Most Common Career Change for Nurses

Nursing is one of the most competitive careers in our society, starting from studying it in school. There is a high demand for them, since nursing facilities and hospitals are always open 24/7, nurses often perform shift work. This frequently entails working on the weekends, holidays, and while "on call," just in case. This can be so tiring but the thing is, there are different careers nurses can change to, and we shall work you through the different but most common career change for nurses.

NOTE: Before applying for any entry-level positions, nursing professionals may be required by the options provided to be able to apply for them. Also, it may require that you must have taken part in supervised clinical activities, or acquire new work experience in new areas.

Most Common Career Change for Nurses

If you work in healthcare and are thinking about leaving nursing, you have some questions about how your talents might apply to another field. Fortunately, many of the professions you might find appealing allow you to expand on the expertise you probably already possess.

Health Educator

The field of health education is booming and is anticipated to expand by 17% between 2020 and 2030. Public health educators in this position instruct and encourage community individuals to live healthy lives. People in this profession frequently host programs and events on numerous health-related topics. You may work for governmental organizations, charitable organizations, civic organizations, healthcare facilities, nursing homes, and more.

A nurse educator is instructing other nurses in the meanwhile. Although many companies will accept degrees in other healthcare-related professions, such as a bachelor of science in nursing, health education specialists typically need a bachelor's degree in health education.

Medical writer

If you possess a flair for writing, your medical expertise will be a huge plus. Quality authors of medical and clinical material are always in demand from healthcare organizations, websites, publications, and journals. To inform others about health difficulties, you may even start your website or YouTube channel if you're a self-starter.

Technicians and Technologists in Clinical Laboratories

A profession like clinical laboratory technologist or technician may be a good fit for someone who is thinking about changing career from being a nurse practitioner or registered nurse to being a Technologist. In facilities that are open 24/7, these individuals often take on full-time positions, and working evenings or weekends is pretty typical. The fact that this position does not need direct patient care may be crucial for nurses who want to move into a less intimate area of the healthcare industry.

Sales of pharmaceuticals

Pharmaceutical wholesalers or producers frequently hire sales reps. Representatives visit doctors, surgeons, clinicians, etc., and give them information about the products of their company. Nurses frequently succeed in this position because of their knowledge of pharmacology and the science behind drugs. Depending on the sales territory, this position can include extensive travel. While on the job, representatives may gather data for their bosses by observing how patients and doctors react to the product.

Physical Therapist

One of the best adjustments in a nurse's career is physical therapy. Through some kind of exercise, members of this profession assist sick or injured persons in increasing their physical mobility and controlling pain. You will already possess the anatomical expertise and soft skills necessary to make a fantastic physical therapist if you were previously a nurse.

Physical therapy is typically provided in clinics and hospitals, so the transfer is seamless for a nurse and offers better hours and working circumstances. To enter the field of physical therapy, you must have a degree, but as a former nurse, you shouldn't have any trouble getting one.

Administrative Services Managers

Administrative services managers focus on operations, maintenance, and managing large-scale projects as they plan and monitor activities for the organization they work for. Individuals often work full-time in this role, which is frequently found in healthcare and social assistance facilities.

Healthcare administrative services managers can earn an annual compensation of $88,090 in the United States as of May 2021, even though these professionals typically make greater money in other industries. From 2020 to 2030, it has been projected that there will be 28,600 more job vacancies in this field, which is a 9% increase in job openings by then.

Social Worker

Another profession with which nurses might easily shift is social work. Both jobs emphasize assisting others, which calls for a great deal of empathy. In some medical facilities, acute care case managers who are cross-trained in specific duties may be employed, including both social workers and nurses (like discharge planning). Both professions require the ability to think on their feet and have solid problem-solving skills.

By 2030, social worker employment is anticipated to increase by 12%. State-specific licensure requirements for social workers vary, but the majority require a bachelor's or master's degree to practice. Clinical social workers, on the other hand, need a master's degree, supervised clinical practice, and state certification.

