There are doctors and nurses and— what else exactly? When it comes to healthcare careers, most people have a very narrow understanding of what is involved. While floor nurses are possibly the most visible healthcare professionals, they are only the tip of the iceberg.
There are dozens of different jobs you can pursue just with your nursing degree alone. There are also many support and administrative positions that help hospitals run smoothly.
Not only do these jobs serve as rewarding points of entry into the world of healthcare, but you may also find that they are in high demand where you live. Overlooked means understaffed, right? If you are interested in a career in healthcare, but don’t quite know where to start looking into often-overlooked positions, read on to learn more.
Overlooked Jobs You Can Do as a Nurse
All nurses begin with the same basic degree. The standard nursing certification program begins with enrollment at a university as a college freshman. Typically, four years later, you acquire your BSN, and after passing the NCLEX you will be eligible to start working.
For many people, it begins and ends there. Basic certification allows you to work at a hospital. Possibly a doctor’s office. Most other jobs require additional certification.
This includes positions like forensic nursing. Diabetes education. Travel nursing. The list goes on and on.
Working as a floor nurse is not a bad way to make a living, but it is also the position that is most associated with staffing shortages, and high rates of turnover.
The work is tough. Eventually endless evenings, weekend, and holiday shifts catch up with a person.
Many nurses simply move on to different careers. However, that doesn’t always need to be the case. Instead, you can find aspects of healthcare that interest you the most, and zero in on it. If you want a specialized nursing career, you will have to work towards an additional certification.
How to Get an Additional Certification
The good news is that becoming certified to work in a specialized career is not always difficult. For example, a travel nurse may only need a compact nursing license to begin working in a different state.
A compact nursing license basically just proves that you are good enough at your job to go to almost any hospital in the country and start working right away. Because every state has its own regulations for how nurses are trained, compact nursing licenses are necessary to avoid applying for a new license in every state where you go to work.
Out of all of the extra certifications you can get, this may be the easiest to obtain. Often, you can acquire it simply scoring well enough on the NCLEX.
Other times the process of certification asks a little bit more of you. For example, nurse practitioners have to get a master’s degree. Master’s degrees can take 2 to 3 years of additional college education. They cost tens of thousands of dollars.
However, as with all of these other certifications, there are benefits as well. Remember that the harder the barrier to entry is the sweeter the rewards usually are. Nurse practitioners can enjoy a wide range of job opportunities. They benefit from salaries in the six-figure range.
They have the opportunity to specialize in healthcare niches that hold the greatest interest to them.
There is also tons of middle ground between getting a master’s degree and just scoring high enough on the NCLEX to work wherever you want. Most certifications require a commitment to continuing education. Sometimes, however, you can meet these criteria starting on the job you are interested in.
For example, a diabetes educator needs hundreds of hours in diabetes education before they can become fully certified.
But how can you get those hours if you aren’t already certified? Here’s a secret: most employers who need a specially certified nurse are willing to work with applicants. In this case, the employer would hire a regular RN on the condition that they complete their continuing education requirements over a certain period of time.
As long as the nurse continues hitting milestones, they can stay employed. At the end of their trial period, they will begin working as a certified nurse.
If you are interested in acquiring additional certifications, speak with your employer about potential tuition assistance. Many hospitals are willing to pay for some or all of your continuing education requirements, particularly if you plan on working for them in your new career.
Other Jobs to Consider
Not all healthcare careers involve direct patient care. Administrators play an important strategic role in how a hospital is run.
You know those staffing shortages you hear about on the news all the time? It is hospital administrators who are scrambling to make the most of their skeleton crews.
These jobs generally require advanced communication skills, and the ability to process and implement data-driven insights. Most high-level administrators have at least a graduate degree. It is a competitive field, but those who excel enjoy high salaries, and the knowledge that they’re making a significant difference in their community.
Keep in mind you don’t need to go to graduate school— or even college to make a difference in the world of healthcare. Hospital technicians play an important role in patient care, taking vitals and performing other tasks that make it easier for doctors and nurses to do their jobs.
There are tons of ways to work in healthcare. Find the path that makes the most sense to you.
Conclusion
There are many ways to be a healthcare hero. Most of them don’t involve six years of nursing school or 15 years trying to become a doctor. If you are interested in making a difference in the world of healthcare, consider what aspects interest you the most.
There are tons of things you can do with a degree in nursing, but if you are more interested in how a healthcare system is run, administrative jobs are also very rewarding!
Photo Credits
Image by fernando zhiminaicela from Pixabay
Guest Author Bio
Sarah Daren
With a Bachelor’s in Health Science along with an MBA, Sarah Daren has a wealth of knowledge within both the health and business sectors. Her expertise in scaling and identifying ways tech can improve the lives of others has led Sarah to be a consultant for a number of startup businesses, most prominently in the wellness industry, wearable technology and health education. She implements her health knowledge into every aspect of her life with a focus on making America a healthier and safer place for future generations to come.
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