Alternative Nursing Careers Outside the Hospital
Today, there are more than 3 million registered nurses in the United States, making nursing one of the nation’s largest professions. Although most nurses work in hospital specialty areas, such as emergency, maternity, medical-surgical, oncology/hematology, pediatrics and trauma, there are a variety of alternative nursing careers outside the hospital.
If you’d prefer to find RN careers outside the hospital, there are many full- and part-time nursing opportunities available in alternative settings such as clinics, public health and home health agencies.
Diverse Nursing Career Opportunities
Although you may need to gain some experience working in a hospital setting first, a BSN degree from the University of the Incarnate Word puts a variety of alternative nursing careers within reach, especially if you have a previous degree in a relevant field. You may elect to pursue any one of these alternative RN jobs, including:
- Clinical nurse instructor: Train the next generation of nurses in clinical practice.
- Community center clinical nurse: Work in community centers and clinics, where you will provide patient care and promote the health of your community.
- Cruise ship nurse: Travel the world while caring for patients onboard a cruise ship.
- Health coach: Help people lead healthier lives by offering your expertise to motivate and support clients.
- Home health nurse: Care for patients outside of the hospital and in their own homes.
- Forensic nurse: Be a part of the criminal justice system and care for victims of violent crimes, offering them compassion and support while collecting vital evidence.
- Nurse recruiter: Use your nursing experience to help staff hospitals and other facilities with talented nurses.
- Nurse risk manager: Help make patient care and hospital staff safer by implementing policies to mitigate risks.
- Nursing case manager: Advocate for patients by coordinating healthcare plans to ensure they receive quality and comprehensive care.
- Hospice nurse: Provide end-of-life care to terminally ill patients as you help manage symptoms, improve quality of life and offer compassion and support.
- Informatics nurse: Analyze real-time data, optimize electronic health records, educate staff and more to improve the facility’s efficiency and patient care.
- Legal nurse consultant: Offer your nursing and healthcare expertise to aid legal cases.
- Nursing home caregiver: Work outside of the hospital and in a nursing home, where you care for elderly patients, often building meaningful connections with your patients.
- Nurse writer: If you have a passion for writing, leverage your nursing experience to write blogs, research papers, educational materials and much more.
- Occupational nurse: Promote workplace safety in various environments by improving safety protocols to prevent illness and injury and offer health assessments to employees.
- School nurse: Care for children of all ages in elementary schools, middle schools and high schools.
Do More with a BSN
If you are thinking about earning a BSN, there is even more to be excited about beyond the wealth of alternative career options. Because of their depth and breadth of knowledge, BSN-prepared nurses are uniquely positioned to earn higher salaries, take on leadership roles, pursue graduate study and choose specialized areas of practice.
For More Information
Contact us to learn more about how our 16-month ABSN track prepares you to work in the hospital setting and a number of alternative nursing careers.