When you imagine a nurse, you probably envision them working at a patient’s bedside in a hospital or assisting doctors in clinics.

But the opportunities for nurses go far beyond direct patient care in hospitals or clinics.

Five Unique Careers in Nursing

Nurses have a number of career paths to choose from, specializing in many areas such as primary care, management, information and even forensics.

Here is a look at non-traditional nursing jobs — one of which may be the right fit for you:

Forensic Nursing Careers: A Unique Path for RNs

As you’re exploring alternative nursing careers, you may want to consider combining your passion for nursing with another area of interest. If you have an interest in crime and justice, you may want to look into forensic nursing.

Forensic nurses provide specialized care for patients who are victims or perpetrators of crimes. 

While caring for patients comes first and foremost, these nurses are responsible for collecting evidence, providing medical testimony in court and consulting with legal authorities. 

Forensic nurses have specialized legal knowledge and skills to identify injuries, conduct evaluations of patients and provide necessary legal documentation.

Travel Nursing: Combining Adventure with Healthcare

For those who have an interest in travel and adventure, travel nursing may be a good fit. Not only is it among the high-demand nursing careers, it gives you the opportunity to live and work in different locations.

Travel nurses work with nurse staffing agencies that help them secure contracts with healthcare facilities, housing and credentials. 

Depending on preferences, travel nurses can work locally, nationally or internationally.

Role and Responsibilities of Travel Nurses

One of the benefits of working as a travel nurse is having variety in your work. You may work in an intensive care unit on one job and work in an emergency department on another job.

Travel nurses can be general nurses or have specialties. Your area of expertise and preferences will determine where you work and what your responsibilities will be.

Regardless of where you work, you’ll have to be adaptable as you’ll be working in new settings and with new people during each job.

Benefits and Lifestyle of Travel Nurses

Working as a travel nurse allows you to explore different parts of the world and different cultures.

Salaries vary depending on where you work and what type of nursing you're practicing. The salary for travel nurses may be higher than local nurses in many areas because of demand. Some healthcare facilities may also provide a housing stipend.

Steps to Become a Travel Nurse

Travel nursing has the same requirements as other nurses. You have to be a registered nurse who has passed the NCLEX and received licensure.

Many nurse staffing agencies prefer nurses with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Agencies may also require a minimum amount of clinical experience. 

You’ll have to be licensed in the state where you maintain a permanent residence. Most states allow licensed registered nurses to practice as a travel nurse even if they’re not licensed in the state where they’re working.

Nurse Navigator Roles: Guiding Patient Journeys

Among the uncommon nursing roles is a nurse navigator.

Nurse navigators follow patients through transitional care, enhancing communication by serving as the single point of contact between patients, physicians and caregivers. 

These nurses help patients navigate clinical and supportive care services within a health system and in the community. Also referred to as patient navigators, these nurses coordinate patient appointments and work to eliminate barriers to timely and effective care. 

Nurse navigators also provide health education to patients before and after they receive care.

Informatics Nursing: Combining Healthcare and IT

Informatics nurses manage electronic medical records required at healthcare facilities. These nurses work to improve information management and communication in nursing to increase efficiency, reduce costs and enhance the quality of patient care. 

Nursing informatics is a specialty that combines nursing science, computer science and information science. Nurses in informatics support patients, nurses and other providers in their decision-making throughout the care process.

eICU Nursing Careers: Virtual Critical Career

The most innovative nursing positions combine nursing skills with technology.

eICU nurses are experienced in intensive care and facilitate electronic monitoring of ICU patients from a distant site. 

These nurses work with cutting edge technology that allows them to effectively monitor critical care patients. They provide support to critical care physicians and nurses on the ground at the ICU, helping them to improve response times and intervene before a patient’s condition deteriorates.

Nurse Educators: Shaping the Future of Healthcare

Nurse educators are imperative to training the next generation of skilled and compassionate nurses, and providing professional development to registered nurses.

Nurse educators can work within higher education or in an acute care setting as an educator.

