To all my non-hospital nurses

[laKrugRN]

Hello!! Hated the hospital? Clinicals bored you? HAVE NO FEAR! Nurses are needed EVERYWHERE.

This is meant to inspire my new nurses who are scared they'll never find a job, or a job that suits them, or never found their niche etc.

I knew I NEVER wanted to be in the hospital. N-O. Boring to me. But that is the BEAUTY of nursing. So many options for us non-hospitals RNs.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE working in a prison. It's what I've always wanted and now what I am doing. Prison nurses have autonomy and see pretty much everything. Not a day goes by that is boring. It is also nice to be a positive influence to those who need it most.

Hated the hospital? Have no fear!! There are PLENTY of options. Doctors offices, LTC, dermatology, prisons, research nurses, public health, mental health, infectious disease, diabetic education, home health, and SO MUCH MORE!!!

You can make a difference as a nurse outside of the hospital :)

Cheers to all my non-hospital nurses!

[tacomaster]

brillohead, how do you get into private duty nursing? Where are those jobs posted at? Thanks

[middleagednurse]

Go onto any job board and click on home health care. Apply. Agencies are referred to as home health care but when you work for them and care for one patient its referred to as private duty. Even though its home health care. Agency work generally does not pay well or have benefits.

[CT Pixie, BSN, RN]

My plan is to somehow merge my past career of IT with nursing after I've worked on the floor for possibly two more years. I liked the posts above. I'm always networking and find new companies that need nurses--cruise lines, automotive companies, airlines, Microsoft even has a massive clinic in Seattle that hires nurses! So many opportunities out there guys!

Have you thought about nursing informatics?

[brillohead, ADN, RN]

brillohead, how do you get into private duty nursing? Where are those jobs posted at? Thanks

Through home health agencies. I found my first one on Craigslist of all places (yes, it's a legitimate agency, they just use CL to post openings).

As for pay/benefits, it really depends on the agency and the funding source and the job market in your area. One of my PDN agencies actually pays MORE than hospital work, but that's the exception rather than the rule Most PDN work is with kids and funded by Medicaid, so the pay is a bit lower