13 Great Non-Bedside Nursing Jobs
Are you tired of bedside nursing? Are you a new nurse who recently passed your NCLEX-RN, but you already know you don’t like bedside nursing? Are you looking to leave your current nursing job in search of something new? Non-bedside nursing has plenty of options for you to use your nursing knowledge with little to no patient interaction.
What are non-bedside nursing jobs? These positions — sometimes referred to as non-clinical jobs — don’t involve direct patient care in an inpatient setting. But in reality, the definition can be flexible and includes a wide range of roles, including some that do involve clinical expertise. For example, you may want to pursue remote nursing jobs that allow you to work from home. Below you’ll find a list of the pros and cons of these paths, and examples of various choices.
Pros of Non-Bedside Nursing Jobs
Less Patient Interaction
A difficult reality of nursing is that for every gratifying patient interaction, nurses often have at least one other that leaves them physically or emotionally drained. Many people go into nursing to care for others, only to realize that they need to prioritize their own health, too. Sometimes, minimizing or discontinuing direct care is what you need.
Better Work-Life Balance
Let’s be honest — it’s hard to find a nurse who likes working weekends and holidays, working past the time they’re supposed to leave, or carrying emotional baggage home. Regardless of how nurses feel about it, those are often the realities of bedside nursing. With non-bedside nursing, those issues might not disappear entirely, but they can decrease significantly.
More Variety
Technically, there are many varieties of bedside nursing, but they all revolve around direct patient care. With non-bedside nursing, you may perform limited patient care, provide care in a different setting, or forgo direct care altogether. You also have the opportunity to work in sectors not commonly associated with healthcare such as education, marketing, or law enforcement.
Cons of Non-Bedside Nursing Jobs
Some Jobs Pay Less
This is highly dependent on the specific route you take, but leaving the bedside could lead to a pay cut. Keep in mind that the non-bedside nursing jobs that pay well often require some bedside experience, and an advanced degree.
Less Excitement
Non-bedside nursing may have more variety in the types of jobs you can pursue, but the day-to-day tasks have the potential to be monotonous. If you prefer to be kept on your toes, do your research about the specific role and company you’re choosing.
Your Clinical Skills Could Get Rusty
When you stop caring for patients, the skills you learn in nursing school or at the bedside aren’t as applicable. This lack of practice might make it more difficult if you decide to return to a bedside nursing job down the road. If you don’t use it, you might lose it.
Examples of Non-Bedside Nursing Jobs
Whether you’re an experienced nurse or are looking for non-bedside nursing jobs for new grads, there are plenty of career paths to suit your needs. Note that some of these careers require a master’s or doctoral degree. Below are examples of non-bedside nursing jobs:
- Medical sales representative
- Nurse administrator
- Nursing home administrator
- Nurse writer
- Nurse coach
- Prior authorization nurse
- Nurse educator
- Nurse researcher
- Informatics nurse
- School nurse
- Forensic nurse
- RN case manager
- Flight nurse
If you’re looking for some of the most common career changes for nurses, there are a number of roles that can still put your nursing knowledge to use. Here’s a more in-depth look at each role:
1. Medical Sales Representative
What You’d Do: Do you have a knack for business? Interested in sales? Becoming a medical or pharmaceutical sales representative might be a great place to put those interests into practice.
Typical Education Requirements: You don’t have to be a nurse prior to becoming a medical sales representative, but nurses have a significant edge over applicants who don’t have healthcare experience. After you get your RN, at least a year of experience is preferred before transitioning into medical sales.
What You’d Earn: The average salary for a medical sales representative is $109,950 per year.
2. Nurse Administrator
What You’d Do: Are you interested in the business side of healthcare? Do you prefer overseeing the big picture of running a department over the minutiae of patient care? As a nurse administrator, you manage finances, staffing ratios, compliance to standards, and other aspects of running a hospital or other healthcare facility.
Typical Education Requirements: After successfully passing the NCLEX-RN, you must get at least a year of experience. The more experience you have, the better. Then you’ll also need a master’s degree or doctorate. Learn more about how to become a nurse administrator.
What You’d Earn: The average salary for a nurse administrator is $86,400 per year.
3. Nursing Home Administrator
What You’d Do: Did administration sound good to you? If so, you might also be interested in an administrative position in nursing homes or another geriatric facility. As the elderly population rises, nursing home administrators are especially needed. There are also MDS coordinator positions in nursing homes, which involve managing patient data.
Typical Education Requirements: After successfully passing the NCLEX-RN, you must get at least one year of experience. Like other types of nurse administrators, more experience is preferred. Then you must get your master’s degree or doctorate. Learn more about how to become a nursing home administrator.
What You’d Earn: The average salary for a nursing home administrator is $129,300 per year.
4. Nurse Writer
What You’d Do: If you enjoy writing, you can use your nursing experience to contribute to health blogs, educational materials, or even screenplays. You have plenty of options as a nurse writer. This is a chance to combine your work experience with your boundless creativity.
