There is no “one size fits all” rule when it comes to what you do with your nursing degree. Your nursing degree is the key to many different doors that lead down different paths within the field. Each unique nursing path differs as far as pay, scheduling, and the nature of the work it requires.
Some are more flexible than others, and that’s important in a world where we all must juggle so many responsibilities. Follow along as we explore some rewarding and flexible nursing careers that you may not have previously considered.
Nursing Careers with the Most Flexibility
Traditional nursing positions aren’t always flexible as far as scheduling goes. However, you can work a unique and rewarding schedule with one of many nursing career paths, such as:
School Nurse
While not all schools have nurses, many public schools do. Public schools with large student populations typically have school nurses to tend to their students. School nurses care for students who suffer injuries or come down with sickly symptoms.
They can also help students manage chronic conditions, such as diabetes. This can ultimately save lives, depending on the student’s condition and how well they manage it. Some schools also have their nurses educate students about transmittable diseases to reduce contraction rates.
The flexibility comes from working a more dependable schedule than other nurses. Some nurses at hospitals must deal with schedules that constantly change. However, school nurses stick to the schedule of the students and teachers at the school.
Travel Nurse
Working as a travel nurse is a great way to earn a good living and travel the country. Travel nurses work short-term contracts in different cities, states, and parts of the country. Few nursing careers offer as much flexibility as travel nurses get.
Travel nurses also typically get money to put toward housing costs. This is essential as travel nurses must often keep a house or apartment in their hometown to return to between jobs. You may get offered jobs from many hospitals and clinics at once, so you sometimes have many options to choose from.
Nurse Educator
Working as a nurse educator is quite rewarding, especially if you’ve had a long nursing career. Nurse educators teach students the ins and outs of nursing. In some cases, they also help develop nursing curricula and conduct academic research.
The flexibility with this career path comes from the easy schedule, relative to swing shifts at a hospital. That’s because nurse educators typically conduct most of their work during the academic year. Granted, you can still find work teaching summer classes and clinical lessons, but that is optional in some cases.
Legal Nurse Consultant
Have you ever seen a legal procedural show where a nurse is called into court to testify? Legal nurse consultants provide important information in legal proceedings where nursing knowledge is needed. For example, an attorney may contact a nurse to consultant in a workman’s compensation case.
In that case, a legal nurse consultant would provide information about the extent of the injury and how long it takes to heal. Legal nurse consultants can put their hard-earned knowledge to good use in a unique setting.
Forensic Nurse
Forensic nurse work can take an emotional toll, but it also offers lots of flexibility. They work hard to help treat victims of violence and traumatic events. The care they provide works wonders to help people who need it most.
However, the sensitive nature of the work keeps some people from pursuing a career in forensic nursing. Forensic nursing offers flexibility in that you can pursue several avenues within the field. For example, you can specialize in child abuse, domestic violence, and sexual assault.
The work you do as a forensic nurse not only helps victims but also helps the court. In some cases, the court may call on you to share your discoveries and testify on behalf of the victim.
Telehealth Nurse
Telehealth entails providing medical help over the phone or a video chat. This relatively new medical development has changed the way that medical professionals care for patients. Telehealth nurses have the chance to provide medical help and advice without seeing patients in person.
This is a win-win situation for both the patients and nurses involved. They can assess patients, educate them about their conditions, and help them manage their medication. In some cases, telehealth nurses must refer patients to hospitals where they can receive immediate care.
The flexibility of this job is enough to entice any nurse who is used to the fast-paced hospital setting. You can enjoy a schedule that isn’t quite so demanding. It’s also worth trying out as you can easily transition into other nursing positions after working as a telehealth nurse.
Nurse Writer
The extensive medical texts that you read in nursing school are largely written by nurses. Nurse writers take their knowledge, skills, and experiences and translate them into academic texts. This rewarding nursing career path lets you pass the torch to students who have just begun their journey.
It is a lucrative career path that offers more flexibility than most traditional nursing roles. However, the career path to becoming a nurse writer typically involves working in the field for a while before making the transition. That said, such change is enough to revitalize any nurse who has gotten used to the grind over the years.
A Nursing Degree Holds Limitless Possibilities
It isn’t immediately obvious in nursing school that you can go so many directions with a nursing degree. Whether it be a travel nurse position or a job as a nurse writer, you can use your degree for so many different roles. Each of the many flexible nursing positions has its unique traits, and they are all quite rewarding. It’s never too late to switch paths within the nursing field. Your degree and professional experience will only make it easier to get the nursing job of your dreams.
