Registered nurses (RNs) use a unique skill set to bridge the gap between medicine, patient advocacy and care. As a result of this unique role in healthcare, there are many careers in nursing. Although most nurses are trained to work professionally as hands-on bedside providers, there are many alternative, nontraditional nursing jobs.
Earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree can provide nurses with the skills and qualifications needed to pursue nontraditional jobs in the field. Reputable, accredited programs like Lamar University’s 100% online RN to BSN offer the flexibility working nurses need to expand their education and career opportunities beyond the bedside.
Nursing Informatics
Health information technology is a widely expanding and evolving field in nursing. The electronic medical record (EMR) mandate expanded the need for nursing informatics professionals. Nurse informaticists combine a working knowledge of health information technologies with nursing expertise. According to ZipRecruiter data from July 2023, informatics nurses make an average annual salary of $97,795.
Case Management
As more Americans become insured and the population continues to age, the role of nurses in case management continues to develop and expand. This career in nursing requires good communication skills, the advanced clinical knowledge and experience nurses can gain through an RN to BSN, and the ability to navigate the complex and complicated healthcare system.
Case managers can be found in hospitals facilitating discharges, at insurance companies assisting in managing chronic patient care and in the community serving vulnerable populations. ZipRecruiter reports that nurse case managers make an average annual salary of $102,226 as of July 2023.
Nursing Consultancy
Another nontraditional nursing job is working as a consultant. Nurses can be found sharing their unique education, training and experience as legal experts in medical malpractice cases. Their ability to translate medical records for juries to understand is invaluable. Nurses also serve as consultants to healthcare systems in process improvement, quality improvement and other areas where they can use their expertise. Nurse consultants make an average annual salary of $90,224, according to ZipRecruiter data from July 2023.
Health and Wellness Coaching
As the federal government and insurance companies push to reduce the costs of disease management by increasing health promotion, careers in nursing have developed in health and wellness. Nurses are trained in preventative care and health promotion and excel at patient education, making them the ideal profession to go beyond hospital walls and into the community. Many nurses function independently as health and wellness coaches and have very successful careers. According to ZipRecruiter, RN health coaches make an average salary of $91,930 per year as of July 2023.
Considering the nurse’s unique set of skills, training, experience and education, the sky is the limit for careers in nursing. This is especially true for the BSN-trained nurses who have a more rounded education that prepares them for the broad role of a nontraditional nursing job.
Learn more about Lamar University’s online RN to BSN program.
