2 answers
Morgan
Student
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
1
Question
Updated
133 views
What other options are there for nurses that are not bedside nursing and what are the "pros" and "cons" of those jobs?
I am a nursing student at Marquette University and I'm currently a CNA. I am interested in learning about jobs outside of bedside nursing. Do you have additional schooling/post-bachelor degrees?
Login to comment
2 answers
Maureen Komperda
Nurse Practitioner
51
Answers
Elmhurst, Illinois
Updated
Maureen’s Answer
Morgan,
My recommendation is to first get some bedside nursing experience. I will tell you why...so you will be a better registered nurse in an emergency or a crisis. You will be able to do your own "brain triage". You can prioritize in your head the sequence of events that needs to happen.
I worked for three years in the Emergency Department of 3 different hospitals, then 10 years in a MICU/CCU at a teaching hospital. When you use that brain to prioritize, you develop these skills.
Right now, I am a Nurse Practitioner in an Electrophysiology Clinic (an arrhythmia based clinic, we're the electricians of the heart). Our NP staff have had three cardiac arrests in our clinic THIS WEEK. Boy, have I gotten rusty on emergencies and advanced cardiac life support (ACLS)! We have small clinic exam rooms with patients in wheel chairs, barely enough room to maneuver. We have a crash cart that is never opened except in these situations. We need to know every drawer, every medication on that cart. We have a monitor/pacemaker/defibrillator with a cord too short to reach the patient. How do we know that unless we use it!
Our hospital has begun running mock codes twice a year to keep us sharp or help us continue to sharpen those skills.
I started in the ED and initially mastered prioritizing. I get that it may not be for you but supervisors look to bedside nursing as a great baseline entry point for new nurses. Outpatient clinics are another starting point as well but VERY DIFFERENT. Your exposure to experiences will be much different.
My advice would be to learn as much as you can early on. Start inpatient to gain knowledge, muscle memory, exposure to many diseases/disorders of patients, then narrow it down as you gain experience. It's difficult to know what you want to do with less exposure.
Good luck Morgan.
My recommendation is to first get some bedside nursing experience. I will tell you why...so you will be a better registered nurse in an emergency or a crisis. You will be able to do your own "brain triage". You can prioritize in your head the sequence of events that needs to happen.
I worked for three years in the Emergency Department of 3 different hospitals, then 10 years in a MICU/CCU at a teaching hospital. When you use that brain to prioritize, you develop these skills.
Right now, I am a Nurse Practitioner in an Electrophysiology Clinic (an arrhythmia based clinic, we're the electricians of the heart). Our NP staff have had three cardiac arrests in our clinic THIS WEEK. Boy, have I gotten rusty on emergencies and advanced cardiac life support (ACLS)! We have small clinic exam rooms with patients in wheel chairs, barely enough room to maneuver. We have a crash cart that is never opened except in these situations. We need to know every drawer, every medication on that cart. We have a monitor/pacemaker/defibrillator with a cord too short to reach the patient. How do we know that unless we use it!
Our hospital has begun running mock codes twice a year to keep us sharp or help us continue to sharpen those skills.
I started in the ED and initially mastered prioritizing. I get that it may not be for you but supervisors look to bedside nursing as a great baseline entry point for new nurses. Outpatient clinics are another starting point as well but VERY DIFFERENT. Your exposure to experiences will be much different.
My advice would be to learn as much as you can early on. Start inpatient to gain knowledge, muscle memory, exposure to many diseases/disorders of patients, then narrow it down as you gain experience. It's difficult to know what you want to do with less exposure.
Good luck Morgan.
Natasha Rieder
Occupational Health Nurse
48
Answers
Wentzville, Missouri
Updated
Natasha’s Answer
There are countless options! Here are just a few:
- Occupational Health
- Flight Nursing
- Education (either as a clinical instructor, a classroom instructor or working in a nursing lab)
- Forensic Nursing
- Nursing Midwife
- Working in a medical clinic
- Working in a doctor's/other type of medical provider's office
- Home health
- Hospice
- Mental Health Nursing
- Public Health Nursing
- School Nursing (either at a public school, private school or a college)
You can also get an advanced degree like:
- Nurse Practitioner/Doctor of Nursing Practice
- MSN in Education or Nursing Leadership/Administration
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
- Occupational Health
- Flight Nursing
- Education (either as a clinical instructor, a classroom instructor or working in a nursing lab)
- Forensic Nursing
- Nursing Midwife
- Working in a medical clinic
- Working in a doctor's/other type of medical provider's office
- Home health
- Hospice
- Mental Health Nursing
- Public Health Nursing
- School Nursing (either at a public school, private school or a college)
You can also get an advanced degree like:
- Nurse Practitioner/Doctor of Nursing Practice
- MSN in Education or Nursing Leadership/Administration
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)