Unique/Uncommon Nursing Careers

Columnist · Mar 23, 2012

Read some of the posts/threads in the Nursing Specialty section of the site. You will see many that do include bedside care.

Tarabara · Mar 25, 2012

As I am a new grad, this is not my job but something I'm very interested in for the future. We had a guest speaker who works with the donor network talk to us, his job is to take care of the pts waiting to become donors. It sounded really interesting because since the pt is dead but being kept alive for donation purposes there is no Dr. assigned to them so he makes all the decisions. It was a lot harder than one would think too because the pts are brain dead so he has to give things like thyroid hormone but very carefully since the pt isnt moving and is susceptible to thyroid storm. He was employed by the donor network, not a hospital so he goes to all the hospitals in his area. He also helps talk to families try to decide if their loved one should be a donor.

Nurse Leigh · Mar 25, 2012

As another poster suggested, the Specialties section will have lots of ideas. However, I just had to respond because I was thinking just yesterday how I wish I could have a position with some of the idiot scriptwriters of movies/TV shows as a nurse/healthcare consultant. (I know sometimes MDs and DOs are consultants, not sure about nurses, and probably very very few such positions) BUT I would so love to watch a movie/show that pertains to medicine without wanting to reach through the screen and throttle actors when they do such egregious things (yes, it may block the actor's arm, but really, the upper bedrails should be RAISED! Uh, when you do compressions, your arms should be straight, not bent all crazy pushing nowhere. Shocking asystole? ok...) You get the picture. I am just waiting for my pts to tell me they want the MD to give them their IV meds 'cause the House guy does it himself. UGH. :banghead: I guess I am easily annoyed, but I think I might offer to do this for free so long as they fly to to location and pay for accomodations (hey, I have been thinking about getting into travel nursing!)

Seriously though, there are a lot of amazing opportunities. I also think that working at the bedside can give you a nice glimpse at many different things...if you are awed by wounds, you might try working in a wound care clinic. If you have a passion for pharm, look into drug research. Good with computers? Informatics. And yes, there are programs for forensic nurses. Sounds pretty cool! I've been a floor RN for four years and still have no idea what I want to do when I "grow up". Right now I am trying to find my passion (and it is not at the bedside but that is a good place to start!)

Good luck to you

klone, MSN, RN · Mar 25, 2012

Mine is pretty uncommon. I'm a research nurse. Specifically, I work in a Perinatal CTRC (stands for clinical translational research center). We work with several PIs on about 18 different research protocols from the conception stage through the IRB approval process to the data collection to the publication stage. Specifically, the studies we work on are ones that involve pregnancy and NICU and well infants. Our department deals with the inpatient mother/baby aspect, and we deal with consenting women who qualify for studies (such as pregnant women who might qualify for a particular study on preterm labor or premature rupture of membranes), or on consenting parents on behalf of their infants in the NICU. We then collect data and samples for the PIs for the particular studies. For the NICU studies, that would involve blood samples or trach aspirates at various time points. For the women, it would involve blood, cord blood and placenta biopsies at delivery. A lot of data collection from charts. We have to attend meetings with and on behalf of the PIs and basically be the experts on those studies, and make sure they're being run ethically and that the data is accurate. Our department actually floats to three different hospitals in the area to conduct the various studies. There are only about five departments like ours in the country, and some of the studies we're conducting are pretty cutting edge. Some of our studies have been published in NE Journal of Medicine and other pretty well respected journals. It's pretty cool stuff. I really love my job.

wish_me_luck, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2012

health insurance companies hire nurses

zuku26 · Nov 26, 2012

My job is kinda unique since there are only a handful of us in my area..... Chicago. I work on an ambulance as a Critical Care Transport Nurse, with 2 CCT (advance practice) - Paramedics. We mainly transport Patients that are too critical usually unstable from one hospital to another higher level of care facility.

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Nov 27, 2012

I am a non-academic nurse educator... but that's not really unique.

I once met a NP/PhD who worked with NASA. Her specialty was Women's Health, and she helped to develop "accomodations" for female astronaut space travel. If you're drawing a blank, just imagine sending a woman into zero gravity without an understanding of it's effect on menstruation.... yep, that was some of her work. Fascinating. I believe she's retired now, but Wow, just wow.

tea lady · May 25, 2013

I would love to get into Research Nursing, but live in a rural area about 1.5 hours from a large city. Can you lead me to any way I can get into this field without living in an urban center? I have an MSN and currently teach at a local college, and have my clinical experience as an ER nurse. Thank you in advance.