Question:
Dear Donna,
What job alternatives can you recommend for those of us with bad backs? After many years of clinical nursing in inpatient, emergency, and specialty bedside procedures, I am no longer able to work the 12-hour shifts on my feet that are required. Supervision/management is not for me.
Tana
Dear Donna replies:
Dear Tana,
There is a huge variety of things you can do that don?t require 12-hour shifts or being on your feet all day. Much depends on what you?re interested in and what you enjoy doing. If you are looking for positions in which you would have direct patient contact, look into ambulatory care positions such as public health, school nursing, occupational health, etc. If in-person contact isn?t required, there is telephone advice line, telephone triage, case management, utilization review, and more. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
To fully explore your options, consider attending my upcoming Career Alternatives for Nurses(R) seminar Oct. 5 in Las Vegas. Find out more at http://events.nursingspectrum.com/event.cfm?EID=735&type=Seminar. The program is also available in a home study version at www.Nurse.com/ce/DVD1/Career-Alternatives-for-Nurses and www.Nurse.com/ce/CD6/Career-Alternatives-for-Nurses-2.
Additionally, you should get out to Nursing Spectrum/NurseWeek Career Fairs in your area. There are usually several nontraditional employers at the fairs as well as several agencies, some of which have nontraditional offerings. See what's coming up at http://events.nursingspectrum.com/Expo.
I also would suggest that you read ?How to Find Your Forte? at www.dcardillo.com/articles/forte.html, as well as my book, ?The ULTIMATE Career Guide for Nurses: Practical Advice for Thriving at Every Stage of Your Career? (www.Nurse.com/ce/7250), to get you started on your journey.
Best wishes,
Donna
