While being a nurse practitioner is likely a big part of your identity, that doesn’t mean working clinically in one setting or another is your only option for professional fulfillment.
Even for people working in wonderfully supportive and interesting environments, at some point they may find themselves in a rut.
Whether you are looking to find a “side hustle” or just an occasional change of scenery, there is much more to being a nurse practitioner than clinical medicine. Talk to a career float pool RN, and they will likely tell you that the number one perk (other than the pay bump) is the variety. Not being tied down to a single unit allows them to avoid the monotony and the drama.
The first, and likely most obvious, option is to enter nursing education, either as a part-time gig or a full-time transition. If stepping into the world of education interests you, there are two major questions to consider: What is your education level, and what are your teaching interests?
If you are a master’s level NP, the majority of your opportunities will be at the undergraduate teaching level. There are opportunities to serve as both a faculty member and a clinical instructor, though some universities may prefer a doctorate, especially for full-time faculty.
While there are still plenty of opportunities for MSN-prepared faculty at the undergraduate level, if you see teaching and nursing education as a long-term plan, this is probably the time to start looking at DNP or PhD programs.
If you already hold a DNP, most people start their career in graduate education as a clinical instructor or an adjunct faculty position. University-level academic positions can be highly competitive and often require extensive research, publishing, and grant writing to advance in the tenure ladder.
Depending on the size and structure of your organization, there may be opportunities for you to pursue leadership positions within your unit or clinic, but keep in mind that this is just the beginning of administrative opportunities. Many hospitals employ nurse practitioners in other key areas such as quality improvement, operations, and education.
If you find yourself drawn to leadership roles, you may want to consider going all in with an MBA program. This will create a bridge between healthcare and adjacent industries seeking to employ leaders with a clinical background, such as insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, and medical device manufacturers.
Many schools also offer advanced degrees in other healthcare-adjacent areas such as public health, informatics, and healthcare technology. The first step is to identify your areas of interest, and then take the first of many small steps to pursue them.
If the idea of going back to school for yet another degree fills you with dread, there are other options out there that don’t require filling out a grad school application.
Insurance companies employ clinicians for roles such as utilization review and case management, which are often remote positions. Working clinically two or three days per week with some remote shifts sprinkled in might be the perfect recipe for long-term wellness.
If you spent your nursing days perfectly organizing your IV lines and drips in the ICU, and your documentation rivals a NASA instruction manual, expert witness work might be the perfect side hustle. If you are well-versed in standards of care and are an analytical thinker, this can be a substantial side career.
If things are getting a bit too familiar, and you are just looking for something to break up the monotony, there are lots of options and opportunities; just get out there and take the first step.
I try to write these blog posts about topics that go along with our collective experiences as nurse practitioners, the common issues we all face regardless of the clinical location. I welcome your feedback, stories, and suggestions. Shoot me an email at NP@hippoeducation.com, I would love to hear from you!