Beyond Patient Care: Four Unusual Career Paths in Nursing

May 2021 equal opportunity employment journal Page 23 Beyond Patient Care: Four Unusual Career Paths in Nursing

Whether they are saving lives in the emergency room, working in the intensive care unit, assisting doctors with routine patient care of attending to the needs of hospitalized men and women, nurses play a vital role in the world of healthcare. If you are considering a career in nursing, these patient care scenarios are probably what you envision.

Those direct patient care roles are a big part of nursing, but caring for patients directly is not the only career path nurses can enjoy. If you have a degree in nursing and the desire to make a difference, you can enhance public health and safety in other ways as well. Here are some of the lesser known roles nurses play in the healthcare arena. Insurance Claim Review

When patients seek care, it is important that the medications, procedures and assistance they receive is in their best interests. Getting care that is based on the latest science is essential for good health, and nurses can play a vital role in this important process.

Virtually all health insurers hire nurses to review their claims for appropriateness, cost effectiveness and a number of other criteria. Based on their decisions, insurance companies may request additional documentation from doctors, submit claims for further review or even deny them altogether. These review processes are designed to encourage the best care for patients, improving safety, efficacy and patient satisfaction. Teaching

Every nurse who graduates from an accredited program has had a number of mentors along the way. Those nursing educators provide their students with inspiration, encouragement and guidance even when things get tough.

Some nurses are so inspired by the teachers they have met along the way that they ultimately return to the classroom, this time on the other side of the desk. In their new teaching roles, nurses work to encourage and inspire the next generation of professional caregivers, and that is ultimately good news for future patients. Healthcare Administration

Controlling something as complex as healthcare requires a dedicated team of experts, including many nurses. If you

If you’re ready to make a difference, we’re ready for you to join our team.

Everything we do is driven by the goal of helping our patients and communities improve their health and wellbeing. It’s our people who make that goal possible.

An organization’s strength comes from the dedication, experience and diversity of each employee. We want to build a strong company by creating an environment where our employees can thrive.

Our Mission

MCH is committed to improving the health and well-being of our community.

Our Vision

We will elevate the health of our community by providing accessible, high quality and value based care.

Our Values

Performance ~ Respect ~ Integrity ~ Service Compassionate Care ~ Collaboration ~ Creativity

For more information visit: www.lakeviewhealth.org

Monadnock Community Hospital provides a wide range of primary and behavioral health care services for individuals and families with offices in Peterborough, Rindge, Jaffrey, Antrim and New Ipswich.

love your nursing career but want to move beyond basic patient care, a career in healthcare administration could be the perfect path forward.

In their role as healthcare administrators, nurses help chart a path forward, making key decisions on everything from public health policy and pandemic response to reducing the cost of care without sacrificing its quality. Jobs in healthcare administration are also among the most highly paid, giving nurses another reason to make the switch. Nurse Midwife

While the vast majority of women will give birth in the hospital, some mothers prefer to bring their babies into the world in a more natural setting. Home births are becoming increasingly popular, and experienced nurse midwifes help make it possible.

Nurse midwifes attend the birth, see to the needs of women in labor and provide assistance in the unlikely event something goes wrong. The presence of an experienced medical professional at their bedside can give expectant mothers one less thing to worry about, so they can enjoy their new bundles of joy in a more comfortable setting.

Working as a nurse can be an incredibly rewarding career, and many nurses find great satisfaction caring for patients in doctor’s offices, medical clinics, emergency rooms and hospital wards. But that is not all there is to a career in nursing; nurses fulfill other critical roles in healthcare as well. If you want to move beyond patient care, the four alternative career paths could help you use your old nursing degree in a brand new way.

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