Typical Education Requirements: Pass the NCLEX-RN and gain at least a year of bedside experience.
What You’d Earn: The average salary for a nurse writer is $81,442 per year.
5. Nurse Coach
What You’d Do: Do you have a passion for holistic medicine? Would you rather take a multifaceted approach to helping people improve their health? Becoming a nurse coach is among the most fulfilling non-bedside nursing jobs. You can use your nursing knowledge without the stressors of being a regular staff nurse.
Typical Education Requirements: Pass the NCLEX-RN and gain at least one year of bedside experience.
What You’d Earn: The average salary for a nurse coach is $75,100 per year.
6. Prior Authorization Nurse
What You’d Do: Does the health insurance world catch your eye? Are you open to applying your medical knowledge to utilization review? Becoming a prior authorization nurse could put your experience to good use.
Typical Education Requirements: After passing your NCLEX-RN, it’s best to gain at least a year of bedside experience before starting this path.
What You’d Earn: The average salary for prior authorization nurses is around $82,150 per year.
7. Nurse Educator
What You’d Do: Do you enjoy nurse mentorship? Do you have a passion for guiding the next generation of nurses, or leading continuing education courses? Of all non-bedside nursing jobs, being a nurse educator may have the broadest impact — because, without them, there would be no nurses.
Typical Education Requirements: After passing the NCLEX-RN and gaining some bedside experience, these nurses must obtain their master’s or doctoral degrees to work as nurse educators. Learn more about how to become a nurse educator.
What You’d Earn: The average salary for a nurse educator is $84,180 per year. To learn more about what you might earn, look at the most recent nurse educator jobs on IntelyCare.
8. Nurse Researcher
What You’d Do: If you like crunching numbers or finding patterns across data sets, research might be a good fit. As a nurse researcher, you can satiate your intellectual curiosity and know that your work has a widespread impact across the profession.
Typical Education Requirements: After passing the NCLEX-RN and gaining a few years of bedside experience, these nurses must obtain their master’s or doctoral degrees to work as nurse researchers. Learn more about how to become a research nurse.
What You’d Earn:The average salary for a nurse researcher is $97,100 per year
9. Informatics Nurse
What You’d Do: You’ve likely used electronic medical records (EMRs), but do you want to know more about how they work? Do you want to use your nursing expertise to improve EMR systems? Nursing informatics jobs can offer the blend of technology and healthcare you’ve been looking for. It’s also among the highest paying non-clinical nursing jobs.
Typical Education Requirements: After passing the NCLEX-RN and gaining some bedside experience, these nurses must obtain their master’s or doctoral degrees to work in nursing informatics. Learn more about how to become a nurse informaticist.
What You’d Earn: The average salary for an informatics nurse is $100,200 per year.
10. School Nurse
What You’d Do: If you love children and prefer the regularity of a 9-to-5 schedule, then school nursing could be a great fit for you. In this role, you provide first aid to students, and ensure that their required health information is up to date.
Typical Education Requirements: To become certified, nurses must pass their NCLEX-RN. Although prior experience is preferred, this can also be an entry level position.
What You’d Earn: The median salary for school nurses is $55,610 per year.
11. Forensic Nurse
What You’d Do: Is justice important to you? Do you wish to use your skills to help law enforcement and crime survivors? Forensic nurses collect biological evidence from victims in criminal investigations. The information they gather may be used in court.
Typical Education Requirements: After passing the NCLEX-RN, these nurses need at least a year of bedside experience. Learn more about how to become a forensic nurse.
What You’d Earn: The average salary for a forensic nurse is $62,800 per year.
12. RN Case Manager
What You’d Do: Do you enjoy coordinating plans for care for patients throughout and after their inpatient stays? Want to help them find cost effective care? RN case managers are at the center of the healthcare team. They assist patients with managing the ripple effects of their care, such as the financial and social aspects of their lives impacting their health outcomes.
Typical Education Requirements: After passing the NCLEX-RN, these nurses need at least a year of experience, though more is preferred. Having a master’s or doctorate could increase their chances of being hired and result in more desirable wages. Learn more about how to become an RN case manager.
What You’d Earn: The average salary for an RN case manager is $94,250 per year.
13. Flight Nurse
What You’d Do: Do you revel in excitement? Do you want to help survivors of disasters? You could fit in well in the adrenaline-fueled world of flight nursing. In this role, you provide care while a patient is flown to the nearest hospital.
Typical Education Requirements: After passing the NCLEX-RN, these nurses need at least a year of experience working in the emergency department. Learn more about how to become a flight nurse.
What You’d Earn: The average salary for a flight nurse is $94,800 per year.
Are Non-Bedside Nursing Jobs a Better Fit for You?
Bedside nursing isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay. Looking for a non-beside role that would be a great match for your skills? Find the jobs that fit all your expectations on IntelyCare.