15 Nursing Jobs Can Work Instead of Bedside
Updated March 23, 2023
Reviewed by
Our Integrity Network
NurseJournal.org is committed to delivering content that is objective and actionable. To that end, we have built a network of industry professionals across higher education to review our content and ensure we are providing the most helpful information to our readers.
Drawing on their firsthand industry expertise, our Integrity Network members serve as an additional step in our editing process, helping us confirm our content is accurate and up to date. These contributors:
- Suggest changes to inaccurate or misleading information.
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- Identify critical information that writers may have missed.
Integrity Network members typically work full time in their industry profession and review content for NurseJournal.org as a side project. All Integrity Network members are paid members of the Red Ventures Education Integrity Network.
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Registered nurses (RNs) are not limited to just working bedside. Their education, background, and skills apply to many other healthcare roles. RNs may prefer non-bedside nursing jobs depending upon their specialty, career choice, and desired employment setting.
Non-hospital settings allow RNs to work more traditional hours and pursue opportunities in different workplaces. Due to burnout experienced from the COVID-19 pandemic, some nurses are searching for lower stress job options other than bedside nursing.
Regardless of their workplace, RNs develop valuable skills across multiple settings, including:
- Critical thinking
- Communication
- Compassion
- Accuracy and attentiveness
- Emotional stability
- Organization
- Resiliency
Frequently Asked Questions
What can an RN do besides bedside?
RNs can pursue several careers beyond bedside options, including in-demand fields such as informatics, telemetry, teaching, and coaching. Nurses seeking a change can also become legal consultants or start their own businesses in nurse recruitment or home healthcare management.
What else can I do with a nursing degree?
Nursing offers versatile career choices, whether you hold an associate, bachelor’s, or graduate degree. You can work as a case manager or in community settings as a public health or school nurse. If you have graduate training or certifications, you can pursue opportunities in leadership, teaching, and research.
What are the least stressful nursing jobs?
RNs interested in slower-paced and less stressful work environments can pursue non-bedside nursing jobs in fields like case management, administration, community health, and education. School nurses, for example, have much smaller caseloads than those in clinical settings and benefit from stable work schedules.
What other jobs can I do as a nurse?
Other jobs for RNs include telephone triage, insurance claims, research, legal work, freelance writing, and education. Nursing provides diverse career opportunities in many different professional sectors and focus areas.
15 Nursing Jobs Other Than Bedside Worth Exploring
A non-bedside nursing job offers RNs the opportunity to use their nursing training without requiring direct patient care.
Our guide describes some of the most common non-bedside nursing jobs. Learn what nurses in these jobs do, their work environment, salary ranges, and education and licensing requirements.
Nurse Health Coach
Nurse health coaches work in healthcare facilities, insurance companies, and social service agencies. These professionals work one-on-one to:
- Help clients achieve wellness goals
- Maintain healthy lifestyles
- Prevent future health conditions
- Develop diet plans
- Establish safe exercise routines
- Monitor and motivate their clients
Depending on the employer, nurses may enter this field with associate degrees. However, the best-paying positions require a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) and/or a certificate in nutrition.
-
Average Salary
-
Salary Range
$34,000-$73,000
*As of November 2022
Academic Nurse Writer
Academic nurse writers can pursue career opportunities in several healthcare-related industries, including patient care services, pharmaceutical businesses, and insurance companies. Academic nurse writers typically:
- Create content on different healthcare-related topics for journals, websites, and manuals
- Conduct research and fact-check information
- Interview trustworthy and respected medical sources and industry representatives
- Adhere to client instructions, style guidelines, and appropriate tone for intended audiences
These writers create nursing-related content for websites, training manuals, and textbooks, tailoring the information for intended audiences such as the general public or nursing professionals.
Most positions require a strong background in written communication, research, and health sciences. Entering this field typically requires a BSN.
-
Average Salary
-
Salary Range
$57,000-$116,000
*As of November 2022
Legal Nurse Consultant
The legal nurse consulting field offers rewarding alternative careers for registered nurses. These specialized nursing professionals often:
- Conduct research into medical and disability cases, employment records, other documents to prepare summaries and legal documents.
- Make recommendations that inform legal proceedings, law enforcement investigations, and insurance cases.
