Lowest stress (still great pay) nursing specialties?

Nurses General Nursing Nursing Q/A

Hello all,

This is my first post here so bear with me. I am a current RN student and while my main focus right now is finishing the program I am nevertheless interested in finding out more about different specialties from nurses who have been there.

I have yet to decide on a nursing specialty for sure. To be honest money is a big motivator for me..but a post I read from forum member THE COMMUTER really struck me as exaclty how I feel. It stated id rather love my personal life and tolerate my job than tolerate my life and love my job. By this I mean im never going to enjoy work, I mostly enjoy traveling, exploring , cars..etc..(hence money motivated).

So begs the question...what nursing specialty out of the seemingly hundreds...would be very low stress on a daily basis and very good pay ( even if masters level as I have considered the NP route after RN school).

Any suggestions? ( I know im kinda asking for the best of both worlds here but im looking for things closest to what I seek). Thanks in advance everyone.

The medical and pharmaceutical industries pay very well with great benefits and I would consider low stress. A few million on the line has stress attached don't get me wrong but it is not life or death.

Sales training, clinical research, medical complaints, technical assistance, product development, marketing, etc etc. Medical companies hire a ton of nurses.

It is nice working 9-5, Monday-Friday, and never having to work a holiday.

Stress is far too subjective for anyone to give you a specific answer. I really hated home health because it seemed like the expectations were less concrete than hospital/clinic nursing. Give me a patient complaining of chest pain and shortness of breath over stepping into someone's house not knowing what I'll find or be expected to do.

That said, just avoid the ER and ICU.

Specializes in ER.

I transitioned to UR nurse from ER nursing. Relatively speaking, it is very very very relaxed, we do have turn-around-times but for younger folks fast at typing and used to computer, work can be done before 2-3 hours before I go home, so I websurf a lot since I am bored. I get paid better, I don't have to do physically straining work, I don't have to deal with people driving me nuts at the ER, less stress, no more do-more-with-less culture, you get what I am saying. No one pays you for free, sure it's work, but certainly some jobs are tougher than others. No offense to other UR nurses, but this is easier than slapping butter on my pancake in the morning compared to crap I used to deal with in the ER

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

Utilization review

rearviewmirror said:
I transitioned to UR nurse from ER nursing. Relatively speaking, it is very very very relaxed, we do have turn-around-times but for younger folks fast at typing and used to computer, work can be done before 2-3 hours before I go home, so I websurf a lot since I am bored. I get paid better, I don't have to do physically straining work, I don't have to deal with people driving me nuts at the ER, less stress, no more do-more-with-less culture, you get what I am saying. No one pays you for free, sure it's work, but certainly some jobs are tougher than others. No offense to other UR nurses, but this is easier than slapping butter on my pancake in the morning compared to crap I used to deal with in the ER

UR is a specialty the OP would need several years of hands on experience in order to qualify.

I perform utilization management. 12 hours of fast typing on the computer.. hurts my head and leaves me gasping for air. I must look into the UR thing. Thanks!

Specializes in M/S, Pulmonary, Travel, Homecare, Psych..
Cat365 said:
I would depend on you. I would find working with infants stressful. My aunt loves them.

ICU isn't my cup of tea. I like to move on. ER suits me better, but I've heard other people say they can't stand that.

I personally find that good coworkers decrease my stress level, but that doesn't narrow specialties.

I would use your clinicals to find something that either pulls at you or interests you. That area is likely to be the least stressful area for you.

Aliens05 said:
Thx cat. I do imagine that stress is in a way subjective..i was kind of thinking of something along the lines of the nurses at my work (6 person non behavioral group home ). They dont wear uniforms..deal with mentally challenged persons who are non behavioral etc,but dont rlly use any nursing skills. Their job is almost the easiest job u can imagine but the pay is relatively limited at 28 an hour salaried no overtime. I wouldnt want to cap my earning potential anywhere near 40-50k.

Idk much about research or nursing informatics. Ive heard a little but dont know anything about it rlly. Same goes for crna altho low stress would not at all be describing crna work.

smartnurse1982 said:
The best kept secret in nursing is home health,particularly Private Duty nursing working 1 on 1 through an agency!

And here is a perfect example of how stress is objective.

I am possibly returning to hospital nursing because I just find home nursing to not be my niche.

