8 Career Alternatives for Nurses: Part 1

8 Career Alternatives for Nurses: Part 1

by | Aug 27, 2022 | Nursing

8 Career Alternatives for Nurses: Part 1

There are plenty of career alternatives for nurses. Being a nurse is one of the most respected and rewarding jobs globally. But if you don’t want to do bedside nursing? Are there any career alternatives for nurses? 
 

 

8 Career Alternatives for Nurses to Choose From

 
Unlike other jobs, nursing has increased career growth. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects a growth of 7% in nursing employment over the next few years. That said, you should be able to pick a job within this field that does not involve working as a traditional nurse. 
 
If you are wondering what kind of careers you can work as a non-traditional nurse, here are your options:
 

1. Nutritionist

 
A nurse nutritionist is an excellent option for those nurses who are into healthy diets and lifestyles. Your job is to consult patients and help improve their health through diet and nutrition.
 
Working in this nursing field allows you to work in a medical facility with patients who are dealing with medical conditions involving diet. One of your jobs includes encouraging them to eat and offering healthy options.
 
Extra training is needed for nurses who are planning to become a nutritionist. The average income for nurse nutritionists is around $50,737 yearly. It also depends on their training and certifications. 
 

2. Nurse Manager

 
If you enjoy working in the hospital, a nurse manager is a good career alternative for nurses.  Nurse managers are also known as nurse administrators. They help manage and supervise registered nurses at work. 
 
As a nurse manager, your role is to run a nursing department, supervise teams of nurses, or help manage the clinical facility. This position often requires a Master’s in Nursing degree (MSN).
 
The average income for nurse managers is around $101,000 per year. California ranks as the state for highest-paid nurse managers. 
 

3. Nurse Researcher

 
Nurse researchers learn about medicine, how medications interact, and the study of the human body. If you enjoy researching scientific data, this job is a good choice. 
 
Many nurse researchers work in laboratories or universities. They conduct research to study, test their research, and help find a way to improve the results. Researching diseases, treatments, and other health-related topics are valuable in the healthcare industry. 
 
A nurse researcher also writes books, consults, and teaches classes. They also speak at conferences. The average income for nurse researchers is around $95,000 yearly. 
 

4. Telemedicine Nurse

 
One of the best career alternatives for nurses belongs to telemedicine nurses. This job combines technology and nursing skills to help patients within the comfort of their homes. It is a good option for nurses who want to help patients who are living in remote areas. They also help patients suffering from chronic conditions who need to stay at home and not go to a hospital. 
 
As the pandemic rolls on, it’s reported that telehealth visits have increased to 50% as of March 2020. If you want to in work in this area, experience as a floor nurse is a must. The average income for telemedicine nurses is around $75,000. 
 

5. Forensic Nurse

 
For fans of forensic science, working in this field would be a dream come true. And for nurses interested in this field, working as a forensic nurse is an option for you. 
 
The work of a forensic nurse is often stressful but very rewarding. Your job includes working with the legal systems and providing care for victims of violent crimes. 
 
One of your primary duties is to gather medical evidence to use in court proceedings. You may even testify in court to back up the pieces of evidence you present. Many forensic nurses often work in correctional facilities or various hospital settings. An estimated $89,000 is the average nurse pay in this field. 
 

6. Nurse Lobbyist

 
Another job that you must consider is becoming a nurse lobbyist. What do these nurses do? As a nurse lobbyist, you will work for communities, states, and countries. You will also work alongside lawmakers that government agencies use nurse lobbyists. 
 
These nurses help analyze data and health laws to improve them. The average income for nurse lobbyists is around $100,000. But if you have a higher degree or education and years of experience,  you can earn even more. 
 

7. Clinical Nurse Educator

 
If you love working in an academic setting, this is your chance to work as a clinical nurse educator. The main job description for this profession is to teach and mentor aspiring nurses. 
 
Your general role is a teacher nurse. You will be administering tests, overseeing internships, and facilitating lessons. You will also be mentoring nursing students in class or hospital settings.
 
A clinical nurse educator may also work in a medical facility. They help develop opportunities for current staff nurses and offer them ongoing training. The average income for clinical nurse educators is around $87,700. 
 

8. Nurse consultant

 
Many nurse consultants work with legal teams, offering their advice and consultation to those working in cases involving medical details. These nurses help assist, check medical charts, and often act as expert witnesses. 
 
They can also work for a medical facility, hospital, or nursing home. They offer their consultation and recommend individual treatment plans for patients.
 
Those who are already experienced in this field help check the current qualifications of nursing staff and help improve them.
 

