What are the Different Nursing Occupations?

Although we typically think of nurses as working in hospitals, some aspiring nurses wonder where nurses can work other than hospitals. Some nurses may enjoy patient contact while others may just want a change of pace from the hospital routine. The good news is that there are many places and jobs where nurses can work other than in hospitals. Registered nurses (RNs) have been and continue to be in demand in various medical or health-related settings, whether it’s hospitals, clinics, home hospice, public schools and government jobs. Here are a few areas where nurses can work other than hospitals.

Nurse Health Coach

Nurse health coaches, often just called nurse coaches, are licensed practical nurses (LPNs) or RNs who help people choose and live healthy lifestyles by teaching them about wellness. Nurse coaches help patients make healthy choices that can lead to fewer hospitalizations, fewer illness complications and an improved level of wellness. Nurse health coaches may for work for insurance companies or large corporations. Corporations may hire nurse coaches to empower their employees to make healthy choices in an attempt to reduce employee medical expenses. Both the International Nurse Coach Association and the American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation offer certifications for nurse coaches. Nurse Journal states that RNs can call themselves nurse coaches without being certified as long as they don’t provide health care beyond their scope of training.

Legal Nurse Consultants

Legal nurse consultants are medical professionals who can work as both RNs and legal consultants on medical cases. They typically work with legal professionals and assist in legal cases, such as toxic torts, medical malpractice cases, worker’s compensation cases, insurance fraud cases and personal injury cases. Their main duty is to gather and study evidence. In addition to having nursing training, the individual must complete a training course and obtain certification through the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants. Before the certification exam can be taken, the candidate must have at least years of experience working as a nurse and 2,000 hours of legal and medical consulting within the previous three years.

Hospice Nurse

Hospice nurses work for different medical organizations and sped most of their time caring for terminally ill patients. They generally travel to the patient’s home and provide them medical care and emotional supports. They also provide support for the family members and educate them on what to expect and how to best care for their loved one. A hospice nurse should have experience in acute care nursing because their work will require a lot of intensive care and independent nursing actions. Although it may not be requires, hospice nurses often choose to obtain the credential of Hospice and Palliative Nurse by passing the certification exam through the National Board for Certification of Hospice and Palliative Nurses.

Public Health Nurse

Working as a public health nurse is often a choice made by nurses who want work other than in hospitals. They’re typically employed by public, state and government offices and they focus their work on the health and overall well-being of the entire community. Public health nurses work in schools, community disaster relief organizations and community health clinics. They may give examinations, educate the public on contagious and communicable diseases, administer immunizations, provide health-related interventions, identify health risk factors and monitor health trends.

Related Resource: The 25 Best Bachelors in Nursing Online Degree Programs

Nursing is a rewarding profession that offers not just good wages but also various career opportunities. Although most non-hospital jobs do require some clinical or hospital experience and possible training, Nurse Journal indicates that there are many places where nurses can work other than hospitals.