Licensed RNs who have completed associate degrees can enter this field. Employment options can increase for RNs who hold BSNs and clinical and case management experience, paralegal training, or specialized legal certification. Those interested in earning a law degree and a BSN might consider becoming a nurse attorney.
-
Average Salary
-
Salary Range
$65,00-$204,000
*As of November 2022
Hospice Nurse
Hospice nurses provide end-of-life care to terminally ill patients and assistance to their families, often finding employment in home settings. Hospice nurses typically complete these tasks:
- Administer pain medication
- Monitor vital signs
- Maintain their patients' comfort
- Provide educational and emotional support to family members and caretakers
A licensed nurse interested in pursuing hospice nursing must hold at least a BSN. Employment prospects increase for nurses who have completed the certified hospice and palliative nurse certification.
-
Average Salary
-
Salary Range
$49,000-$87,000
*As of November 2022
Public Health Nurse
Public health nurses work in social service agencies, schools, and nonprofits. These nurses work to:
- Identify at-risk individuals and groups
- Address community health needs
- Develop preventive care programs too
Many employers seek public health nurses with master of science in nursing (MSN) degrees in addition to their RN licenses. To expand employment and salary potential, professionals should consider dual MSN and master of public health degrees, along with advanced public health nursing certification.
-
Average Salary
-
Salary Range
$47,000-$91,000
*As of November 2022
Occupational Nurse
Employed primarily in businesses settings, occupational nurses work with executives and managers to:
- Ensure employees' health and safety
- Investigate and treat work-related injuries and illnesses
- Identify workplace hazards
- Help management develop safety policies
- Provide workshops for employees on healthcare issues and prevention
You need an RN license to become an occupational nurse. RNs with BSNs typically earn higher salaries in this non-hospital nursing job. Employers generally seek occupational nurses with specialized certifications from the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses.
-
Average Salary
-
Salary Range
$51,000-$92,000
*As of November 2022
Nurse Case Manager
Hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes hire nurse case managers to work with medical providers and staff to coordinate long-term patient care. These administrators typically enter the field with 1-2 years of nursing and case management experience after earning their RN licenses and BSNs or MSNs. Depending on their employer, nurse case managers:
- Oversee the delivery of efficient and quality care for patients of all ages and diverse backgrounds
- Maintain health records and share information with other members of the medical team and with health insurance providers
- Use advance software and systems to track patient care
- Monitor legal and ethical aspects of patient care plans and serve as an advocate for patients and their families
Although licensed RNs often find employment without completing certifications, certified nurse case managers' salaries are often higher and they can pursue better career opportunities.
-
Average Salary
$75,680 (as of December 2022) -
Salary Range
$70,000-$81,000
*As of November 2022
Dialysis Nurse
The dialysis field offers specialized alternative careers for registered nurses. These skilled nurses work in hospitals, nursing facilities, and dialysis clinics. Dialysis nurses often complete the following duties:
- Develop treatment plans
- Manage dialysis procedures
- Provide care to patients with kidney-related illnesses
Licensed RNs wanting to become dialysis nurses should hold BSNs at minimum. Some employers prefer certified nephrology nurses or certified dialysis nurses.
-
Average Salary
$79,000 (as of December 2022) -
Salary Range
$60,000-$103,000
*As of November 2022
Pharmaceutical Sales Representative
Pharmaceutical manufacturers rely on sales representatives to inform and educate healthcare professionals about new products. They must describe a drug’s uses, side effects, and potential interactions. Pharmaceutical sales representatives usually work in specific geographical areas to:
- Assess client needs and promote products from certain drug classes.
- Establish networks, follow leads, and meet with healthcare professionals to persuade them to prescribe products
- Provide product information and deliver product samples
Nurses in this field should hold at least a bachelor’s degree. Some employers prefer to hire sales representatives with marketing experience or master’s degrees in fields like public health or health science.
-
Average Salary
$91,430 (as of December 2022) -
Salary Range
$60,000-$112,000
*As of November 2022
Nurse Educator
The demand for nurse educators has increased as more students enter nursing school and RNs seek continuing education credits to fulfill licensing renewal requirements. Working in academic institutions and training hospitals, nurse educators:
- Teach clinical skills and patient care practices to nursing students
- Advise and mentor students
- Design and assess curriculum
- Engage in scholarly research, publish findings, and speak on various nursing topics at academic conferences
Nursing education careers generally require a graduate degree, sometimes at the doctoral level. In addition to clinical experience and advanced graduate training, candidates must earn certified nurse educator credentials.