Seems as though none of the agencies carry health insurance worth having (which stresses me). It also seems to me that they, the agencies, are just not on top of the game. Chaotic policies and procedures (mostly made up as you go), poor orientation and training practices and.......well, they seem so inept to me. I thought it was just me, or the company I work for but all the nurses I know working for different companies feel the same.

But what stresses me most about it is, I feel like the carpet is going to get pulled out from under my feet at any moment. If your patient goes to the hospital or anything else, you could be out of a job. My agency always tells me they will find something for me if that happens but.....co-workers from the same company tell me the take a while sometimes.

It just wasn't for me. Square peg, round hole.

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Aliens05 said:
a post I read from forum member THE COMMUTER really struck me as exaclty how i feel. It stated id rather love my personal life and tolerate my job than tolerate my life and love my job. By this I mean im never going to enjoy work, I mostly enjoy traveling, exploring , cars..etc..(hence money motivated).

Thanks for paraphrasing one of my posts...

Personally, the job I currently have has been the least stressful one I've ever had. I am a nurse case manager who works from home. I work for an insurance company.

Demanding patients, hostile family members, and testy physicians incite feelings of anxiety for me. Being far removed from these entities has been a beautiful experience for me. I plan to ride this wave for as long as possible.

Nonetheless, several nurses who worked from home hated their jobs. They missed direct patient care and socializing with coworkers, whereas I would not mind if I never touched another bedpan or started another IV line again.

Specializes in Pedi.
smartnurse1982 said:
The best kept secret in nursing is home health,particularly Private Duty nursing working 1 on 1 through an agency!

The OP said "still great pay." Private duty is the lowest paying nursing specialty around. At the agency I was a manager at (not for PDN patients but we had a large PDN population), all RNs were paid the same, regardless of experience and their hourly rate was the same as I made as a new grad 9 years ago.

To answer the OP, you will not find what you are looking for right out of school. My jobs have gotten progressively easier/less stressful and better paying as I've gone along in my career. I am currently working the least stressful job I've ever had and making about 50% more than I ever made working in the hospital. But I've been a nurse for 9 years.

Specializes in geriatrics.

The people can make or break your work environment, regardless of the actual specialty. Teamwork is so important, which I realize working with a dysfunctional team.

The actual job is great, but the team overshadows this for me.

Specializes in pediatrics; PICU; NICU.
smartnurse1982 said:
The best kept secret in nursing is home health,particularly Private Duty nursing working 1 on 1 through an agency!

Private duty is low stress but don't expect high pay.

Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

The problem is that what is considered stressful is rather subjective. I love psych but I've seen nurses lock themselves in the med room crying because they couldn't handle being on the psych unit. Meanwhile others thrive in places like ICU and L&D and if I were to work either one, I'd be hiding under a bed. So keep that in mind when looking at the specialties.

If you want more family-friendly hours (not necessarily lower stress, mind you), you could consider settings outside the hospital, e.g. outpatient, medical offices, schools, etc.). The problem there is that it's rare for a new grad to get hired into them: a couple of years of experience is often required. Also, the pay is usually much lower than you'd find in acute care. Plus, a lot of NP programs want applicants to have acute care experience, which you will not get working in these settings.

You want it all, and unfortunately, you will likely not get it all, at least not as a new grad. You'll have to decide what's most important to you (and only you can decide that) and where you are willing to compromise/sacrifice.

First, let's be realistic. If you are a new nurse right out of school with no experience, you probably will not be in a position to demand high pay. I live in a small town with 3 prominent hospitals and on average a brand new ER nurse commands $25-26/hr (I live in Texas); other specialties may pay more. If you're already thinking about higher pay and less stress, then are you in nursing for the right reason? Nursing is a calling, not just a job. Critical care areas such as labor & delivery, NICU, ER, ICU, Telemetry, CCU pay more, but are stressful, require skill, experience and knowledge. You'll have to earn it! Hospice, home health, rehab, prison, school nursing, office or clinic nursing, are less stressful, but not necessarily more money. You may try working in occupational health, an immunization clinic, an insurance office for a less stressful job. But if you're commanding the higher pay jobs, then get ready to work for the higher pay. Your pay will also be determined by how you decide to work: M-F 8-5; 12 hours shifts days or nights because of shift differentials and weekend differentials. Travel nursing pays well, but will require experience. Find a good preceptor program in something you think you'll enjoy (perhaps a favorite part of clinical) and gain some experience. After a year or two of experience, you can apply for travel nursing jobs, make great money, and do what you enjoy (traveling, exploring) to have the best of both worlds.

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