I would like to learn more about nursing jobs outside of the hospital. Are any of you folks out there and can you tell me (us) about it, e.g., what you like and don't like about your jobs, how long you've been in that position and how you got it (what credentials/experience were required), what a typical day is like, etc.?
I am especially curious about nurses working in biotech (e.g., FDA submission preparation), clinical trials, research, writing, law, etc.
I recently started as an RN Administrator of a VA Clinic. Because I am a veteran myself, I have an incredible rapport with our patients. It is far more satisfying than any nursing I've done so far. I make twice as much as I did before (although not $11,000/mo). Don't be satisfied with a bad job that you don't like-- life is too short. My last job was OK, but I didn't get paid much and I wasn't using all my tools. Keep looking until you find your niche. You really will be glad you did.
I am a Nursing Director in an Ambulatory Surgery Center. We are free standing (Doctor owned and operated), single speciality, which is Ophthalmology. We operate 2-3 days/wk. I have part-time RN's and LPN's as well as Per diem RN and LPN staff. My per diem staff nurses are stay at home mom's who like to work a couple of days a week and at the hospitals when you work a couple of days a week, it HAS to be on a weekend...most ASC's are open M-F. So, if you like your weekends and holikdays off, ASC's may be a good place for you to look at. Perioperative nursing is interresting. I am a CNOR and I do train my staff here if they do not have any perioperative experience.
Specializes in OB, Telephone Triage, Chart Review/Code.
I work in a Call Center doing Triage and I absolutely love it! I worked in hospitals for many years but hated the 12-hrs and began having back problems. I plan to do this type of nursing until I retire (God willing) at age 65 or 70.
I work as a Correctional RN at one of the State of California's prisons. I run one of the "yard" clinics (one of five) during the day shift (0600 to 1400). There are approximately 200 inmates per building and six buildings total...1200 inmates to one RN, rofl. Some days are tougher than others, but all in all it's a blast; never know what you're going to get.
The pay more than makes up for the craziness: $5100.00 take home for a normal 40 hour work week/ month + approx. $3000.00 take home in overtime/ month (about $11,000.00 per/ month before taxes).
Not too shabby for an out-of-hospital RN.
You making the money. Here in Fla the corrections about 22-25 an hr is the norm. Any openings out there.
This is such a great thread for me. I'm just finishing up a BS in Healthcare Administration and am an LPN currently working in LTC (elders), with a background in LTC for children and adults with developmental disabilites in the community and different care facilities. So....I have no idea what I'm going to do with the BS, but am tired of working 3rd shift and would like to test my newfound knowledge and put it to good use, so many of the ideas put forth are very helpful. And suggustions for me would be appreciated as well! Thanks!!!
I work in a district public health agency as Assistant Director, supervising 3 nurses and 2 health educators. We have grant funded projects working with women's health issues (breast cancer outreach and referral, senior services, heart health, prenatal assessment and referral), environmental health (lead poisioning, asthma, radon) follow up of communicable diseases (TB, STD's, food borne outbreaks, rabies contacts), and well child and immunization clinics, etc.
The hours are good - Monday thru Friday 8:30 AM to 4PM. Occasional weekend followup of lab results, which fortunately is rare. The pay is nowhere near as good as that of hospital nurses, but there are other reasons to go into public health.
In addition, I am also a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, and maintain my annual certification in case I decide on a job change in the future. But the excitement of emergency preparedness activities keeps the job new and challenging.
The one thing that is difficult is recruiting new, younger nurses to public health. Most of us here in CT are what you might consider "senior" nursing staff....fewer new nurses consider this area, mainly due to the competition from the hospitals and the inability to conpete with their salaries. Public health nurses tend to be a bit older, and many are in their "second career", having aleady worked in other areas.
Specializes in ER, Outpatient PACU and School Nursing.
I second the ACS- we are doctor owned also and it has been a great job for me. We all work well together and the patients are so appreciative. The pay is lower but so is your stress level working in the outpatient setting.
I run a "nurse run" HIV outpatient clinic. We manage all patients based on protocols (I wrote) and contract with an ID doc for 15 hours a week. I started the clinic as a volunteer clinic in 1989 and we were federally funded in 1993 and became the full time administrator. I see patients when the other Public Health Nurses aren't available, do a lot of paperwork, write curricula (I teach other health care professionals about HIV), go to a lot of meetings, and teach. I HATE hospitals, never could stand to work in them (kuddos to you that do). Nursing isn't all about inpatient, there is so much more out there. Debra
Wow! Do you mind telling your degrees and certifications?
i have not worked in hospital now for about 14 years. did about 12 years in nursing homes but now work as a trainer/assessor for a home care provider. i deliver courses to home carers and have done this now for almost 2 years. much less stress do a bit of travelling and see lots of different people around the country.
I am a nurse in a Poison Center. I have been doing this on and off. mostly on, for the last 22 years. My previous and other experience is emergency department. Poison center nursing is all telephone work...triaging....assessing...recommending treatments for poisoning emergencies. We deal with both the public and health care professionals. The only down side to this job is that there are not too many poison centers, so when I wanted to move, I had to move very specifically to a city with a poison center. But this is the best job I have had ever had or ever will have. And something I can do until I retire. It is a job where you use your brain, not your legs and your back.
Thanks!!!
erichRN
68 Posts
I recently started as an RN Administrator of a VA Clinic. Because I am a veteran myself, I have an incredible rapport with our patients. It is far more satisfying than any nursing I've done so far. I make twice as much as I did before (although not $11,000/mo). Don't be satisfied with a bad job that you don't like-- life is too short. My last job was OK, but I didn't get paid much and I wasn't using all my tools. Keep looking until you find your niche. You really will be glad you did.