Shifting Gears in Scrubs: What’s Driving Nurses Toward New Roles

Not everyone knows that the world of nursing is far wider than hospital floors or ER rooms. There are literally dozens of jobs that anyone with a BSN and a valid nursing license are able to pursue, especially when they are willing to couple their current credential with a graduate degree or specialized certification.

But what motivates them to do so? In this article, we take a look at why it is worthwhile for nurses to pursue obscure or less discussed jobs in the world of healthcare.

How to Shift Gears

First, how do you get obscure nursing jobs? For most people, there are two basic paths toward nursing positions that take them out of traditional nursing settings. The first is to pursue a specialized certification.

This is the most inviting path in that it requires no re-enrollment in higher education. There are learning requirements, and they might even take years to complete, but most of the training is hands-on.

You start your job under supervision, learn the ropes, and also take virtual classes and tests on the side.

The certification process will vary from role to role, but can take two to three years to complete, similar in timeline to a graduate degree. But while earning an MSN will require you to go several years without seeing any personal benefit to your learning, the certification allows you to pivot almost immediately into new work.

That said, if you are a little more patient or just interested in a job you can only get with a master’s degree, that path is available as well.

Graduate school can take two to three years, but many people, particularly working nurses, will prioritize a timeline that allows them to continue working full-time. In that context, you might pick off one or two classes a semester and take up to five years doing it.

That, coupled with the financial investment, can be an obvious deterrent. Why go the MSN route? You’ll choose graduate school for the simple reason that you want a position that depends on getting a graduate degree.

Advanced practice jobs can include a wide variety of roles that most people associate most strongly with the world of nurse practitioners. How do you transition from RN to NP? The typical path involves selecting an area of focus and then deciding on a program that will allow you to complete your educational requirements in relative comfort.

Between online options and brick and mortar learning, there are many ways to get an MSN.

What Motivates People Towards These Positions?

We touched on the fact that nurses who are willing to specialize experience several benefits immediately.

In the next few headings, we’ll take a more specific look at how this impacts their professional experience and why it can be worth getting additional credentials, even if it involves short-term stress or discomfort.

It’s Genuinely Impactful

One thing that attracts many nurses to advanced practice or specialized positions is that these roles allow them to make an even bigger difference in their communities.

Specializations help prevent healthcare bottlenecks and give patients more help. We live in a world of healthcare shortages and patient frustration.

When good nurses take the steps that are needed to fill more obscure roles, they not only improve their own professional lives, but they give their communities an extra level of expertise.

It’s very common for people with obscure conditions to need to travel great distances for care. This, because not every community has the professionals needed to address every possible need.

When nurses specialize, they make their community’s healthcare resources more well-rounded and effective.

It Makes You more Professionally Marketable

Granted, no one is saying that nurses aren’t already in high demand. They are. Virtually every hospital is short at least a few nurses. Some quite a bit more than a few.

So, no, a typical RN does not need to continue their education just to get a job. However, if they want to be able to move seamlessly within any system, their specialization will certainly help to that end.

There is a small paradox in the world of healthcare employment. Yes, these jobs are needed everywhere, but not necessarily at the very moment you want the job to be open.

If you’re trying to get a job in a specific healthcare system, you do still want a resume that will help you win the job out over someone else. Getting your graduate degree or specialized certification can help with that. Hospitals want people who can fit into a wide range of roles. Having an additional credential proves that you are that person.

It Might Be Free

Emphasis on the word might. Certification pathways are generally free or low-cost. This is because when you apply for a job that requires a special certification that you don’t have, you’ll usually be trained by the hospital or healthcare institution itself.

They’ll pay for whatever classes you need or tests that are required, typically. If you’re going to graduate school, obviously, the odds that you’ll have the whole thing paid for by someone else are a little lower.

However, if you’re working as a nurse and you’ve been with that hospital for a couple of years or more, your chances of getting some of the tuition taken care of are pretty high. Speak with your current employer about what sort of support opportunities they provide. You may be surprised by how much of the tuition is taken care of by your current employer.

Conclusion

There are many ways to shift gears in the world of healthcare. There are also tons of options for how to get the credentials required to pursue these paths.

An accelerated online nursing program is the perfect route for people who want to start working in healthcare as quickly as possible.

If being a full-time student isn’t in the cards for you right now, there are also programs designed to let you work at your own pace. With so many options available, there is no reason not to choose the career path that brings you the most joy and work on earning the credentials at your own pace.