Medically CitedNursing is a very attractive career to many people for many reasons. The ability to help others, and making hospital stays for the sick and infirmed a little bit easier or happier, are all prevalent reasons the nursing vocation attracts as many people as it does. However, what some people may not be aware of is that there are types of nursing that exist outside of a hospital or doctor’s clinic.
While it seems a foregone conclusion that after your education you complete your residency and then get a job at a hospital, the fact is that nursing is one of the most diverse careers a person can have; both in terms of education and work! There are lots of different kinds of educational nursing courses, even online accelerated nursing programs[1]. Yet in terms of the kinds of nurses you can be, there are more than you can imagine.
Sadly, while we can’t go through every one of these diverse and fascinating careers, today we will examine five nursing careers that won’t see you rushing around a hospital or a clinic[2].
1. School Nurse
If you’re looking for a career in nursing that will allow you to care for a varied and interesting group of people, why not look into school nursing?[3]
A school nurse is the first port of call at a school in any kind of medical emergency. Whether an asthmatic student is having a severe attack and doesn’t have access to their inhaler, or if someone has been burned in home economics class, the school nurse is going to be the one who provides the necessary care for whatever injury the person has.
This career is a great option for anyone who doesn’t want the rush and intensity of a hospital environment. School nurses generally work in small sick bays, and for the most part will be dealing with minor, routine ailments or injuries such as scraped knees, headaches, tummy aches, nausea, or allergic reactions[4].
However, a school nurse is also responsible for ensuring that students with chronic conditions or disabilities such as early-onset arthritis[5]. So, although you won’t have the go-go-go of a hospital, you won’t be any less wanting for an important job to do, and honestly, what could be more important than facilitating the education of our nation’s future generations by keeping them comfortable, well, and pain-free?
2. Legal Nurse Consultant
If you’ve never heard of this nursing career then that’s perfectly fine, it’s not commonly known. It is, however, very important.
This job would suit those for whom their passion for caring for others is mixed with a zeal for justice. Legal Nurse Consultants liaise with attorneys to analyze facts and testimony from a medical perspective. You will be responsible for client intake, and making legal testimonies. This can be about the nature of injuries sustained, verifying or vilifying medical claims used in an accused or defendant’s testimony, and more.
Legal Nurse Consultants are essentially there to ensure that where medicine is being used to claim guilt or innocence, accuracy and truth win the day[6].
3. Flight Nurse
Do you have a love of looking after people but an undeniable sense of wanderlust? Are you constantly seeking the next great adventure where you’ll be able to help as many people as possible? Does your ideal career involve many different roles? Why not try becoming a Flight Nurse?[7]
Flight Nurses work in both the civilian and military sector, and are specially trained to treat patients that are onboard emergency air transport. As a flight nurse, you’ll work alongside other medical professionals to ensure that patients get to their destination safely.
This care can be life-saving, as being kept in a stable condition on the way to the hospital is often just as important as what happens at the hospital. In military occupations, you will likely be at war-zone hospitals, ready to attend to the critically injured and to deliver urgent care[8].
4. Nurse Lobbyist
If you’ve got a fire for helping others while also being part of large-scale change, then becoming a Nurse Lobbyist might be the career for you[9].
If you want to make sure that your community inherits stellar healthcare, and want future generations of nurses and healthcare practitioners to have access to necessary resources, then political lobbying is an invaluable tool, and as a nurse lobbyist, you’ll be analyzing data and research to support the evolution of medical policies in government.
There are many ways that nurses can get involved in lobbying, and with the unique and invaluable perspective that nurses can bring to policymakers, their contribution is only too important[10].
5. Forensic Nurse
A big part of many legal cases is the medical evidence, however, we can’t expect every policeman or detective to have the medical expertise to be able to autonomously arrive at every viable medical solution for the crimes they witness. What then are they to do? They consult with their precinct’s Forensic Nurse.
A Forensic Nurse is responsible for treating victims of psychological or physical trauma as the result of a crime, including battery, abuse, neglect, and assault. As well as providing ongoing support for the victims of these crimes, they are also responsible for gathering necessary medical evidence and submitting it to the court in the event of a hearing or trial[11].
Becoming a Forensic Nurse is a similar enough process to becoming a standard RN, it is merely a difference in focus and additional tutelage in forensic nursing[12].
If nursing is something you’ve always been drawn to but find yourself balking at the prospect of working at a hospital, then don’t be alarmed! The nursing sector is a tapestry of careers that allow the nurse in question to satisfy their passion for caring for others, and with the right career path, may even be able to scratch another itch in your calling as well. Whatever career you decide, however, we wish you the best of luck in all your endeavors.
12 Sources
We review published medical research in respected scientific journals to arrive at our conclusions about a product or health topic. This ensures the highest standard of scientific accuracy.
[2] Change In Career: 20 Non-Hospital Jobs For Nurses To Consider : https://careersblog.uts.edu.au/xchange-career-20-non-hospital-jobs-nurses-consider/
[3] School Nurses Help Keep Students Healthy : https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/features/school_nurse.htm
[4] School Nurse Career Overview : https://nursejournal.org/careers/school-nurse/
[5] Early-Onset Arthritis: Types, Symptoms, and Treatment : https://www.verywellhealth.com/early-onset-arthritis-5113831
[6] How to Become a Legal Nurse Consultant (LNC) : https://nurse.org/resources/legal-nurse-consultant/
[7] How To Become A Flight Nurse: A Step-By-Step Guide : https://www.forbes.com/advisor/education/healthcare/become-a-flight-nurse/
[8] Flight Nurse : https://www.airforce.com/careers/healthcare/flight-nurse
[9] Health Policy Analyst/Lobbyist : https://dailynurse.com/health-policy-analystlobbyist/
[10] 10 Ways Nurses Can Get Involved in Policy : https://nursejournal.org/articles/ways-nurses-can-get-involved-in-policy/
[11] What is a Forensic Nurse in the USA? : https://www.shiftmed.com/blog/what-is-a-forensic-nurse/
[12] How to Become a Forensic Nurse : https://www.forensicscolleges.com/blog/htb/how-to-become-forensic-nurse
This article changed my life!
This article was informative.
I have a medical question.
This article contains incorrect information.
This article doesn’t have the information I’m looking for.