In Closing

 
Your career as a nurse is not a boring one; there is always something to do! Of course, there are other career alternatives for nurses that you can choose from. We will tackle them in Part 2 of this post. And now that you know the different options for your career as a nurse, go ahead and check them out. You might find something you will enjoy doing for a long time!
 
 
 

Looking for more nursing and travel nursing information? Check out these helpful links!

EP 178: How to Take Care of Your Skin With Laura Coral

EP 178: How to Take Care of Your Skin With Laura Coral

by | Aug 26, 2022 | Podcast

How to Take Care of Your Skin With Laura Coral

How you take care of your skin plays a role in your self-esteem. When you have beautiful skin, you also have self-confidence. Unfortunately, some of us don’t know how to care for our skin.

As a result, some of us suffer from acne, blackheads, dryness of the skin, skin lesions, and other skin conditions. 

But how do you take care of your skin correctly anyway? Is showering enough? What about a skincare routine? Is there a specific way to achieve great skin?

If you suffer from bad skin, this episode is for you. In this episode, we would like to introduce you to Laura Coral.

Laura is a dermatology physician assistant working at Curology and branching off to YouTube and social media to share her experience being a PA and encourage future healthcare providers to go after their dreams!

We will discuss the best skin care routines and how to decrease acne and wrinkles. 

QUESTIONS FOR GUESTS

The questions below are some we’d like to tackle. We go off-topic, so we don’t expect to hit them all. If you have any ideas, please let us know. Looking forward to our conversation!

  1. Laura, can you give us a little background about yourself and how you got started in dermatology?
      • Did you go straight into PA school, or did you start off somewhere else in the healthcare field?
      • Have you always worked in dermatology? 
  2. How did you get started in Curology? 
      • Why do you like the company, and how do they personalized skincare?
  3. What are the most common skin issues you see and common ways to treat them? Dry skin, acne, pigmentation issues, etc.
  4. What are some common skin myths or misconceptions?
      • Common questions your clients ask?
      • What ages the skin and causes wrinkles? 
        • Are there some universal products out there that can help with aging? 
  5. Do you have a skincare routine?
      • What skin products can you not live without? 
      • What are some universal products that you think everyone should use?
  6. Psychosomatic manifestations are something we’ve been curious about. It shows how powerful our mind is and the destruction we can cause to ourselves. Have you had any experience with psychosomatic disorders? 
      • A big culprit of this is unaddressed conflicts that linger on for years. How can people get over this? 
      • Psychosomatic disorder is a psychological condition involving the occurrence of physical symptoms, usually lacking a medical explanation. People with this condition may have excessive thoughts, feelings, or concerns about the symptoms.

ENDING QUESTIONS

Before we end the show, we have one last question we like to ask all our guests. If you had the opportunity to have a Cup of coffee with anybody one last time, who would it be & why? 

Connect with Laura through her Instagram at @thecoralbrief or subscribe to her YouTube Channel for more skin care tips at www.youtube.com/c/LauraCoralPAC.

Do you want to have healthy skin? Learn helpful tips by watching this full episode 👇

TIME STAMPS:

00:00 Introduction
01:48 About the guest
04:01 How did you get started in Curology?
05:35 Difference between face and body skin
06:42 What products to avoid
09:06 Basic skincare routine
11:20 Difference between serums, creams, and lotions
14:19 The skincare routine for you
17:05 Is applying sunscreen necessary?
21:58 Wrinkles and retinol
24:20 What causes acne?
31:44 Skincare and makeup
34:03 Laura’s skincare routine
36:10 What is a dark spot?
38:36 Scar treatments
42:19 Psychosomatic disorder
47:26 Talking about insecurities
50:02 Managing Stress
51:10 Can eyebags be treated
52:59 Wrapping up the episode

The Together While Apart Art Project

The Together While Apart Art Project

by | Aug 24, 2022 | Nursing

The Together While Apart Art Project

The Together While Apart Project is a project made for nurses. Being a nurse in this pandemic is undoubtedly trying. We’ve been placed in a situation that most of us are unprepared for. No matter how good you are in your job as a nurse or anywhere in the world, the pandemic tested our strength, knowledge, skills, patience, and mental health. 

As frontliners, we trudge on to battle like soldiers, fighting this invisible enemy to help protect the community and country we serve. It is why we are so grateful for the people who rallied and supported us, nurses, all the way. We thank the community for sending their help and for people like Deane Bower, artist, founder, and creator of The Together While Apart Project. 

What is The Together While Apart Art Project?

The Together While Apart Project is a collaborative art project and fundraiser for the American Nurses Foundation, created in 2020 at the height of the ongoing pandemic. It features the fantastic artworks of 19 artists from across the country, representing nine states and coasts.

