When you imagine your career as a nurse, you probably expect to work at a hospital, doctor’s office or clinic. These are great places to work as a nurse, but they are just a few of the possibilities available. Becoming a nurse can open doors to career opportunities in places you might not have imagined.
1. Cruise Ships
Every cruise liner has a medical staff, and nurses are employed to work on these ships. Being a nurse on a cruise ship can be a fun way to travel the oceans, see new locations and earn a rewarding income doing the work you love, which is caring for patients and their families. Cruise nurses are often specially trained in emergencies that can happen at sea, such as a water rescue. More common patient treatments, however, will be for ailments such as seasickness and bad sunburns even though cardiac arrests, serious injuries and other critical care cases will regularly occur.
2. Pharmaceutical and Drug Companies
Having firsthand knowledge of the ins and outs of the healthcare industry can help a nurse land a career in pharmaceutical sales. This job requires visits to doctor’s offices and hospitals to educate and sell practitioners new drugs. For experienced nurses, a career shift to pharmaceutical sales can also be lucrative and rewarding. A career move into pharmaceutical sales allows an RN to combine his/her knowledge of pharmacology with an understanding of the healthcare system. Representatives meet with pharmacists and physicians to make them aware of new drugs on the market and of new uses for existing drugs.
3. Law Offices
Attorneys who handle health-related cases, such as medical malpractice, often need experienced nurses who can provide medical insights and expertise. Nurses may review and analyze medical records prior to court appearances as well as conduct client interviews. They will often assist in medical malpractice cases, toxic torts, insurance fraud cases, personal injury cases, worker's compensation cases, and criminal cases, among others. They also help legal professionals understand terminologies, practices and outcomes.
4. Prisons and Jails
orrectional facilities need the services of nurses to provide healthcare for inmates, including routine and emergency procedures. A correctional nurse is a nursing professional that cares for and treats inmates and other detainees in correctional facilities and jails. These nursing professionals choose to go behind prison walls every day to attend to the health needs of detainees. They treat both routine and emergency medical procedures. While this position isn’t for everyone, being a nurse in a prison or jail can help create a safer environment since detainees can be treated onsite instead of transported to another facility.
5. Publishers
Finally, experienced nurses who can write well may find there are many opportunities to pen books, manuals, handbooks and articles. A variety of publishers—from books and magazines to corporate communications—will appreciate a nurse’s medical knowledge in creating a variety of materials. Nurse writers can work as a freelancer or on staff. There are nurses, both new and experienced, who moonlight as bloggers and YouTube content creators so sharing their experiences to digital audiences has become a new career angle for nursing professionals.
Nursing isn’t just a rewarding vocation; it’s a career that can provide you with many rewards. No matter which nursing path you decide to pursue, Fortis offers nursing programs that can help you get your start. Click here for more information or call us today at (855) 436-7847 and speak to one of our career counselors.