6 Obscure Nursing Jobs (That You Might Not Even Know Exist!)

There’s so much more to nursing than just daily life at a hospital. While most RNs start their career working in a hospital, nursing offers a huge variety of career opportunities – and some are more well-known than others.
In this article, we’ll take a look at 6 of the most obscure nursing jobs on the planet – jobs that even some nurses don’t know about! Take a look, and see some of the most interesting places that your RN can take you!

1. Nursing Informatics

Of all the fields listed in this article, nursing informatics is growing the most quickly. Nursing informatics is sort of a blend of IT and nursing, so it’s a very attractive field for nurses who are computer-savvy and enjoy working with technology.

Nurses who work in the informatics field generally troubleshoot problems with medical software, create process documentation, educate other nurses in the use of technology, and supervise tech monitoring systems.

Generally, nursing informatics will require a degree in nursing, as well as an MSN in Nursing Informatics. But that hard work pays off – the median for a nursing informatics specialist is somewhere around $80,000 a year!  

2. Legal Nursing Consultant

Nurses interested in the field of law can become certified as Legal Nursing Consultants (LNCs). Usually, these nurses work in the field of lawsuits and worker’s compensation cases, reviewing these cases and providing medical expertise to lawyers and their clients.

Often, legal nursing consultants function sort of like an in-house medical expert, explaining complicated medical topics to lawyers, and helping legal professionals interpret charts and understand common medical terminology.

While a certificate isn’t always required to become a legal nursing consultant, many law firms require certification by an accredited educational institution, as this ensures that a prospective LNC has an adequate grasp of the basics of case law.

3. Cruise Ship Nurse

If you want every day to feel like a vacation, you could consider becoming a cruise ship nurse! Cruise ships can often hold thousands of people, and travel over water for days at a time – and this means that in-house medical expertise is almost always required. Generally, a cruise ship will employ at least one medical doctor, and usually employ several cruise ship nurses.

Cruise ship nurses enjoy a very diverse workload. Issues can range from simple first-aid and wound cleansing to treating diabetic travelers, or even issues like heat exhaustion, sunstroke, and other issues that are common cruise ships.

And while cruise ship nurses usually don’t make more money than hospital nurses, there are certainly quite a few benefits. Cruise ship nurses get free room and board and usually work in shifts that are several months long – with multiple weeks of paid vacations after each shift.

4. Camp Nurse

If you love the outdoors, you could consider becoming a camp nurse. Most summer camps, wilderness camps, and retreats have a nurse on hand to deal with sick campers, minor injuries, and basic triage.

This work is seasonal, so it’s quite popular with school nurses who are looking to make a bit of extra money, and it doesn’t usually require any kind of specialized experience or certification.

And while most camp nurses don’t exactly rake in the cash – most camp nurses make around $20-$30/hour – many nurses enjoy the opportunity to live a more relaxed lifestyle, and enjoy the great outdoors!

5. Flight Or Transport Nurse  

In some rural areas, normal emergency medical services are unavailable, or too slow. Lengthy ambulance rides, helicopter transport, and transportation of patients by plane often requires a nurse to be on-hand, in order to take care of issues that EMS personnel cannot deal with.

Ground transport nurses do not require specialized certifications, but most hospitals prefer that flight nurses be certified as a CFRN – a Certified Flight Registered Nurse. Generally, transport nurses can expect to make around $63,000 a year, although experienced CFRNs can expect to make quite a bit more.

6. Forensic Nurse

Are you obsessed with true crime shows like Bones and CSI?

Well, the lifestyle of a forensic nurse isn’t quite as glamorous as it’s made out to be in Hollywood – but if you want to fight crime, catch bad guys, and enjoy an always-interesting career path, you could consider becoming a certified forensic nurse!

Forensic nurses are often used in cases involving sexual assault, abuse, and other injury cases, and they provide expert analysis and testimony both in and outside of the courtroom.

Generally, forensic nursing requires experience in caring for trauma victims, both physically and psychologically. And though there are no specific certification requirements, most forensic nurses become SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) certified when beginning their careers, and some nurses may also become certified death investigators.

Though this may seem like a lot of work, you’ll be well-compensated – the average salary of a forensic nurse is around $80,000 a year.

In Need Of A Change? Check Out These Awesome Nursing Careers!

We know that working in a hospital can lead to some serious burnout issues. So whether you’re seriously considering a career change, or are just curious about other opportunities, these 6 totally obscure nursing jobs are a great place to start!