By the year 2026, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that there will be nearly 3.4 million registered nursing jobs across the United States. About 60 percent of these nurses will work in general medical and surgical hospitals. The other 1,323,350 nurses across the nation will be employed in other settings, and many will be carrying out non-hospital, non-clinical nursing jobs.
When many of us think of the nursing field today, we think of scrubs and stethoscopes, and the friendly professionals that perform exams in hospitals and doctor’s offices. In reality, registered nurses (RNs) can take on various roles beyond hospital walls. If you have a passion for nursing but are looking for a career outside of patient care, or you are looking to advance your current nursing career into non-clinical role, know that there are options attainable for you.
Typically for high-level, non-clinical nursing jobs, a Bachelor’s in Nursing (BSN) or Master’s in Nursing (MSN) is required. While entry-level registered nurses with an associate degree usually find their first jobs in hospital or clinical settings, nurses with some experience and an advanced nursing degree in hand can qualify for positions that are more behind-the-scenes – researching, analyzing, managing, administering, and educating as part of their job descriptions.
As a recognized nursing school with ADN, BSN, and MSN degree options, Goodwin College understands the nursing career landscape well. We have watched many graduates pursue successful careers in patient care, but have also seen many non-clinical nursing positions attained. In this article, we will outline three of the most popular, non-clinical nursing jobs available in Connecticut.
- Informatics Nurse
An informatics nurse is a somewhat new job title in the nursing field, but one in high demand. The role combines technology, computer science, and healthcare into one. Informatics nurses’ job is to evaluate healthcare facilities’ need for clinical IT applications and technology. They work with the technology, help implement it, and also help train and educate staff on it. Informatics nurses also work with information systems to interpret patient data in a healthcare facility, and develop new care protocols from that information. That said, informatics nursing can involve research and education, but always involves a working knowledge of advanced technology. Today, most informatics nurses need to have a Master’s in Nursing degree.
- Clinical Educator
Despite the “clinical” title, Clinical Nurse Educators do not directly perform patient care. Rather, they teach aspiring nurses and nurses in training how to provide quality patient care. If you have a passion for education, and wish to help others succeed, a Nurse Educator or Clinical Educator role may be a great next step for you. Especially if you are an experienced RN, your years of clinical experience will give you tremendous value in a teaching position; and you will have the opportunity to share your stories, experiences, and knowledge with nurses who want to hear it. Currently, registered nurses with advanced degrees, such as a BSN degree or MSN, are in greatest demand to become nursing school faculty. Job opportunities are expected to be vast in the coming years, as more professors retire and the nationwide nursing shortage continues.
- Insurance Firm Nurse
Insurance is a natural fit for nurses with a knack for sales, who are also looking to diversify or change up their career path. Insurance nurses can take on multiple duties, from selling health insurance plans to assessing insurance claims in a non-clinical setting. According to Nursejournal.org, many insurance companies will also hire nurses as health coaches in an effort to keep their customers healthy and reduce costs. As a nurse, you can leverage your knowledge of healthcare to make a smooth transition into medical insurance. Generally, insurance companies look for nurses with at least a bachelor’s degree in nursing, due to their comprehensive skillset and training in advanced subjects such as policy, advocacy, leadership, and research.
This is just the beginning of a long-list of non-clinical nursing jobs you can pursue today. In addition to the above, you also have the option to become:
- Medical writer
- Legal nurse consultant
- Quality improvement coordinator
- Healthcare risk management manager
- Nurse administrator
- Patient advocate
- Pharmaceutical sales associate
- Medical device sales associate
When you first pursued your RN license, patient care may have been at the top of your job wish list. However, many registered nurses want to evolve and advance over time. This is completely normal. If you are an RN and now looking for some advanced, hands-off, non-clinical career options – such as the ones listed above – you are in the right place.
Goodwin College’s RN-to-BSN program, as well as our MSN program, are designed to train nurse leaders: registered nurses who also have an aptitude for advocacy, policy, leadership, administration, population health, organization, and more. Many non-clinical nursing job outcomes stem from our programs, which both can be taken entirely online and in full-time or part-time format. For already working RNs, this flexibility is key to earning another nursing degree.
To learn more about the nursing degrees at Goodwin College, please contact 800-889-3282 today.
Goodwin University is a nonprofit institution of higher education and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), formerly known as the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Goodwin University was founded in 1999, with the goal of serving a diverse student population with career-focused degree programs that lead to strong employment outcomes.