Nursing Careers Without Patient Care

If you’re looking for career options beyond traditional bedside nursing, there are a variety of different directions you can take. Jobs in case management, forensic nursing, education and public health all offer alternatives to the traditional path many nurses take.

Case Manager

Case managers oversee and direct all aspects of patient care, and demand for this job is growing rapidly. Case managers coordinate all those who treat patients – doctors, nurses, therapists and other practitioners. They are expected to produce the shortest possible patient stay with the highest possible outcome, and must be able to implement change and solve problems proactively. Patience, extreme diplomacy and political astuteness are a must to be successful as a case manager.

As the demand for this type of work grows, employers will seek nurses with both certification in case management and strong clinical experience. The primary certifying bodies are the Commission for Case Manager Certification and the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Patient Educator

This field typically requires at least a BSN as well as advanced clinical training in a specialty. A patient educator helps patients and their families understand everything about the patient’s condition before they are discharged. They may work with patients in a diabetes clinic, childbirth preparation program or cardiac rehabilitation unit.

A desire to teach is one of the most important qualities in a good nurse educator as well as a solid clinical background. If the idea of sharing your knowledge with others is appealing, nursing education may be right for you.

Telenursing

Telenurses provide services to patients over the phone, offering advice in all kinds of cases, including emergencies. They answer calls at home that have been forwarded from call centers. A solid base in patient care from pediatrics to geriatrics would be beneficial. Triage or emergency room experience would be helpful as well.

Rear Admiral Joan Marie Engel held the position as the 18th Director of the Navy Nurse Corps from September 1994 to August 1998. She concurrently served as deputy commander for personnel management in the Health Sciences, Education and Training Command, and later as assistant chief for Education, Training and Personnel.
Rear Adm. Engel was born...

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