Impact of Nurse Educators

The demand for nurses continues to grow as healthcare needs increase. There’s a critical need for nurse educators to train new nurses.

Educating future nurses allows you to make an impact on more patients than you would ever see providing direct care.

You may make an even bigger impact by participating in academic research or curriculum development.

Path to Becoming a Nurse Educator

Nurse educators should have a Master of Science in Nursing. In an MSN program with a nurse educator track, you’ll learn to become a teacher and mentor to nurses-in-training. 

MSN students learn about pedagogy, instructional methods and curriculum development, and complete a practicum in nursing education.

Family Nurse Practitioners: Expanding Primary Care

Family nurse practitioners are advanced practice nurses that are prepared to provide primary care to patients. 

These nurses are trained to diagnose and manage acute and chronic illnesses for patients of all ages in non-hospital settings. Family nurse practitioners are especially needed in rural areas of the country where healthcare facilities and primary care physicians are sparse. 

Public Health Nursing: Promoting Community Wellness

Public health nurses care for entire populations using their expertise in nursing, social determinants of health and public health sciences.

These nurses focus on the prevention of illness and disease, and improvement of health and wellness in communities.

Scope and Impact of Public Health Nursing

Those who pursue careers in public health policy become experts in evidence-based practice to influence policy and public health initiatives.

You’ll serve as a mentor, teacher, consultant and researcher to be a change agent to improve public health programs, develop new programs and coordinate care.

Typical Work Environments and Roles

As a public health nurse, you can work in community clinics, government agencies or schools.

You may have roles in epidemiology, health policy and program management.

Training and Certification Requirements

Depending on the job you want in public health, you’ll need an MSN or Doctor of Nursing Practice.

MSN and DNP programs with public health policy tracks will prepare you to work with different populations promoting health.

Advance Your Nursing Career with Nebraska Methodist College

Nebraska Methodist College (NMC) specializes in healthcare with programs in nursing, allied health and healthcare management.

NMC offers certificate, undergraduate and graduate nursing programs.

Discover Our Nursing Programs

At NMC, you can earn your:

• Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
• Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN)
• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
  • Care Coordinator track
  • Nurse Educator track
  • Nurse Executive track
  • Nursing Informatics track
• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
  • BSN to DNP - Family Nurse Practitioner track
  • BSN to DNP - Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner track
  • BSN to DNP - Adult Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist track
  • APRN to DNP track
  • MSN/MHP to DNP - Public Health Policy track

Becoming a CNA requires four- or six-week courses that combine on-campus and online instruction with clinical experiences.

BSN programs are on campus, combining academic coursework, hands-on activities in labs and clinical experiences. 

While the traditional BSN program can be completed in four years, the ABSN program can be completed in 12 months. The ABSN program is for those who have already completed an associate or bachelor’s degree. 

The MSN and DNP programs are 100% online, and have flexible coursework that can be done on students’ own time. The practicum is completed in person.

Support and Resources for Nursing Students

Whether you’re an undergraduate student on campus or a graduate student balancing online classes with work, NMC has support services to help you succeed.

Free services include supplemental instruction, test preparation, time management help and tutoring.

Students can schedule in-person or virtual meetings with NMC’s librarian for assistance researching a topic, writing in APA style and more. 

NMC’s Center for Research, Education and Teaching Excellence (CREATE!) provides students with help navigating Brightspace, the online learning platform used by the College.

One-on-one job coaching provides students with personalized advice when they’re ready to explore jobs. On-campus students also have networking opportunities with local healthcare leaders.

Students also have access to free, confidential counseling to support mental health needs

How to Apply and Begin Your Nursing Journey

Getting a nursing degree gives you many nursing career opportunities.

Whether you’re ready to get your BSN, MSN or DNP, Nebraska Methodist College has a program that will prepare you for your nursing career.

You can apply online for undergraduate and graduate nursing programs at NMC. 

If you’re ready to apply, fill out an application. If you have questions or want to schedule an in-person campus visit, contact an admissions coordinator at admissions@methodistcollege.edu or (402) 354-7200.