If things like broken, protruding bones make you queasy, you might think that nursing isn’t a career you’d like to be involved with. And despite hearing about our nation’s increasing nursing shortage, and maybe even thinking about contributing a solution, you might have considered the intricacies within the job of nursing and thought to yourself, “There’s no way I’m going to become a nurse.”
That’s actually a normal reaction once you seriously think about all the unusual diseases and injuries nurses have to face. There’s a way that you can still help the nursing crisis we’re facing however, and it doesn’t involve any interaction with patients at all.
Work in a Doctor’s Office or Clinic
In the doctor’s office or clinic, you can spare your yourself from some of the really graphic injuries and illnesses seen in the hospitals since the doctor’s office or clinic is a precursor to these conditions. In this environment, you won’t do much more than set appointments, collect specimens, take blood pressure and temperature, chart a patient’s weight and height, and prepare a patient for the doctor. Patients with conditions that are too extensive for the doctor’s office or clinic are referred to the nearest hospital.
Work in Alternative Health Care Environments
If you’re interested in spirituality, you can combine that curiosity with a nursing education and work in a holistic environment instead of the hard-core hospital. A lot of nursing candidates work within alternative health care environments and work as an acupuncture nurse, chiropractic nurse, massage nurse, and/or even a nutrition nurse. Because the current nursing shortage exists across the nation, its predicted recovery is expected to provide new job opportunities in these careers as well.
Work in the Insurance Industry
You can even find nursing employment in the insurance industry. Health insurance companies hire nurses to work on their behalf. In this position, you may have to visit and speak with patients, but you don’t have to participate in a patient’s physical care. Your job as a health insurance nurse would only require health discussion, information verification, and filling out forms.
Work on the Administrative Side of Nursing
As a manager, you can work on the administrative side of nursing which doesn’t involve any patient interaction at all. Called “nurse administrators,” these employees work in hospitals, clinics, and staffing companies. To work as a nurse administrator, you’ll need office and people skills and an MSN.
Work as a Nurse Educator
The role of the nurse is applicable to many jobs outside of the emergency room. These jobs still require a nursing degree, only they exist in schools. As an LPN, RPN, BSN, or MSN nurse, you can work as a nursing educator and teach the public about health risks, healthier lifestyles, and physical fitness basics. You can teach at churches, community groups, elementary schools, and senior homes.
At elementary, middle, and high school institutions, nurses provide basic health care, administer prescription medication, and arrange for transportation to emergency facilities if need be. They may also give lectures about the importance of health care, nutrition, and exercise. For the upper grades, nurses may teach reproduction and/or anti-drug and anti-alcohol classes. With a psychology degree, they may provide counseling and refer students to social workers for additional help.
There are a lot more opportunities to work outside of the emergency room. We haven’t listed them all here. Doing so would probably fill up our entire website! We just want you to get an idea of how you can help solve our nation’s current nursing shortage without “getting your hands dirty” so to speak. We really do need your help. Consider your options and see if you can’t merge your current interests with an online nursing program today.