In the registered nursing industry, there are so many opportunities to explore. Registered nursing (RN) jobs can be touchstones across industries, involve interesting collaborations with other professions, achieve exciting strides in learning and technology, and provide a work-life and schedule variety that may surprise you. You can also land jobs with high pay and reach earnings that surpass the average RN salary, which, according to the BLS, rose in 2022 to $89,010 or $42.80 per hour.
The key to RN exploration is specialization and staying open to alternative career pathways. RN specialties have developed over the years alongside healthcare advancements in technology, methodology, diagnostics, and treatment. Furthermore, adaptations for independent contract work have spread from delivery drivers across industries into nursing, which means available RN jobs near you may be work-from-home nursing jobs. Keep reading to explore five high-paying options for RN jobs in 2023.
1. IT Nursing Jobs
The combination of nursing and IT marry to become an important driver of patient data and technology integration in healthcare delivery in the nursing specialty of Informatics. This specialty has fewer nurses than many others, yet it sits positioned to be a guiding force on the edge of advancements in nursing. In the article "How the nursing profession should adapt for a digital future" by Richard Booth and colleagues in the National Library of Medicine, the authors express the urgency for the nursing profession to transform itself into a "digitally enabled profession" as continued advances in EHR, assisted living technologies, telehealth, robotics, personalized precision healthcare, virtual and augmented reality, and AI create opportunity and challenges that nurses need to be part of solving.
According to the 2023 Nursing Informatics Workforce Survey, 60% of Informatics nurses earn a base salary of $100,000 or higher, and 76% of respondents are "highly satisfied" with their career choice.
In order to certify with the ANCC in Nursing Informatics, a BSN or a graduate degree is required alongside a minimum of two years of RN work experience.
2. CVICU Nursing Jobs
The CVICU specializes in treating patients with serious cardiac, thoracic, and vascular conditions. Patients in the CVICU are either critically ill and require close monitoring or have just come out of surgery, and their stabilization and recovery are the prime concerns. CVICU nursing requires nurses to be highly trained in the specialized technical equipment used for monitoring critically-ill patients, be able to think critically, respond quickly, and communicate complex medical conditions and procedures to patients and their families.
CVICU nurses earn, on average, $97,500 per year, although certainly an experience, certification, and location can influence that figure.
The AACN (American Association of Critical-Care Nurses) offers certification as a Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN), which requires an RN or APRN active license and a set number of clinical practice hours to be eligible.
3. CRNA Nursing Jobs
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are the highest-paid cadre of specialty nurses, as fits their training and education. Formerly an MSN was required for CRNAs, but the specialty is transitioning to a doctoral degree requirement, which will be in force by 2025. A DNAP (doctor or nurse anesthesia practice) is a program with a specialized curriculum for this profession. CRNAs collaborate with surgeons and anesthesiologists in preparing and administering anesthesia. This specialty profession has an enormous projected growth rate of 40%.
The national average salary for CRNAs as of 2022 is $205,770; the highest earners typically work in outpatient care centers, but jobs for CRNAs are frequently found in physician offices, general and surgical hospitals, and specialty hospitals.
4. Remote Nursing Jobs
The healthcare industry has been on a path of further digitalization (remember the aforementioned Nurse Informatics?), and during the pandemic, we saw a major push for healthcare services and resources that reduced face-to-face contact. Here's a look at some interesting remote jobs for registered nurses that allow RNs to work from home. Some positions allow 100% remote while others are a hybrid of work-from-home and face-to-face responsibilities.
- Telephone Triage Nurse - Conducts clinical assessments exercising critical thinking skills, guides patient and/or caregiver through recommendations, resources, and benefits, and acts as a point of contact; all of this over the phone.
- Nurse Consultant and/or Telehealth - Responsible for patient outreach, consultations for both families and clinicians, and disease education.
- Concurrent Review Nurse - Performs reviews of patient care and collaborates with case managers and facility administrators.
- Case Manager - Conducts assessments and is responsible for the planning and coordinated implementation of case management activities.
- IT Nurse - Nurse informatics' job duties are heavily centered on computer work which means many of these jobs may offer remote or hybrid work-from-home options.
5. PRN Nursing Jobs
Per diem (PRN) nursing has long been part of the healthcare industry's staffing plan, and yet it has evolved. Today's PRN shift work isn't all part of a staff RN's monthly work schedule. Much of it is contracted out to independent clinicians. For example, Nursa is a healthcare staffing smartphone app that is the go-between for facilities and hospitals with shifts that need staff coverage and nurses who are looking to pick up a shift. How does it work?
Hospitals and facilities register with the app and post their shifts that need clinician coverage. Nurses register with the app and create professional profiles and verify their licenses. Once their licenses have been verified, nurses can browse the hundreds of PRN shifts in their area and apply for shifts. Hospital and facility administrators can review the profiles of shift applicants and select their preferred candidate. Independent nurses hiring for one shift at a time enjoy immense flexibility because they can select PRN shifts that fit around their other life responsibilities and schedules. Hospitals and facilities enjoy having a confident and quick strategy for ensuring their shifts have enough staff to provide safe patient care.
