one-on-one roles in nursing?

[jjjoy, LPN]

Outside of private duty nursing and advanced practice, what are some areas of nursing where the nurse works one-on-one with patients? I imagine roles like diabetes educator and wound care specialist. Others?

I was ruminating 'what if' I'd chosen a different allied health field such as physical therapy or speech therapy thinking I probably would've preferred those as they involve the ability to work one-on-one with patients towards very specific goals applying a specific area of expertise. Nursing tends to be a little of everything and just getting through the day (I know, that's a very broad generalization.)

From what little research I've done already, getting into areas of nursing such as diabetes education or wound care isn't as simple as taking coursework and getting certified. To actually get a position in such roles, years of inpatient experience is usually preferred (understandably). I'd also fear such roles might ultimately be TOO specialized with only a few positions with little turnover to compete for, especially if one isn't interested in 'falling back on' bedside nursing. Why not fall back on bedside nursing? I tried it, was terrible at it and hated it! I currently work with health information but sometimes miss having a direct impact on patients. I especially miss teaching!

[PetiteOpRN]

To become a physical therapist these days requires a PhD (my sister is finishing her program). I'm not sure about other health professions.

In the OR, you are one-on-one with the patient, and it is nothing like bedside nursing.

[jjjoy, LPN]

Outside of medical and dental school, nursing was the only other health profession degree offered at my university. A strong student in the life sciences, I'd defaulted into the pre-med track as a biology major. I began exploring various roles in health care. The nursing school was right there with encouraging, enthusiastic recruiters touting the great variety of possibilities available to nurses. Not too interested in bedside nursing? No problem! You could be a nurse practitioner, or work on a cruise ship, or do research, etc...

But when I look at various job roles in health care those of a physical therapist or speech therapist seem like they would be a better fit for me than most of the nursing roles I see. I have found that I really enjoy teaching and encouraging patients. So I thought I'd ask for others' views on if there were nursing roles that paralleled the type of work that physical and speech therapists do.

[PetiteOpRN]

Physical therapy assistants usually have an associate's or bachelor's degree in a health sciences field. There are some places that offer associate's degrees in PT assistance. A nurse might be able to get a similar job.

A nurse working in a hospital, particularly on an orthopedic or rehab unit, would have a chance to do ROM exercises with patients and perform many interventions that are common to physical therapy.

A nurse clinician in an orthopedic or plastics setting would evaluate the need for physical therapy, coordinate care with physical therapists, and even order physical therapy for patients.

I don't know of any jobs in nursing like PT, OT or ST. If you have the opportunity to shadow a physical/occupational/speech therapist for a few days and see what it's like, I think it would be worth your while. If that is your passion, that is what you should pursue.

[jjjoy, LPN]

Just to clarify, I already have a BSN degree and RN license. So before starting over again in another field of study, I'm exploring if there's any area of nursing I'm overlooking that might be a good fit for me. I did enjoy my public health nursing rotation where we visited clients in the community.

So much of what nurses are valued for in their many non-traditional roles is their experience as a staff nurse in an acute care setting. But I really struggle in that role - juggling so many competing priorities at the same time. I do much better being able to focus on one thing at a time without non-stop distractions. I could try again to tough it out in acute care for few years as a stepping stone, but then I think it doesn't make sense to go in a direction where acute care nursing experience is the foundation.

Thanks for the responses!! : )

[Mijourney]

You could parlay your public health nursing skills into a case management role. There are different type of case managers out there. Many case managers do disease management whereby they educate and instruct clientele on disease processes and how to manage them. You can look to do this type of role from an insurance company, home health, a health and wellness company, or from home. Getting your foot in the door may be a little difficult depending on what is in your area but I feel that case or disease management as it is frequently called can be a rewarding experience for those who find that facility nursing is not a good fit.