Nursing is amongst the best and finest professions in the noble medical field. Forming the backbone of medical systems, nurses help the patients during the most critical hours to heal and recover from their condition. During the covid pandemic, the world witnessed the sacrifices and hard work nurses do to help recover the patients.
Besides helping patients and doctors, nurses are also an essential part of various other jobs. Nurses can utilize multiple career paths and opportunities to augment their income or shift their careers. In this writing, we will explore the nursing profession and the various off-road career opportunities for Nursing students. This article will be helpful to nursing students and even practicing nurses to become aware of the career options in front of them.
What is Nursing?
Nursing is a medicare profession that involves medical, mental, and emotional care of people of all ages, genders, families, groups, and communities. It also includes informing, promoting, and counseling people about nutrition, disease prevention, patient medical care, and personal hygiene.
Traditional job roles of a nurse
Nurses are usually the unsung heroes in health care facilities. The traditional job of nurses includes working in hospitals, dispensaries, clinics, OPD, etc. Some of the conventional responsibilities are-
- Identify a patient’s needs, care requirements, and problems.
- Foster a healthy environment by providing psychological support to the patient and their family.
- Maintain proper documentation of the patients- their health reports, prescriptions, etc.
- Perform routine diagnostic checks and communicate them to the doctors and patient.
- Manage the staff and health care facilities.
- Provide first aid care to emergencies.
- Maintain cleanliness and hygiene of the premises.
- Follow and maintain healthcare rules, regulations, and standards.
- Maintain co-operation at all levels of work.
Top Non-Conventional Career Opportunities in Nursing
Below are some of the best career opportunities that nurses can explore apart from working in hospitals-
- Medical sales representative
Nurses have an excellent working knowledge of the medical procedures and the everyday challenges healthcare workers face. After gaining sufficient working knowledge of the profession, nurses can switch or take up a side job as medical representatives.
Besides selling medicines, medical implants, medical devices, etc., nurses can also give demonstrations, provide after-sales support, etc. Nurses can also provide insights to medical companies to better design their products and optimize their sales campaigns.
- Medical Journalist/ writing
Nurses have good insights into the working of the healthcare system. Nurses can also take up journalism or even writing to promote the cause of healthcare professionals, promote the safety and wellbeing of patients, promote healthcare, etc. The way to start your career journey in this field is to start as a freelance writer or independent contributor.
- Health/Nutrition Coach
Awareness of health and fitness is now higher than ever. It is a golden opportunity for nurses. As a health or nutrition coach, you can either work as an independent consultant or work with various healthcare firms. You can give classes, give seminars, conduct workshops, offer counselling, etc. Registered nurses who have sufficient experience can quickly become health coaches.
- Nursing Administrator
Here you will work in the hospital, not as a patient care provider but as an administrator. Usually, senior or experienced nurses are recruited for this job. Your work will include- hiring, training, and organizing nursing staff, ensuring that healthcare rules, regulations, and standards are followed. Further, you would also be involved in framing the hospital’s nursing policy, budgetary planning, etc.
- Work as a nurse in non-medical institutions
Apart from working in hospitals, nurses also practice as a nurse in various other institutions. Institutions like Universities, PSUs, factories, etc., have small medical facilities. These institutions require nursing professionals, although in very small numbers. The workload in these institutions will be low, and the pay will be at par, if not better, than in hospitals.
- Child care/ Nanny/ Private Nurse
Nurses can also work in a childcare role or as nannies. Usually, very high net worth individuals employ nurses for child care and nanny role. Here, your work will include taking care of the child’s personal hygiene, ensuring sufficient nutrition for the child, helping the mother in child care, etc. While as a private nurse, you will take care of older people and people who need rehabilitative care. The workload is not that high, and the pay is usually very high.
- Rehabilitation Nurse
Rehabilitation nursing is a compassionate and essential job. Rehabilitation nurses care for patients who need long-term therapy and care after strokes, mental trauma, car accidents, heart attacks, or other injuries. Here, you work with patients for weeks or months until the patients can carry on with their life normally. The pay of a rehabilitation nurse is on the higher side. Students or nurses who have the patience to wait for the patient to recover can opt for this profession.
- Academics
Academics is another lucrative opportunity for nurses. After completing the B.Sc Nursing course, students can go for M.Sc nursing and Ph.D. Apart from academics, students can also work as researchers. Students after clearing the M.Sc Nursing program can also look for opportunities abroad.
How to Become a Nurse?
Students after class 12th can give entrance exams to join nursing courses. Some of the popular entrance exams are NEET, JIPMER, AUAT, AJEE, BHU UET, AIIMS nursing, etc. Students can choose a diploma, Undergraduate, or certificate course in nursing to kickstart their career. B.Sc Nursing is the most popular course among students. After this course, students can join higher courses like M.Sc nursing where they have an option to enroll in an FNP program or pursue Ph.D. in nursing.
Many good colleges for nursing are spread all over India. Students can search for good colleges for BSc nursing in Bhopal, Delhi, Vellore, etc., or good MSC nursing colleges in Bhopal, Delhi, Vellore, etc. Some of the best colleges for nursing include- AIIMS Delhi, PGIMER Chandigarh, MGU University in Bhopal, CMC Vellore, etc.
Nursing is one of the best professional choices that students can make. The opportunities after a degree in nursing are many. The future of nursing is also secure as robots are far from replacing humans in a patient care role.
