Hot Jobs: Five unique nursing careers you never knew about

It’s no secret that automation jobs are expanding, technology careers are booming and the Internet, well…is life. According to an Oxford University study, computerization will replace nearly half of American jobs in the next two decades. But in this ever-changing economy, there’s one “hot job” that we believe is irreplaceable. Nursing.

Registered nurses are one of the most in-demand jobs of 2017 and there’s no exception at HCA Healthcare. The highly sought after position within hospital settings and urgent care centers – both available here at our organization – are just two of the many options that nurses have today. But did you know there are nontraditional careers in nursing too?

“There are a large number of nurses who have taken the time and effort to go to school and gain all of this clinical knowledge, and then five to seven years in choose to do something different because of the intensity of their work,” said Jason Pistulka, assistant vice president of talent acquisition at HCA Healthcare.

“It’s understandable because we all know that nursing is hard,” he added. “But we would rather see these nurses stay in the healthcare space and step into some of the non-bedside roles to continue the use of their skills and, quite frankly, their passion to serve.”

The “hot jobs” in non-bedside nursing opportunities available at HCA Healthcare are in contact centers, transfer centers, nurse navigator, clinical analyst and case management roles.

Contact Center Nurses

The job: Registered nurses (RN) are available day and night to speak with patients by phone. Nurses at the centers come from clinical backgrounds ranging from emergency care to pediatrics, which is helpful, given the wide range of calls that come in. RNs at the contact centers also offer health and wellness information and help callers find and set up appointments with physicians. What’s more, the centers allow many nurses — and their vast knowledge — to keep providing patient care when they are no longer able to tackle 12-hour floor shifts. HCA Healthcare has call centers in Nashville, Fort Myers, Fla., Kansas City, San Antonio, Texas and Salt Lake City, Utah.

Transfer Center Nurses

The job: Registered nurses field calls from other clinicians, gather clinical information for a transfer request and then facilitate the transfer by matching the patient’s clinical needs to the facility with bed capacity and service capability. They will prioritize patient information and communicate an accurate clinical presentation of the patient for accepting physicians and nurses. So, clinical knowledge is so important in the transfer center because time, speed and skill are critical to getting the patient where he/she needs to go for care. HCA Healthcare transfer centers are located in 16 different locations across the country.

Nurse Navigators

The job: Nurse Navigators serve as an advocate, interpreter, educator, and counselor for patients. This nurse will act as a concierge of services for patients and their families, explaining technical terms and communicating with all members of the healthcare team on behalf of the patient. Navigators are with patients from diagnosis all the way through survivorship or end-of-life care. There are 31 nurse navigator positions available throughout HCA Healthcare.

Clinical Analysts and Clinical Specialists

The job: The most challenging roles to fill are in Information Technology. The clinical analyst and clinical specialist roles are subject matter experts for the health record systems. It’s a perfect role if you are a “techie” or good with learning and training others on a system. These positions don’t have to be nurses, but they tend to be the best at it. Positions are available both at the facility and the division level.  Upward mobility is available too!

Case Management

The job: At HCA Healthcare, registered nurse case managers help to assess, plan, implement, coordinate, monitor and evaluate the options and services required to meet the patient’s health needs. In this key role, nurses will help make sure every patient receives the best possible care for the best possible outcome, and identify opportunities to improve patient care.

Far too many people still believe that it’s either bedside or bust for nurses. They don’t know these nontraditional nursing jobs exist, Pistulka said – something that HCA Healthcare wants to change.

“Any nurse could consider a career in one of these roles, but it can be especially appealing to baby boomers who are nearing retirement and want to stay involved in the field,” he said. “One job may be more appropriate for someone’s desires than others, but it keeps them clinically active and doing what they love in their communities.”

The bottom line is this: nursing is here to stay and no matter what path you decide to travel, the opportunities are endless at HCA Healthcare.

Visit here for more information on non-traditional nursing careers or here for more information about other opportunities at HCA Healthcare.