Nursing is a diverse field with many areas of specialization and opportunities to work in various environments. If you are interested in nursing but don’t want to work in a traditional hospital setting, there are many non-bedside nursing jobs available to you, including flight nursing, psychiatric nursing, and forensic nursing.
What can you do with a nursing degree? Earning a Bachelor of Science (BS) in nursing and becoming a nurse empowers you to pursue a variety of careers, including traditional hospital jobs and non-bedside nursing jobs, from school nurse to informatics nurse.
Whichever path you choose, earning a nursing degree from the University of Mount Saint Vincent paves the way for an exciting nursing career. The Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program allows you to earn a BS in nursing in as few as 16 months, while gaining a comprehensive nursing education that prepares you to become a practice-ready nurse.
It’s important to note that a BS in nursing is the first step to entering many nursing specializations as you advance your career. If you’re curious about which non-clinical nursing careers might be right for you, consider these 20 alternative nursing careers.
How does an accelerated nursing program work? We’re glad you asked.
1. Flight Nurse
Flight nurses are responsible for critical care on helicopters and airplanes. They serve patients of all kinds after an accident or medical emergency, caring for them as they’re airlifted for treatment. Focused on ensuring safety, stability, and comfort throughout the flight, these nurses attend to the patient until landing.
2. Psychiatric Nurse
If you are looking for non-bedside nursing jobs that still allow for close patient interaction, then psychiatric nursing might be right for you. Psychiatric nurses work with patients of all ages experiencing mental health conditions, including depression, bipolar disorder, and substance abuse. These nurses assess patients, provide counseling and care based on treatment plans, and assist mental health clinicians.
3. Public Health Nurse
Public health nurses generally perform health screenings and administer medications within county health departments, city health departments, federal health organizations, and mobile health care service units. They also educate the community on healthy living and disease prevention and work with the public in various environments.
4. Forensic Nurse
Forensic nursing offers the best of both worlds to individuals interested in healthcare and the judicial system. Forensic nurses work in healthcare facilities, laboratories, and law courts. They evaluate sexual and physical assault crimes and accidental deaths, so they must have compassion and tact in challenging situations.
5. Legal Nurse Consultant
A legal nurse consultant uses their nursing and patient care expertise to aid in legal cases. They work with attorneys to help them understand procedures, regulations, and protocols to support the case. They can work on a wide range of legal cases where nursing knowledge is relevant, including medical malpractice, personal injury, and workers’ compensation cases.
6. School Nurse
School nursing is a registered nurse non-bedside job that still allows you to provide some patient care.
School nurses treat students with injuries, illnesses, and chronic conditions. They analyze symptoms and the child’s condition to determine if they need further care at a healthcare facility.
They also tend to bumps, bruises, and other general first aid concerns. As a school nurse, you’ll administer over-the-counter medications and build meaningful connections with students.
7. Nurse Researcher
Nurse researchers are part of clinical research teams that conduct studies to advance the medical field. Their daily tasks vary depending on the type of study. As a nurse researcher, you might help conduct clinical trials, recruit participants, provide patient care during trials, maintain records, and contribute to research reports.
Nurse researchers must typically have several years of clinical experience and a graduate degree.
8. Informatics Nurse
Informatics nurses have a data-focused approach to patient care. Their role combines computer and data science with nursing science to identify ways to improve patient care and nursing practice.
In this non-bedside nursing job, you will look for ways to optimize clinical systems, such as electronic health records, to improve protocols, streamline workflows, and find other ways to improve the efficiency and quality of safe patient care.
9. Nurse Educator
A nurse educator is tasked with educating the next generation of nurses. This role requires nurses to have years of clinical experience and a graduate degree, so they have the training and experience to help students become skilled and compassionate nurses.
10. Infection Control/Prevention Nurse
Working at hospitals, clinics, and community health centers, these nurses focus on understanding and anticipating infectious diseases and viruses. They also provide recommendations for treating specific types of infections and offer education about preventing contamination.
After earning your BS in nursing and RN license and working at least two years as an RN, you’ll need a Certification in Infection Prevention and Control (CIC) from the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology.
11. Nurse Recruiter
Nurse recruiter is a non-clinical nursing career that allows you to use your nursing experience. Nurse recruiters fill job openings at hospitals and other healthcare facilities. They leverage their years of clinical experience to identify in applicants the qualities, skills, and experience needed to excel in the nursing role and meet the facility’s needs.
As a nurse recruiter, you will advertise job postings, network with qualified candidates, process applications, and perform interviews.
