Need some advice

rmkelly · Nov 8, 2009

Wow! If you enjoy theory, what about nursing education? One of the reasons there is a nursing shortage is that there is a shortage of nursing educators.

EDRN-2010 · Nov 8, 2009

Well what kind of career would interest you? Seriously, there are sooo many things you could do that do not involve direct patient care - if that is the part that is not for you.

certified legal nurse consultant, nursing informatics, nursing administration, medical writer or editor, healthcare case management, education, research....there seriously a lot of jobs out there in all sorts of areas. Good luck!

itsmejuli · Nov 8, 2009

Talk to your academic adviser and find out what masters programs they have at your school. Like the poster above said, there's lots of career choices that don't involve bedside nursing.

diane227, LPN, RN · Nov 9, 2009

That is a great suggestion. Talk to your advisor and let him/her know how your feeling. You can go into other areas with just a bit more education. You don't have to do bedside nursing. But you can't be a manager or do case management without some experience. You might be better suited to a academic setting.

rmkelly · Nov 9, 2009

Diane 227 is correct:legal nurse consulting, UR, QA, management certainly do require some clinical experience, at least in Ohio. Acedemia would be a good fit, perhaps. As a student, I loved

My Trends and issues class. Possibly that would not require clinical experience?

DolceVita, ADN, BSN, RN · Nov 9, 2009

Work for one of the software companies like Epic. they hire nurses.

rubylou · Nov 10, 2009

Thanks everyone,

My university is very small. It only has runs three degree programs as far as Im concerned... nursing, buisness and enviormental studies.

So I will have to go to another university if I want to do futher studies. Anyway my current experiance of this university aint so great.

I have been looking at some grad law programs that are on offer at a few other universities. It is alot to think about doing another three years at law school. Let alone getting in. Im currently raising a two year old.... so it's not as easy as it used to be.

I know Nursing/Law is a good combo in the U.S .... but Im wondering as an Australian nurse if it offers any career paths. Basically, my perception of Law is that it offers versatility in terms of enployment and opportunity, beyond just working as a solicitor (which would not appeal).

Once again thanks everyone, I really do appreciate your comments.

llg, PhD, RN · Nov 10, 2009

I agree with the other posters ...

Basically, before you can move on, you have to identify what you DO like -- not just what you don't like. Identifying what you don't like is a good start, but now start moving towards what you do like. What types of work do you want to do? Do you want to work in an office processing paperwork related to health care? Do you want to teach people about healthy lifestyles? Do you want to be a manager of a health-care workplace? Do you want to work directly with patients in some capacity (be in physically or teaching, etc.)?

It might also help to identify other topics, class topics, and hobbies you enjoy. That might help you identify underlying interests and talents that could be combined with nursing to form a career. For example, if you love computers you could go into nursing informatics. If you are good at art, you might consider being a medical illustrator. (I have a cousin who did that.) If you like books, organizing information, etc. you might become a medical librarian. If you like statistics, you could become a biostatistician or an epidemiologist. There are also anthropologists, sociologists, etc. who specialize in health care issues. etc. etc. etc.

You also might want to get a book on healthcare careers and simply browse to see which ones catch your eye as being appealing. Then start doing more detailed research on those careers and what education you will need to qualify for them.

Good luck.