Are you a nurse who has worked a traditional bedside job? Have you considered a change in your role and wondered what it would be like to have a non-bedside job? Perhaps you have asked yourself, “What are the best non-bedside jobs for new grads?” If this sounds like you, this article is for you! As you continue reading, you will discover the best non-bedside nursing jobs for grads 2022, find answers to some frequently asked questions about them, and learn ways to choose the one that is best for you.
Today and more than ever before, nurses are transforming the face of the profession. There have been tremendous shifts from the traditional bedside nursing roles to novel areas of nursing practice being embraced by nurse professionals.
Non-bedside nursing jobs are the diverse scope of practice for nurses outside the hospital settings.
Whether as a new graduate or an experienced nurse, there are several areas that you can practice with flexibility that serves as a break from the usual mode of work without your skills and competence going to waste.
Reasons that are responsible for the shift in interest of nurses to other roles outside the clinical space involve and are not limited to factors such as; staff shortages, psychological trauma, burnout, mental health challenges, high workload, stressful work environment, and so on. As a result of these, the realization that nurses can competently deliver their duties outside the scope of clinical practice has made some of them wave goodbye to bedside patient care.
What are some of the non-clinical nursing roles for new graduates?
As a new graduate or an experienced nurse, below are some of the best well-paying non-bedside jobs which you can consider with your expertise;
- Nursing Informatics
- Nurse Writer
- Legal Nurse Consultant
- Flight Nurse
- Forensic Nurse
- Nurse Health Coach
- Nurse Recruiter
- Nurse Educator
Others include;
- Nurse Researcher
- Infection Control Nurse
- Home health nurse
- Occupational Health Nurse
- Health Policy Nurse
- Nurse Case Managers
- School Nurse
BEST WELL-PAYING NON-BEDSIDE JOBS
Nursing Informatics
Nursing informatics is a specialty of nursing that combines knowledge of nursing, communications, computer science, and information science.
Nurse informaticists are responsible for the analysis and development of health systems within the clinical setting for clinicians to optimize healthcare delivery and positively influence the health outcome of patients.
Moreover, they explain various technological processes adopted in the healthcare system to improve patients’ outcomes and the reasons behind them to clinical staff. Also, they train healthcare personnel on the approach to implement these processes effectively.
The minimum requirement you need for this role is BSN while a master’s degree or doctorate qualification will be an added advantage alongside experience working in the electronic health record unit.
Nurse informatics earn between $61,000 and $115,000 and need critical nursing skills, computer skills, and the ability to analyze data and statistics to function excellently in this role.
Interested nurses may work in any of these roles:
- Chief Information Officers
- Chief Nursing Informatics Officer
- Clinical Analyst
- Clinical Informatics Nurses
- Clinical Specialist
- Health Informatics Officer
- Informatics Nurse
- Nursing Informatics Specialists
And in various sectors such as; hospital facilities, pharmaceutical companies, healthcare recruitment agencies, computer systems design industries, healthcare management, scientific and technical consulting services, and federal healthcare agencies.
Nurse Writer
Nurses can also enjoy a writing career outside the clinical space which can be done on a part-time basis from the comfort of their homes. Nurse writers utilize their experiences as well as good written communication skills, and research skills to provide information to people.
They work in organizations such as insurance companies, pharmaceutical industries, and patient care centers, although the majority of writing roles in recent days have transitioned to be internet-based. These online roles involve creating content or copy for blogs, websites, or social media. They can also write e-magazines, medical journals, guides, health brochures, and so on. The average salary of a nurse writer is about $68,481 annually.
The following are different types of roles nurse writers can work in, they can be:
- Nurse bloggers
- Freelance health writers
- Breaking nurse news writers
- Medical Writing
- Academic nurse writer
Legal Nurse Consultant
Nurses can be hired by legal firms to analyze and review legal medical documents, they provide support to victims and help them get the necessary justice, for example, in cases of medical malpractice as well as educate them on standards of practice before court proceedings.
Legal Nurse Consultants work in organizations such as insurance companies, pharmaceutical industries, private consulting firms, prosecution offices, law enforcement forensic departments, clinics, healthcare organizations, and government agencies serving as the medium between legal professionals, healthcare providers, and patients.
Having a specialized legal certification in addition to an RN or BSN degree can give you an edge in getting employed easily. Moreover, nurses interested in this role need to have knowledge of medical laws, clinical knowledge likewise analytical skills, credibility, and honesty, and must be able to objectively analyze incidences.