12. Telehealth Nurse
Telehealth includes a wide range of nursing roles and types of care. As a telehealth nurse, you will conduct patient assessments over video conferences, phone, email, or messaging. While the type of patient care is limited to what can be done remotely, telehealth services greatly benefit individuals with limited access to medical services or limited mobility.
Telehealth nurses educate patients, monitor vitals (oxygen levels, heart rate, blood glucose) via remote devices, and provide medical advice.
13. Home Health Nurse
Home health nursing is a non-bedside nursing job that still involves patient care. Rather than caring for patients in hospital settings, these nurses travel to patients’ homes. They typically have multiple patients whom they visit throughout the day. They perform many of the same care tasks as RNs in hospitals, if they can safely be performed in a residential setting.
Their tasks include administering medications, managing IVs and catheters, and assisting with activities of daily living.
14. Cruise Ship Nurse
The type of care cruise ship nurses provide is limited to what can be done onboard; however, considering how well-equipped some modern cruise ship medical centers are, their patient care is extensive. Some ships even have X-ray machines and can perform certain laboratory tests.
As a cruise ship nurse, you can care for patients while traveling the world. Tasks can include basic first aid, patient assessment, and administering medications. Cruise ship nurses typically have emergency or ICU nursing experience and are prepared to stabilize patients until help arrives during emergencies.
15. Nurse Writer
If you are passionate about writing and want to pursue a non-clinical nursing career, then becoming a nurse writer might be right for you. Nurse writers use their extensive nursing experience to create informative content, such as articles, blog posts, white papers, educational content, and much more.
16. Aesthetic or Cosmetic Nurse
Aesthetic nurses, sometimes called cosmetic nurses, administer cosmetic treatments and support physicians during procedures. They can administer injectables, such as Botox, and provide treatments, such as laser treatments, microneedling, and chemical peels. They can work in dermatology offices, medical spas, plastic surgery clinics, and outpatient surgical centers.
Nurse case managers advocate for patients and help ensure they receive the holistic care they need. Their patients typically have severe or chronic conditions, such as Alzheimer’s or cancer, often requiring complex care.
A nurse case manager helps coordinate patient care across medical teams, advocates for specialized treatment that meets the patient’s needs, and educates patients and caregivers. They can also communicate with the patient’s insurance company to manage treatment coverage.
17. Nurse Case Manager
Nurse case managers advocate for patients and help ensure they receive the holistic care they need. Their patients typically have severe or chronic conditions, such as Alzheimer’s or cancer, often requiring complex care.
A nurse case manager helps coordinate patient care across medical teams, advocates for specialized treatment that meets the patient’s needs, and educates patients and caregivers. They can also communicate with the patient’s insurance company to manage treatment coverage.
18. Nurse Health Coach
Nurse health coaches work closely with clients to help them meet their health goals by advising and guiding them to make lifestyle changes. For example, if an individual learns they are pre-diabetic, they can work with a health coach to help them make the necessary changes to try to reverse their diagnosis.
As a nurse health coach, you can work in various environments, even remotely from your home. To become a nurse health coach, you must first acquire a few years of clinical experience, then pursue a nurse health coach certification.
19. Community Health Nurse
Community health nurses work in community health clinics and shelters, where their goal is to improve the health and lives of local communities. Their work fills the gaps that often prevent people from accessing vital healthcare. For example, they can provide health screenings at local community centers so individuals who are unable to travel to a hospital or visit a doctor can receive care.
20. Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)
A clinical nurse specialist has a similar role to an RN; however, a CNS operates on the supervisory side. They are leaders who facilitate efficient and effective care. They need to be adept at analyzing patient data. They then use that data to implement changes that elevate treatment and ensure tailored care to each patient.
In addition to a master’s or doctorate in nursing, clinical nurse specialists also earn certifications in gerontology, cardiovascular disease, oncology, and other practice areas, although these are often optional.
Is a BS in nursing program worth it? Here are seven reasons why it is.
Take the First Steps Toward a Nursing Career Today
Whether you pursue a non-bedside nursing job or prefer the fast pace of a hospital setting, Mount Saint Vincent’s ABSN program will prepare you to excel in any healthcare setting. The ABSN program combines nursing theory coursework with hands-on, state-of-the-art nursing labs to give students the foundation and confidence to provide patient care.
During clinical rotations, students will apply this knowledge to caring for patients in real healthcare facilities throughout New York City. Our partnerships with Memorial Sloan Kettering, Mount Sinai Hospital, and other leading New York City facilities thoroughly prepare students to become healthcare leaders.
If you have a non-nursing bachelor’s degree, you might meet the admission requirements for the ABSN program. Contact 2our admission team to learn how you can take the first steps toward a rewarding nursing career.