Nursing Opportunities: Beyond the Bedside

Nursing opportunities should come as no surprise to learn that not all nurses start their career practicing at the bedside, and many nurses do not end their careers at the bedside. The nursing field is vast with a plethora of directions to take. Some require bedside nursing experience and some you can step into fresh out of school. Let’s explore the possibilities.

Nursing Experience Preferred/Required:

• Nursing Recruiter
• Nurse Academic Educator
  • Salary Range: $54,000 to $100,000
• Nurse Clinical Educator
  • Salary Range: $54,000 to $102,000
• Clinical Nurse Specialist
• Managers/Administrators
• Nurse Researchers
  • Salary Range: $31,000 to $118,000
• Legal Nurse Consultants
  • Salary Range: $54,000 to $211,000
• Informatics Nurses
  • Salary Range: $55,000 to $100,000
• Medical Device/Supply/Pharmaceutical Sales Representative
  • Salary Range: $43,000 to $181,000
• Certifying Agencies
  • Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
  • The Joint Commission
  • State Boards of Nursing

Nursing Experience Not Required:

• School Nurse
  • Salary Range: $30,000 to $68,000
• Occupational Nurse
  • Salary Range: $40,000 to $85,000
  • Correctional Facilities
  • Corporations
  • Government agencies
  • Resorts/Cruise Ships/National Parks
• Physician Office Nurse
• Public Health Nurse
• Insurance Company Nurse
  (Mills, 2018; Hawkins, 2019; Nursejournal.org., 2019)

As you can see from the list above, which is not an all-inclusive list, there are many opportunities for nurses.

There are many jobs that remain inside the healthcare facility. Some of these opportunities may be part of the career ladder most facilities have. Some of these opportunities require advanced education and/or certification.

The jobs that don’t require experience can be obtained right out of school. Often, employers do not want experienced bedside nurses as the job they are offering varies greatly from that of a bedside nurse. You should always expect to receive on-the-job training to meet the demands of the job.

As you can see, the salary for these positions varies substantially. This is due to the company’s financial status, the state you are in, your experience or lack thereof, along with other variables.

Some of these jobs allow you more freedom with your work schedule, some may be seasonal, and some may be more demanding. It is up to you to research the job you are considering and what your needs are. You can be anything you want within the field of nursing.

^{References
Hawkins, H. (2019). 10 jobs for nurses outside the hospital} 

^{Mills, M. (2018).}Beyond the bedside: 10 nurse opportunities outside of the hospital.

^{Nursejournal.org. (2019). 10 super great non-hospital nursing jobs for nurses.}