They can earn between $79,740- $85,351 yearly as their salaries
Flight Nurse
Flight nurses are trained to provide essential emergency care whilst transferring critical patients via aircraft to the nearest medical care facilities. For example, transporting victims of accidents from the site of incidence to the nearest hospital. The aim is to stabilize the patient before they get to healthcare centers where they can receive specialized care. Additionally, they are responsible for monitoring the patients, providing essential life-saving care during transportation as well as preparing them for handovers at the medical centers
Nurses that work in this role need advanced critical thinking skills with the ability to make autonomous decisions in extreme cases. Furthermore, certifications in critical care nursing or emergency nursing likewise flight nurse certification by the necessary board are essential. However, work experience in intensive care units and trauma units will be an added advantage.
Flight nurses can work in military settings, hospitals, hiking companies, private medical transport companies, fire departments, or the federal government and can earn around $81,093 – $93,901 per annum.
Forensic Nurse
A Forensic Nurse takes a crucial role in providing medical care and emotional support to victims of crime, abuse, and violence. They work hand-in-hand with the legal team in solving crime cases, gathering evidence, and analyzing it to determine the cause of trauma or death. They might also present cases to the jury or represent the patient in court.
They work in various environments such as hospitals, emergency or trauma units, local police departments, coroner’s offices, psychiatric hospitals, and correctional institutions
A Forensic Nurse should be confident, non-judgemental, able to work under pressure, objective, empathetic, and have good observational and communication skills. The minimum requirement needed is your RN license with a forensic nursing certification from the authorized board. Nevertheless, clinical experience in emergency departments, trauma units/centers, or psychiatric hospitals can give you an edge in getting employed for this role.
Forensic nurses earn between $65,047-$72,659 yearly.
Nurse Health Coach
Nurse Health Coach provides individualized care to patients after a procedure, surgery, or post-discharge from healthcare facilities. They offer services and help the patients implement strategies to monitor their health, promote wellness, prevent the future incidence of health conditions or achieve their health goals. They can deliver this through a coaching service for either individuals or groups.
They can get employed in settings such as insurance companies, local healthcare facilities, hospitals, schools, colleges, universities, large corporations, or independently and be paid an average of about $62,883 annually.
A nurse health coach needs empathy, good communication skills, counseling competence, and the ability to help clients make informed decisions. Furthermore, to take this role you will need to be a registered nurse with a practicing license. Having clinical experience and nurse coaching certification for example Coach-Board Certified and Health and Wellness Nurse Coach-Board Certified from the American Holistic Nurses Association will be beneficial as well.
Nurse Recruiter
Nurse recruiters assist medical centers in staffing to meet the demands of patient care. Asides from that, they also help in recruiting competent staff to fill vacancies in other healthcare organizations such as healthcare employment agencies, school nurse positions, flight nursing agencies, contract nursing jobs, travel nursing jobs
An additional degree in business or psychology and the ability to be able to find suitable, skilled nurses to fill vacancies will be beneficial to a nurse recruiter.
They earn on average an annual salary of around $53,692.
Nurse Educator
The role of nurse educators is not limited to training student nurses in academic institutions, they also help in providing continuing education to nurse professionals in hospitals. Moreover, they design curricula for nursing courses and help in their successful implementation. Besides, they help to prepare future nurses and likewise provide registered nurses with an up-to-date evidence-based practice that can help them build competence and promote positive patient outcomes.
Nurse educators need to have “in-depth knowledge of nursing, excellent communication skills, and strong clinical experiences”, moreover, they need a nursing degree qualification such as BSN or postgraduate qualification- Masters doctorate qualification to hold this position. They can also get certified by the necessary regulatory body, for example, being a Certified Nurse Educator and Certified Academic Clinical Nurse Educator by the National League for Nursing.
The average salary for a nurse educator is approximately $77,300 yearly.
OTHER NON-BEDSIDE ROLES FOR NURSES
The other non-bedside jobs Nurses can take include;
- Home health nurse
- Occupational Health Nurse
- Health Policy Nurse
- Nurse Case Managers
- School Nurse
- Nurse Researcher
- Infection Control Nurse
TIPS TO FIND A GOOD NON-BEDSIDE NURSING JOB
- Take certification courses.
- Enroll in advanced degree programs.
- Attend summits, conferences, and workshops to connect with new networks.
- Join communities for up-to-date nursing information and news.
- Subscribe to company websites and keep track of job openings.
CONCLUSION
The scope of practice in the nursing field has broadened and has evolved over the years to novel flexible roles beyond the traditional nursing roles. This essentially serves you as a nurse or new graduate nurse in the delivery of your duty.
However, you must carry out in-depth research before making a career decision/transition, it can also be beneficial to speak with an experienced nurse professional or career coach that can offer you unbiased mentoring and guidance to navigate your career track.
Finally, joining nursing communities can also go a long way in keeping you abreast of new developments in nursing practice and how you can take your place in the shifting workforce.
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Written By: Mayowa Racheal Popoola
RN, Content Writer.
