Being a nurse is a true calling in life. This career involves emergencies, life-or-death situations, and—yes—many times, uncomfortable or gross activities. The field offers a variety of professional opportunities, including unique nursing jobs.
This article will point you to some of the most unexpected, non-traditional nursing jobs and unique opportunities you can pursue in your career.
Non-Traditional Nursing Jobs
When it comes to unique nursing careers, you can take many different paths. Let’s look at some of the most unusual nursing jobs available so you can decide if any of these suit you.
1. Legal Nurse Consultant
Most big law firms need medical experts, such as nurses, to help lawyers understand diagnoses and medical terms and review legal and medical paperwork extensively and in detail.
This type of work is perfect for the nurse who needs a break from bedside nursing and wants to put in desk time instead. Sometimes, you will be part of interrogations or an expert witness in a jury case.
The payment can vary according to expertise, but once you create a pool of clients in the law field, you can make a substantial salary.
To become a legal consultant, you must first obtain a Legal Nurse Consultant Certification (LNCC).
2. Healthcare Writer/Blogger
If you are a nurse whose passion is writing, a whole new scope of interesting nursing jobs can open for you. You can write for a healthcare magazine, work on medical research papers, write health-related blogs, or even create your own platform and become an influencer in all things nursing.
Writing allows you to share your knowledge and experiences from anywhere in the world, as long as you have a laptop or cellphone and an internet connection.
You can create a unique nursing career with your knowledge and creativity using words or even videos on TikTok. You can teach people about different health conditions, medical procedures, and ways to connect with your patients or even share nursing humor.
3. PRN/Per Diem Nurse
If you have already signed up with Nursa, you have chosen a non-traditional yet essential career path.
PRN comes from the Latin “pro re nata,” which means “as the need arises.” This means a PRN nurse can fill a specific shift as an independent contractor.
PRN nursing allows you to manage your schedule, place of work, quality of life, and income according to your goals and timelines, putting the flexibility factor entirely in your hands.
As a PRN nurse, you can choose per diem jobs by license, state, city, and specialty. You can also decide whether you want to travel and work in different locations or pick up jobs near you.
To know more, check PRN shifts available in your city.
Unique and Off-the-Wall Nursing Jobs
If you are looking for unusual nursing jobs, let’s discuss unique and—in some cases—highly niche opportunities.
1. Remote Telehealth Nurse
Remote telehealth nurses usually work over the phone or through video calls, offering monitoring, assessment, education, and evaluation to patients to determine the right course of action or review their cases (insurance policies). They can also be responsible for follow-ups after a patient has been discharged.
This line of nursing is a beautiful option for the nurse who wants to work from home or even find an extra income in their spare time. Next, you will find a list of benefits of telehealth nursing:
- You can work from home or anywhere.
- You decrease any health risks in case of pandemics or infections.
- You save money on transportation.
- You could keep up with your family life activities—like cooking or cleaning—while serving clients.
One disadvantage of these jobs is that they involve a more sedentary work life than other nursing roles. You must have excellent communication skills since you may have to deal with angry or technologically challenged individuals.
Another downside of this nursing field is the schedule inconvenience since you may have to work nights, weekends, or holidays. Many of these jobs require you to meet a daily or weekly quota.
2. Behavioral Health Nurse
Although not exactly “off the wall,” you may not have considered working in behavioral health.
According to the American Medical Association:
“Behavioral health generally refers to mental health and substance use disorders, life stressors and crises, and stress-related physical symptoms. Behavioral health care refers to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of those conditions.”
If you are a mental health advocate or enjoy helping patients on a personal level in their rehabilitation, behavioral health nursing might be the right choice for you. This role is for the nurse who has skills and qualities such as the following:
- Great communication
- Ability to set boundaries
- Problem-solving skills
- Assertiveness
- Positive attitude and mindset
Licensed registered nurses can work in behavioral health straight out of nursing school. However, to become a behavioral health nurse practitioner, you must first obtain a master of science in nursing (MSN). While the years of preparation between school and clinical experience might take up to eleven years, the average salary for these professionals can range from $108,890 to $133,170.
3. Flight Nursing
The adrenaline of the ER (Emergency Room) and the adventure of flying are combined in this specialty.
Flight nurses, also known as helicopter nurses, are usually registered nurses (RNs) with several years of experience working in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) or ER. They work alongside paramedics to provide medevac.
According to Air Ambulance Worldwide, “medevac is short for medical evacuation, and it refers to the evacuation of persons (usually by air transportation) to a place where they can receive medical care.”
This nursing opportunity is aimed at professionals interested in upbeat work that doesn’t follow you home.
4. Cannabis Nurse
As of February 2024, there are 24 states where cannabis is legal, in addition to Washington, D.C.
In this niche, cannabis nurses offer patients guidance on the use of cannabis and the possible treatments they can follow to support their healing in this growing healthcare industry.
You can choose a workplace like a dispensary or—going down a more flexible path—create your own consultant practice. Accordingly, the pay can range from $70,000 to $125,000 annually.
More Nursing Jobs and Guides to Explore
If you are intrigued by these unique nursing jobs, you can dive deeper into other guides that offer you different opportunities for your career as a nurse. Take control of your future by browsing the following articles:
- 10 Remote Nursing Jobs You Can Do from Anywhere
- How to Get Started as a Freelance Nurse
- The 11 Best Side Hustles to Help Nurses Earn More Money
- 5 of the Easiest and Least Stressful Jobs for Nurses
- Best Nursing Jobs
Sources:
