If you want to be a nurse but don’t enjoy the pressure of the emergency room, award, or an operating room, that’s understandable. However, don’t let it deter you from getting your degree—a nursing degree is more versatile than you think. In fact, many nurses who have spent years in hospital settings have successfully changed careers whilst still working as a nurse.
On that note, if you’re considering a nursing degree, we’ll offer further information about the various uses of nursing degrees. So, let’s first take a look at the qualifications that you need to become a nurse.
Qualifications for becoming a nurse.
Before we jump into it, you might want to know if there are different routes to becoming a nurse. The first is the licensed practical nursing or licensed vocational nursing route. This nursing program certificate isn’t what you could call a degree. However, licensed practical nurses provide care to patients but usually in a limited capacity.
The next route is via a degree program, which offers the needed qualification to become a registered nurse(RN). The requirement is either a two-year associate degree in nursing (ADN) or a four-year college bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN)—the latter being the most preferred route.
If you’re a registered nurse with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and you don’t want a career in the usual clinical settings, there are many other opportunities to pursue, which can equally offer a rewarding career. However, bear in mind that you may need to take an Advanced Nursing degree such as a Master’s in Nursing (MSN) after your BSN degree program to qualify you for a few of those positions.
The good thing is you don’t have to quit your job to get an MSN as there are available online nursing schools for RN. With the help of an accredited institution, you can become an advanced-level nurse within a maximum of two years. So, let’s now take a look at four uses of a nursing degree.
1. Nurse Educator
One of the non-clinical jobs registered nurses can take up is as a nurse educator. If you have a passion for teaching others, then this is your stop. You can work as a faculty member in an educational environment or a staff development educator in a clinical ward (but not directly involved with patient care). Many RNs with deep clinical experience have successfully become educators in the nursing field. You’ll likely need an MSN to take up this position.
2. Nurse Manager
Leadership roles also exist for RNs with a wealth of experience and advance degrees. What’s more, healthcare organizations are now in need of health professionals in these areas. This is because the patient population keeps increasing. Many nurses have positioned themselves in these leadership roles with their many years of experience, while some require a master’s degree in nursing. Other roles include:
- Chief Nursing Officer
- Direct of Nursing
- Nurse Administrator
- Healthcare Manager
- Management of a nursing practice
3. Insurance company nurse.
If you’re totally uninterested in the clinical settings, then a career opportunity in an insurance organization shouldn’t sound so bad. Remember, insurance companies provide services to individuals and companies in the management of health care.
In this regard, nurses and other health professionals are needed by insurance companies to enforce transparency in the clients’ healthcare management, research, and medical data. Here, you can work both in the office or remotely at home. This is especially handy in this era of keeping safe from the Covid-19 pandemic.
4. Telemedicine/remote nurse.
It’s the 21st century where patient care, health assessment, and management is taking new “shapes.” In a short while, doctors will be able to perform exams and so on from a remote location, saving both time and money. Similarly, as an RN, you can administer care to a patient remotely and manage their health. Other roles you can engage in remotely include nurse informatics specialist, case manager, etc.