The painting represents Hope, Healing, and Light, the characteristics that Healthcare Professionals so beautifully epitomized in such a complex and unprecedented period. It also describes the love and support of all healthcare workers, especially nurses. 

The Campaign

After its completion, the artwork traveled around the country for ten months. By June 2022, it finally found its home in the halls of The University of Virginia Medical Center, which now hangs in the lobby of their Main Hospital. It also received national recognition from the Smithsonian Institute, ChannelKindness.org, and NOAH (National Organization of Arts in Health), among many other well-known organizations. 

The American Nurses Association has established a fund in the name of The Together While Apart Project as part of ANA’s Foundation and Wellness Initiative Programs to give back to all nurses. It will provide nurses throughout the country free services such as mental and physical wellness, job enrichment programs, and financial planning. The goal is to reach $20,200, where funds raised are already up to $12,000.

In light of this campaign, Cup of Nurses encourages everyone to help our fellow nurses. Let us all find a way to honor nurses and thank them for their tireless efforts in serving everyone during this pandemic here in our country and across the globe. 

To learn more about this campaign and fundraising or if you would like to donate to this cause, click on the link below 👇

https://bit.ly/togetherwhileapartproject

You can also Google the American Nurses Foundation, Inc. – Together While Apart Fundraiser for more information. 

We believe that we can fight this pandemic together. So, let us help each other. Now is the best time to show our love and support to our heroes in healthcare; let us give back to our nurses! 

 

Looking for more nursing and travel nursing information? Check out these helpful links!

EP 177: Treating Mental Illness With Morgan Murray

EP 177: Treating Mental Illness With Morgan Murray

by | Aug 19, 2022 | Podcast

Treating Mental Illness With Morgan Murray

Many of us suffer from certain types of mental disorders, and treating mental illness early on is essential to help the individual. Reaching out to talk to someone, seeking medical help, or getting the proper diagnosis can help you in many ways.

And while no treatment can cure all, individuals can choose a combination of treatments that works best for them. 

Our Guest

In this episode, we would like to introduce you to Morgan Murray. Morgan is a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner from Baltimore, Maryland. Morgan has been a travel nurse since 2014 and worked across the United States.

She also owns a private mental health practice and works as a private contractor. She also is the co-author of ‘So you want to be a nurse,’ a how-to guide for success in nursing, travel nursing, and opening up your practice from A-Z.

We talk about the roles of a psych NP and how mental health issues are treated. 

QUESTIONS FOR GUESTS

The questions below are some we’d like to tackle. We go off-topic, so we don’t expect to hit them all. If you have any ideas, please let us know.

Looking forward to our conversation!

  1. Morgan, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
    • Where has your nursing career taken you?
    • How was the transition to becoming a psych NP, and why did you choose psych?
  2. How does it feel to own private practice?
    • How did you get started with it?
  3. You grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. How was life there for you?
    • I spent a few weeks there, and it is similar to Chicago. Lots of drugs, homeless, and violence. 
    • Did growing up there push you in the psych direction, or is there an event in your life that inspired you to pursue psych?
  4. As a psych NP, what do your day-to-day activities look like?
    • Many nurses want to become psych NPs. Can you offer some insight on schooling and what your career consists of?
  5. You’re at the forefront of mental health. Are there specific mental health issues that are more prevalent than others?
    • What percentage of patients benefit from psychiatric drugs? We’ve heard it’s around 50%? 
    • Psychiatric medications alone do not cure mental illness. Are there adjusted therapies people do?
  6. What are some positive mental health techniques nurses can do when they are stressed out, anxious, or depressed?
    • How can we stay healthy mentally? 
  7. You’ve studied under financial experts such as Dominique Broadway and Jeremy Schneider; what was your biggest takeaway? 
  8. You’ve also coAuthored in a few books. What made you decide to write books?

ENDING QUESTIONS

Before we end the show, we have one last question we like to ask all our guests. If you had the opportunity to have a Cup of coffee with anybody one last time, who would it be & why? 

If you are interested in psychiatric nursing and want to learn more about it, you can follow Morgan on her Instagram @morgansandiego or TikTok @morgansandiego. You can also check out her website https://www.iambeyondmedicine.com/ and ebook at www.iambeyondmedicine.com/shop to learn more about the world of psychiatric nursing.

