12 unique career options for nurses
Nursing opportunities go far beyond working bedside in the hospital. With the help of Dr. Sylvain Brousseau, president of the Canadian Nursing Association (who has worked in a number of pretty unique nursing positions himself!), we’ve put together a quick list of some interesting outside-the-hospital ideas.
Community health nurse: There are opportunities throughout the community to provide health-care and prevention services – from schools, to clinics, to community centres, and loads more. “These jobs tend to focus on promoting healthy living, preventing illness and managing chronic conditions, including the mental health community and nurse-directed overdose prevention sites,” says Brousseau.
Family practice nurse: The function of a family practice nurse is much the same as a community or primary care nurse, and complements the role of the family physician. Following the patient through all stages of growth, development, wellness and illness, the family practice nurse provides assessments, screening, healthy lifestyle education and support and assists with the management of chronic diseases to improve health outcomes. They also link patents to the appropriate community resources.
Public health nurse: Their focus is improving the health of the general public – anything from vaccinations, disease prevention and health promotion to disaster response and more. “As a nurse epidemiologist, they assess, screen and ensure patients receive optimal care, focusing on prevention methods, infection management and direct patient nursing,” says Brousseau. Public health nurses also identify causal and risk factors to aid in prevention. An example would be street nurses, who work with individuals at drop-in centres, homeless shelters and on the streets, assisting with preventative health care, safer sex practices, HIV and pregnancy testing, and diagnosing and treating illnesses.
Home health-care nurse: Providing clinical assessments and screening nursing care to patients in their own homes, “this position includes administering medication, wound care and other necessary treatments. Home health care nurses also work closely with patients’ families and other care providers to optimize care,” explains Brousseau. This may also include palliative care at home.
811 nurse: Doing phone assessments, offering advice and answering questions over the phone to patients about physical health or psychosocial issues, their guidance can help limit the need for some people to head to the hospital emergency room or walk-in clinic. “These nurses may direct patients to community resources within the health and social services network, or direct them to the hospital if it’s potentially a major health situation,” adds Brousseau.
Nurse educator: Nurse educators teach aspiring nurses and other healthcare professionals about patient care, nursing theory and clinical practices. These include preceptors, who provide supervision during clinical practice and facilitate the application of theory
Research nurse: Working in clinical research settings, research nurses assist in the development and implementation of clinical trials, the collection of data and the analysis of results. The job may also include the planning and conducting of research studies, writing grant requests to obtain funding, and writing reports to publish findings.
Insurance nurse: Nurses working at insurance companies play a vital role in accurately assessing patients’ health conditions and then providing insurance plan options. But the relationship continues from there, says Brousseau. “Insurance nurses monitor their patients on an ongoing basis, and so they’re the source for any changes that may require medical intervention.” Further, their work provides the companies a firm foundation to continue building future treatment plans and determine eligibility for claims.
Forensic nurse: Providing comprehensive care to victims of violence, forensic nurses are experts in conducting a health forensic exam, managing the collection and sharing of evidence, providing expert courtroom testimony and “most importantly, showing compassion to survivors of violence,” explains Brousseau.
Cruise ship nurse: While this sounds pretty glamourous, cruise ship nurses play a vital role for travelling passengers and crew, says Brousseau. Working alongside the ship’s physicians, nurses “function as first responders during emergencies, perform patient assessments, assist other health providers with clinical diagnosing and administer medications and tests.”
Flight nurse: When patients are transferred by plane or helicopter across the city, the province, the country, or beyond, nurses are needed to accompany them, looking after seriously ill or injured patients to provide care while they travel.
Geriatric care nurse: “With an aging population, the need for nurses to work with the elderly is becoming more urgent, and we need nurses with expertise in gerontology,” says Brousseau. Whether it’s in retirement residences, long-term care facilities or in the community to serve patients at home, the role is to manage care for patients in their senior years.