Non Clinical Positions For New Grads

Lynker, LPN · Feb 17, 2021

I completely understand if patient bedside/care isn't for you! Have you thought about getting a job such as a triage nurse at a clinic?

Daisy4RN · Feb 17, 2021

37 minutes ago, Prosper2018 said:

Hey everyone, hope the start of the year has been kind to you all.

I will be finishing an acclerated program in 16 months ABSN and have decided bedside/patient care nursing is not for me.

I'm sure 90% of you will moan and grown about how acclerated programs shouldn't exist and how everyone needs to have 10 years of bedside before being qualified for anything but I am not you and I don't feel the need togo your rouate.

Seriously, why are people on here bitter and roast everyone who doesn't take their exact path.

Helpful comments only please

Maybe because of comments like this (the bolded) in your first post. It kinda sets the tone, ya know.

I think that many nurses would love to get away from bedside so you will be up against those with much experience. I don't think you will need 10 yrs but probably some experience depending on the particular job. You can look around this site and job sites to see what is out there and what the qualifications would be. Good luck!

Editorial Team / Admin · Feb 17, 2021

Many, if not all, non-clinical positions require experience at the bedside (there's no hard and fast rule about 10 years though). However, that doesn't mean you have to take the route that many traditionally think of as clinical nursing, in an acute care setting. There are other areas outside of the hospital setting that you may find more appealing. There's someone on the forums who works in an FHRQ (I think? I'd actually have to go hunt down the posts to find it to be sure of the right abbreviation) and loves it. There's so much variety in nursing that you'll most likely be able to find something that you are both qualified for and appeals to you.

1 hour ago, Prosper2018 said:

Seriously, why are people on here bitter and roast everyone who doesn't take their exact path.

You will find that if you go in looking for negativity, you are far more likely to find it, even when it doesn't exist. Attitude matters, both in how you interpret things and how you come across.

Wuzzie · Feb 17, 2021

Awesome entré into the community. ?

But to answer your question and clarify a few things.
1. Overall very few of us have an issue with ABSN other than they tend to be beastly expensive.
2. Nowhere in this forum did anyone ever say you need 10 years experience to do anything.

3. As a previous poster mentioned non-bedside positions that pay anything usually require at least a year of experience. YMMV

Welcome to the forum.

autism4life, ADN, LPN, RN · Feb 17, 2021

While I am not sure what it is you are interested in, perhaps an MDS position in LTC may be something you would be interested in. While not 100% office work, MDS nurses often focus on education, finance, and care plans, with bed side assistance on the side. Plus it typically pays quite well after a few years in.

TheMoonisMyLantern, ADN, LPN, RN · Feb 17, 2021

I don't think most people care whether or not you have bedside experience. The reality though, is that most non-clinical positions are obtained by having years of clinical experience. But clinical experience doesn't have to be in a hospital setting, there are many many options beyond that especially having a BSN.

Depending on what area of the country you are, you may be lucky to land a clinical nursing job much less a non-clinical. Before the pandemic some areas were saturated with new-grads and the pandemic has caused some healthcare systems to bite down on staffing even harder, while in other areas of the country clinical jobs are plentiful.

CharleeFoxtrot, BSN, RN · Feb 17, 2021

9 hours ago, Prosper2018 said:

I will be finishing an acclerated program in 16 months ABSN and have decided bedside/patient care nursing is not for me.

I'm sure 90% of you will moan and grown about how acclerated programs shouldn't exist and how everyone needs to have 10 years of bedside before being qualified for anything but I am not you and I don't feel the need togo your rouate.

Well, you have to have real world practical experience as a nurse to qualify for most non bedside positions. Easiest way to figure out what these requirements are is to look on a jobs website like indeed.com and check out what employers are looking for as far as experience. Then, decide where you want to end up and work backwards by taking jobs that add to your resume. Might not take "10 years" but it might take 3 at the beside to get where you'd ultimately like to be.

Nursing school, accelerated or not doesn't give you emotional intelligence and real world skills. You get those chops from working. With real people. In real situations.

Oh, and you'll find most folks here are pretty helpful if you don't get defensive right off the bat.

DavidFR, BSN, MSN, RN · Feb 17, 2021

I always remember on qualifying a tutor saying to us that this wasn't the end of our learning experience, it was the beginning.

I may be old school but I sincerely believe we should all get some general clinical experience immediately post grad. It may not be what you want to do forever but see it as an extended period of your preparartion for what you really want to do. Grit your teeth, get at least a good year under your belt, then take stock of things. You may even find that certain aspects of being a clinical RN pleasantly surprise you.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Feb 17, 2021

Here's a helpful comment. Don't be rude to the experienced nurses that you are asking for advice.

RNperdiem, RN · Feb 17, 2021

Why would you think these negative things about us? Where does that come from?

Anyway, it is not unheard of for a new grad to get a non-bedside position, but is unusual. If this is what you really want, be sure to accept the trade-offs. Often the pay will be less, the hours less flexible, and opportunities to maximize pay such as overtime and critical staffing pay will be limited. If you have student loans to repay, this is something to keep in mind.

If you land an interview, be prepared to explain what you can bring to the role. I have a coworker who works in professional development who once told me that anyone who mentions in the job interview about hating patient care or wanting to escape is not the person they are looking for. The interviewer wants to know that you really want the specific job. If you are fully bilingual and work in an area where this is an asset mention it. Programing skills, organizing events, anything from previous work you can bring to a job is needed to stand out.

If the job is a good one, you will have lots of competition. Often these jobs hire people they have worked with in the past. People with experience, a good reputation and connections.

Guest219794 · Feb 17, 2021

1- Accelerated programs shouldn't exist.
2- Basically, you need around 10 years of experience to be qualified for anything.