical care.
This role can definitely be high stakes and intense, but tbh - what nursing job isn’t? Like becoming a school nurse, forensic nursing might be for you if you’ve always wanted to explore a more legal-based profession.
Legal Nurse Consultant
Speaking of legal-based professions, another avenue you can explore is consulting for lawyers and the litigation process. As a legal nurse consultant, you can bring your clinical expertise and medical knowledge and assist with legal cases. You can assist attornies, source medical experts/witnesses and evaluate healthcare and/or insurance-based claims.
As the subject matter expert, you may also be asked to make recommendations on how to proceed with cases. If you’re great at trusting your gut instincts and enjoy analyzing data or processes, you may enjoy being a legal nurse consultant!
Nursing Management/Administrative Professional
As a manager or administrator, you have the ability to oversee entire nursing units and work closely with budgets, planning and human resources to keep your nursing staff and location working smoothly.
While there is a great deal of responsibility that comes with being a hospital nurse, you would be responsible for that much more as a member of nursing leadership. You still have a chance to work closely with people, with the additional requirement of administrative duties and maintenance.
This nursing role leans heavily on the non-medical side of things. If you have a knack for managing people and/or keeping tasks on track, you may want to consider this role. This would be perfect for more established or senior nursing who are seasoned in training junior nurses and managing rotations, for example!
Public Health Nurse
As a public health nurse, your role will pivot more towards education and serving entire populations vs just a handful of patients. Your community may be a mix of various demographics including age, sex, gender, ethnicity, etc. You are almost guaranteed to work with different people each day when compared to a pediatric nurse, for example.
Your expertise will be requested - and needed - to promote community wellness, introduce and implement various health programs, and educate communities on a number of different topics. Nutrition, sexual health and wellness, chronic diseases are some areas that you may be asked to teach and/or address.
There are a lot of different avenues to explore within public health and you have the opportunity to work with different clients. You may work for state/federal government programs, non-profit organizations, nursing homes. The possibilities are endless! If you’ve always wanted to educate and impact people on a larger scale, you may want to consider the public health sector.
The truth is, while nurses at hospitals will always be needed and in high demand, there are many other areas where your nursing expertise is needed.
We hope that this article provides you with some insight as to the many hats a nurse can wear.
Remember, a nurse is a nurse no matter where you go. Keep your personal and professional values in mind and remember that nursing is an act of service as much as a profession.