-
Average Salary
$80,720 (as of December 2022) -
Salary Range
$71,000-$86,000
*As of November 2022
Nursing Informatics Specialist
These registered nurses work in hospitals and medical centers to create and manage data systems. Nursing informatics specialists play a crucial role in contemporary healthcare by improving nursing care and establishing efficient processes to control healthcare costs. These computer-savvy nurses:
- Select and apply technological applications
- Develop and maintain efficient systems and process implementation
- Educate nurses on how to use the systems and provide ongoing support
- Work with IT personnel to improve nursing care and patient outcomes
RNs who want to work in this field should have a BSN degree, strong computing skills, and experience working with electronic medical records. Certification in nursing informatics can lead to broader employment prospects.
-
Average Salary
-
Salary Range
$60,000-$100,000
*As of November 2022
Certified Diabetes Educator
The growing number of Americans diagnosed with diabetes has propelled the demand for these specialized RNs by hospitals, clinics, and public health organizations. These specialized RN:
- Teach patients the causes of their conditions and how to monitor and manage their symptoms
- How to take medications and inject insulin
- Educate patients, families, and caretakers on diet and nutrition, skin and eye care, and insulin reactions
Employers require these specialists to have a BSN degree and two years of RN experience After working in the field for at least two years, RNs may qualify for the certified diabetes educator or certified advanced diabetes management credentials.
-
Average Salary
-
Salary Range
$55,000-$90,000
*As of November 2022
Telehealth Nurse
Telehealth nurses, also called virtual nurses, monitor patients and provide patient care through remote patient monitoring and live visits using audio or video chats. In addition to caring for patients remotely, telehealth nurses also:
- Consult with other healthcare providers
- Recommend in-person care when patients need it
- Monitor patients’ chronic conditions
- Work to protect patient privacy in the remote setting
-
Average Salary
$57,500 (as of October 2022) -
Salary Range
$43,000-$89,000
*As of November 2022
Flight Nurse
If you work well in unpredictable situations, flight nurses care for critically-ill or injured patients in airplanes or helicopters. They also respond to emergencies and provide medical transport. Medical transport companies, hospitals, and the military typically employ flight nurses who have 3-5 years of emergency room or intensive care unit experience. Among their various responsibilities, flight nurses may:
- Assess and monitor critically ill or injured patients
- Administer medications, IVs, first aid, etc.
- Prepare patients for medical transport
- Communicate with other members of the flight team and base of operations.
Flight nurses need a valid RN license and either an ADN or BSN degree. They can increase employment opportunities by obtaining specialized training and certifications through the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing or the Air and Surface Transport Nurses Association.
-
Average Salary
-
Salary Range
$55,000-$97,000
*As of November 2022
Nurse Administrator
Nurse administrators manage healthcare operations and budgets and supervise nursing staff. Hospitals, clinics, and medical centers employ nurse administrators to maintain cost-effective, efficient, and safe practices. Nurse administrators typically:
- Recruit and hire nurses and schedule nursing shifts
- Set performance goals, conduct performance reviews, and offer professional development opportunities
- Monitor regulatory and legal compliance issues
- Create and manage budgets
Although RNs with a BSN may qualify for management roles, most healthcare organizations prefer to hire MSN-holders with certifications in nursing administration. Depending on their educational background and experience, nurse administrators may pursue certifications, including nurse executive, informatics nursing, executive nursing practice, and nurse manager and leader.
-
Average Salary
-
Salary Range
$58,000-$136,000
*As of November 2022
Page Last Reviewed on December 13, 2022
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Reviewed by
Our Integrity Network
NurseJournal.org is committed to delivering content that is objective and actionable. To that end, we have built a network of industry professionals across higher education to review our content and ensure we are providing the most helpful information to our readers.
Drawing on their firsthand industry expertise, our Integrity Network members serve as an additional step in our editing process, helping us confirm our content is accurate and up to date. These contributors:
- Suggest changes to inaccurate or misleading information.
- Provide specific, corrective feedback.
- Identify critical information that writers may have missed.
Integrity Network members typically work full time in their industry profession and review content for NurseJournal.org as a side project. All Integrity Network members are paid members of the Red Ventures Education Integrity Network.
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