Nursing Beyond the Bedside: Exploring Alternative Career Paths

When you go to nursing school, you are taught that nursing is at the bedside. Often we are told that fist you need to gain your experience and perfect your skills in the med-surg setting before specializing. Well, I'm here to tell you that simply isn't true if that is not what you see for yourself in your nursing career.

Alternative nursing roles have been around for a while. However, we rarely, if ever, learn about them while getting our education. There are so many nursing roles in alternative and remote settings available for nurses today, and more and roles are created daily!

With alternative and remote nursing, you can regain time freedom, work-life balance, a better sense of well being and overall better mental health (in my personal experience).

If you have every thought of nursing outside of bedside, but do not know where to start, check out my ebook.

Remote Nursing Opportunities

Specific to remote nursing opportunities, there are so many roles you can do from home. All you need is a good internet connection, a computer or laptop and a phone. Most companies even provide office equipment for you.

Some of the most popular remote nursing jobs include prior authorization nurse, nurse case manager, review nurse, UM/UR nurse, and telephonic triage nurse. One position that I see coming up more frequently is the virtual nurse where nurses will round on patients in the hospital virtually; this is an evolving position and one that is quite interesting.

With remote nursing you typically will work a set schedule and have holidays and weekends off. For example a typical schedule for a remote nurse is M-F 8:30-5. There are some roles that are more flexible and allow you to work throughout the day as long as you get your hours in, but those are more scarce. With a remote nursing schedule, you have your nights and weekends to spend more time with family, friends and have a better sense of normalcy that often goes by the way side with shift work.

Flexible Nursing Positions Outside the Hospital

There are flexible nursing jobs that are not remote, but allow you to work outside the hospital setting if you still would like to interact with patients or have more of a role educating others.

Examples include working in aesthetics, working for a private practice such as in a functional medicine or holistic medicine settings. Some roles may include health coaching for insurance companies employers.

These types of roles for nurses allow one to still use their knowledge base and skills in an alternative way but also help others with their health and wellness goals.

So where to start? I recommend getting my ebook.

You can also check out some free resources I offer to RNs looking to find alternative and remote nursing jobs here.

Unconventional Nursing Careers

There are also many unique alternative nursing jobs which may include legal nurse consultant, nurse educator, healthcare writer. Also, nurse influencers or digital marketers are making their way on the scene building a following and marketing products that they either create and market themselves, or that they are affiliates for.

The appeal of these roles for nurses seeking to leverage their expertise in non-traditional ways are many; fewer hours working, uncapped income potential, and multiple pathways for earning income, some passive. Many nurses are even starting their own businesses offering digital products, services, and much more.

If you are curious about getting into the digital marketing space as a healthcare worker, then I recommend you start here.

So how does one decide is alternative or remote nursing is for them? First of all, decide which path would align best with what you are looking for out of nursing. The best part is that you can always pivot and make changes if it no longer serves you! This is the beauty in nursing, there truly is so much potential! The world is your oyster.

Best of luck!