Watch the full episode on how to treat mental illness by clicking here 👇

TIMESTAMP:

00:00 Introduction
01:58 About the guest
04:05 Difference between an RN and an NP
06:52 Owning a private practice
10:30 Roles and responsibilities of a Psych Nurse Practitioner
12:10 Common mental health problems pre and post-pandemic
15:15 The much-needed change to improve our healthcare system
17:06 How effective are psychiatric medications?
18:51 Medication Side Effects
21:18 Dealing with side effects
23:51 Signs of a Getting Well Patient
26:53 ADHD
29:46 Selfcare routine
32:01 What made you decide to write books?
33:42 Being financial literate
38:57 Life Advices to share
40:44 Wrapping up the episode

EP 176: The Evolving Role of Forensic Nursing With Debra Holbrook

EP 176: The Evolving Role of Forensic Nursing With Debra Holbrook

by | Aug 12, 2022 | Podcast

The Evolving Role of Forensic Nursing With Debra Holbrook

The evolving role of forensic nursing has changed over the years. What is forensic nursing? Perhaps you’ve heard about it and are interested in working as one. But what is it? A forensic nurse is a Registered or Advanced Practice Nurse with specific training and education.

They specialize in caring for patients who experienced acute and long-term health issues related to victimization or violence and have unmet evidentiary needs relative to having been victimized or accused of victimization. 

In addition to these skills, forensic nurses also provide testimony and consultation for civil or criminal proceedings. It concerns nursing practice, the care given to the patient, and their opinion regarding these findings.

Forensic nursing care is not separate and distinct from other forms of medical care but rather integrated into the overall care needs of individual patients.

Our Guest

We would like to introduce you to Debra S. Holbrook in this episode. Debra is currently the Director of Forensic Nursing at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, coordinating care for interpersonal violence victims for all Baltimore City hospitals.

She is the President-Elect of the Academy of Forensic Nursing.

She has testified before a Senate Judicial Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs on behalf of a new law known as the DNA Justice Act. Debra also published the first research linking ALS to latent injury in strangulation. 

Changes in forensic nursing over the years, what forensic nursing is, and how alternative light source technology has changed the forensic sphere. 

QUESTIONS FOR GUESTS

The questions below are some we’d like to tackle. We often go off-topic, so we don’t expect to hit them all. If you have any ideas, please let us know. Looking forward to our conversation!

  1. Debra, can you give a little background about how you got into forensic nursing?
  2. You’re one of the leaders in the forensic nursing space. Was there a specific event in your life that pushed you to be a pioneer and an advocate for change in the forensic sphere?
    • We don’t remember any forensic nursing-related material from nursing school. We don’t even think we were given any info in the first place. If you were to ask us how to gather DNA or even the basic process of what to do when a victim presents in the hospital, we’d have no idea. 
    • How/when did you realize there needs to be a change in how we help victims?
    • What bothered you in the healthcare system? Where was it flawed?
  3. Where do you think we could still improve? Where are we still lacking in helping the victim or the flaws in this giant healthcare system?
    • We spoke to a SANE nurse before, and one of the major issues in forensic nursing is the lack of resources and funding.
    • Some people get scarred for life and have the trauma for the rest of their lives. Does the current system help them through these times, or is it a one-and-done approach, and then the victim has to seek further care?
  4. You testified on capitol hill before a Senate judicial committee on crime and drugs on behalf of a bill signed in 2005 as the DNA Justice Act. Can you walk us through how you came up with the bill and how you got to the point of presenting it and getting it signed into law?
  5. You published the first research linking alternative light source technology to latent injury. How does alternate light source technology assist in identifying injury?
  6. What is a project you are currently working on or a problem you are looking to solve?

ENDING QUESTIONS

Before we end the show, we have one last question we like to ask all our guests. If you had the opportunity to have a Cup of coffee with anybody one last time, who would it be & why?  

If you are a victim of abuse or assault or need someone to talk to about what you are going through, download the bmoresafe app. This app helps address the needs of patients in the Baltimore area and provides resources for sexual or domestic assault victims.

You can download this app for free through PlayStore.

Get to know the evolving role of forensic nursing by watching this full episode here 👇

TIME STAMPS:

00:00 Introduction
01:19 About the guest
08:45 What are the flaws of our healthcare system
13:31 What is an asylum case
15:00 Where is the funding coming from
16:43 Qualities of a forensic nurse
18:48 Forensic nursing myth
21:34 Reasons why victims are not reporting the crime
24:10 The first thing a forensic nurse should do when dealing with a victim
26:58 Very brutal and degrading crimes
29:41 Advanced technology that helps solve crimes
32:41 Alternate Light Source :
36:49 What’s next for Debb?
38:12 Reasons why heinous crimes exist
44:22 Keeping work and life balanced
47:27 Wrapping up the episode