Nutritionist

Nutritionists advise people on adopting appropriate eating practices to lead healthy lives. They design and disseminate instructional materials, assist their clients in creating nutrition plans, assess the effectiveness of the plans, and make any required adjustments.

Hospitals, outpatient clinics, nursing homes, residential care facilities, and community centers are examples of work environments. A nutritionist's area of focus, such as sports, pediatrics, gerontological, or renal, may have an impact on their employment.

The process for becoming a nutritionist differs by state. Nutritional counseling is permitted in several states without qualification or licensing.

University lecturer in nursing

Becoming a higher education nursing lecturer is one of the most common career moves for nurses. You can impart your knowledge to aspiring nurses, giving them the assurance they need to start working in the medical industry.

You must have experience in the field that the pupils are learning. A Ph.D. or master's degree as well as a postgraduate certificate in learning and teaching are of great advantage.

Medical Scientists

Researchers in the field of medicine work to better human health by preventing and/or treating diseases. To further the knowledge of health and medicine, they are responsible for proposing theories, planning investigations, creating experiences, and carrying out clinical trials.

Most medical researchers choose to focus on a particular field of study, such as oncology or neurology, due to the wide range of topics available.

Physical, engineering, or life science research institutions frequently employ medical scientists. Many of them hold employment in academic institutions where they teach and carry out research. Medical scientists are also employed by some doctor's clinics and pharmaceutical corporations.

Online Nurse Practitioner

The first step for anyone who wants to become a nurse practitioner is to become a registered nurse. The care of patients is coordinated by nurses (both primary care and specialty services).

If a nurse wants to change occupations, becoming a nurse practitioner is a logical progression. You must have a graduate degree to proceed, and also need to get a master's degree, if you don’t have it yet.

For this job pathway, significant growth is anticipated, and by 2030, the number of nurse practitioners is expected to rise by 45%. After COVID, there is still a high demand for telehealth services. Since there is a 32 times greater need than there was before the pandemic, there should be many job prospects for online nurse practitioners.

How to Know It is Time to Change Your Career as a Nurse

It's difficult to leave a job, especially one that demands as much education and training as nursing does. Deciding to pursue a different career can be challenging, and the time may not always be evident. It can be advisable for your health to look for a new opportunity if your workplace is stressful.

The following are a few indicators to watch out for while determining if you should quit your nursing career:

• Shortage of staff

More duty will land on you and your coworkers' shoulders if your employer is dealing with a staff shortfall, which they probably are because 24% of healthcare facilities reported deficiencies of nursing staff in early 2022. Fatigue may result from overwork.

• Lack of assistance

Being a nurse during an outbreak can be challenging. 45% of nurses think they don't receive enough emotional support, according to a survey.

• Ethical distress

There are lots of ethical problems in the medical field. Especially when there are more patients to care for than a medical facility might typically see, overworked nurses are more prone to encounter morally troubling circumstances. According to one study, medical personnel who treated COVID-19 patients during the pandemic displayed more signs of moral distress, such as worry and depression, than those who treated patients with other diseases.

• Underpayment

Despite being crucial employees during the pandemic, many nurses felt underappreciated by their employers. According to a recent poll, 59% of participants believe nurses are underpaid.

• Physically and emotionally drained

You should stop nursing if you're feeling both physically and emotionally worn out. In one study, 82% of participating healthcare professionals reported feeling emotionally exhausted during the epidemic. Many of them also mentioned physical symptoms including fatigue. Compared to other medical workers, 67% of nurses stated they were more likely to feel exhausted following a shift.

Final words on the most common career change for nurses

 When planning to change your career as a nurse, it will be advisable to go for the ones that are lucrative and comforting. Putting up this article on most common career chnage for nurses is to ease you of racking your head for the type of job to go for. You can check out some of our job updates here.