Relax in These Eight Great Nursing Careers

Stress is how the body and brain respond to demands. Every type of demand on the body, like exercise, school, significant life changes, exercise, and work can be stressful and impact one's health. Many jobs are traumatic and affect one's life and burnout rate. The nursing profession is demanding, traumatic, stressful, and has a high rate of burnout. 

A nurses’ health is affected by stress, and this can cause dangerous consequences for their patients. Hospital nurses work night shifts, have poor diets, experience unrealistic workloads, do not get enough sleep, and often have unsupportive management.  They need to make split-second decisions when patients have difficulties and hope they comply with doctor’s orders. Hospital nurses must know the federal and state regulations of their jobs, be mathematical wizards regarding drug dispensing, and have a cheerful attitude the entire time they are working. They calm down disturbed and cranky patients and are the go-to people when emergencies occur. These are just a few of the stresses a nurse encounters.

Most potential nurses go into the nursing profession knowing full-well the stress involved. Students enter the nursing profession for self-satisfaction, rewards and because they are caring people. Saving someone’s life, making a new friend, seeing the smile on a patient’s face when you have taken care of them, and the feeling of a job well done that you experience is unparalleled. Being a nurse means helping, caring, and making a difference. It is one of the most fulfilling careers in the medical profession.

If you want to be involved in the nursing profession and are looking for a less stressful position, there are jobs in nursing that are fulfilling in a different way than hospital nurses.

Eight fulfilling nurses positions

All nursing positions do require an advanced degree in nursing, clinical experience, and love for the job.

1. A nurse educator teaches and trains licensed and registered nurses to work in hospitals, clinics, and private practices. They teach in associate and higher degree programs, educate nurses, and advise students of employment opportunities. It is an excellent option if you want a nursing position in a less stressful environment but want to stay on top of the latest developments in healthcare. Nurse educators are the go-to people for information.
2. Nurse administrators work in healthcare facilities, but they usually don’t get involved in direct patient care. Nurse administrators manage the nursing staff in a healthcare facility. This facility can be a large clinic, a hospital or a consortium group. Nurse administrators must be licensed registered nurses who have advanced education and experience. Typically, a graduate degree and express education in management or nursing administration are required. Nurse administrators plan and coordinate medical services. They often manage patient billing, insurance problems and billing as well as the group finances. They know the regulations that govern the medical profession and make sure the staff is aware of regulations and requirements.  Their job is a bit not as chaotic as hospital nursing, but it can be exciting and managing people is always stressful.
3. Nurse researchers analyze and compile reports to help improve healthcare. They work side by side with researchers to find new ways to help with patient care. A nurse researcher and clinical analyst at MD Buyline says, " I find it very rewarding because I’m able to help the patient from a broader perspective.”  A nurse researcher is also a nurse scientist. Nurse researchers employ evidence-based studies to medical issues and tabulate research findings.  A nurse researcher must know primary nursing, research procedures, plus have clinical knowledge. They give expert opinions to doctors, committees, and write medical journal papers. Nurse researchers must how and where to find answers.
4. A school or summer camp nurse must love kids. School or summer camp nursing is an excellent position if you want to provide basic care for students and staff. School and summer camp nurses handle basic first aid cases as well as administer minor medications. They don’t have the chaotic atmosphere of a hospital but are still able to practice their skills in an energized environment. School or summer camp nurses have regular hours and work in laid back and fun environments.
5. A nurse blogger is a new position that has become a significant part of nursing. Nurse bloggers cover topics for every piece of nursing. Blogging can be rewarding, and you do need to keep up your education on the latest medical techniques, have a general knowledge of all the different facets of nursing and be an excellent communicator. It does take time to have a successful career in blogging, but it can be rewarding.
6. Clinic nursing is stressful in a different way from hospital nursing. Nurses in a clinical setting have a regular schedule and use their skills to aid patients and assist the doctor. You see patients every day and sometimes you may have set patients you see at every appointment. Clinics are scheduled, and clinic nurses know what is going on each day in the clinic. Clinic nurses assess patients, administer tests, draw blood and educate patients on health topics. They handle telephone triage, simple emergencies, and paperwork. Nurses in a clinical setting can experience chaotic days, but each day brings rewards.
7. Nurse informatics are not patient facing roles. They are involved with patient health and perform nursing with technology science to promote health. Nurse informatics oversee the integration of data, information and knowledge to support decision-making. It is a relatively new position, and the definition often differs depending on the healthcare facility They keep information technology medical systems up-date and make sure they know how to retrieve information. There are many benefits of electronic healthcare records. Patient information is quickly accessed by medical personnel and streamlined payments are beneficial for both patients and doctors. More than 83% of all healthcare professionals now use electronic medical records, and many have a specific nurse informatic positions in their clinics.
8. Case management nurses are responsible for the long-term care of patients. They work with the same patients for long periods of time which allows them to build relationships and invest in patient’s healing. They often work with chronic diseases like Alzheimer’s, diabetes, cancer, heart disease or AIDS. They also work with patients who have been injured and need long-term recovery. At times a case manager nurse may schedule doctor’s appointments and work with insurance companies. They take care of individual patient’s health care plans and manage those plans. A case management nurse’s duty varies from facility to facility, but usually, they are responsible for coordinating medications, performing research, monitoring the condition and changes in patients, analyzing data, and are the essential information center for a patient.

Every level of nursing does have its stressful aspects. If you want a calmer, but just as fulfilling career, being a nurse doesn’t have to mean working in a hospital with crazy hours and probable burnout. Clinical nurses still see patients,  case management nurses have their own patient workloads, and nurse administrators deal with guiding a group. Nurse educators have been through it all and teach other nurses how to be the best they can be in any medical setting. Be a nurse blogger with the potential to influence many people and do research and make a difference by finding the next miracle medication.

But, if you want to be a hospital nurse, that’s awesome and we salute you for your dedication.