If you’ve landed on this page you’re probably trying to figure out what exactly this blog is about. I get it, it seems like a confused middle schooler trying to figure themself out. Is it about nursing? Another influencer trying to push random products I don’t need? Or a travel blogger rubbing their “perfect” life in my face? Well, the answer is this blog is about alternative nursing careers with a little bit of shopping and travel envy sprinkled in for pizzaz. So without further ado, welcome to the jungle: let’s find out what this blog is really about!

But first, let’s just start by getting to know one another, feel it out, see if the vibes are vibing. Then we’ll see where this blog takes us. There might be some twists and turns on the path to self (blog) discovery, but it’s nothing we can’t handle. After all, we’re nurses and flexible is our middle names. Or something like that.

So let me introduce myself. My name is Hailey and I’m running the show here. I’m not going to bore you with all of the details about my nursing career and what led me to where I am today, but you can read more about me here if tickles your fancy. But this post will focus on the important stuff: the blog.

You might be wondering why it’s named The Alt. Blog or why the site is The Alt. Nurse. The short answer is because I thought it sounded good. I’m kidding.. but only kind of. The story of the name starts with me deciding to start a blog…yesterday at this time of the writing. I know, I know, not very thought out but that’s just kind of how my brain works. If I think too much about it, I’ll talk myself out of doing it.

SO here we are, just giving it a whirl. Back to the story though, I was looking at a blank website trying to decide what to call it and what it should be about. I did the good ol’ google search for “good blog names” and as I was looking through potential names that didn’t feel like me at all, it hit me…The Alternative Nurse. The Alt. Nurse for short. It was perfect. A blog that can be about alternative nursing careers from an alternative nurse. And The Alt. Blog was born.

Now that you know how the name was conceived, I bet you want to know what it’s about. “Could it be alternative nursing careers, Hailey?” You got it! It’s about alternative nursing careers! “But what does that mean??” Alternative nursing careers are ones that you can do with your nursing degree that can take you out of the traditional hospital bedside setting and let you explore ways to improve healthcare and patient outcomes through other outlets.

If you read my story, you know that I started as an ER nurse but somehow ended up in nursing informatics. This was a move that, as unexpected as it was, changed the trajectory of my career and life in more ways than one. I’ve found work-life balance that has allowed me to explore my hobbies and interests, spend more time with loved ones (I don’t miss birthdays anymore…crazy!), and take my career to the next level.

Just to be completely transparent with you, though, this job did kind of “fall” into my lap, but before you roll your eyes and click away, I have worked extremely hard to continue to grow in this position and solidify my spot as an invaluable member of my team. Also, I didn’t really have any resources or guidance on how to pursue a career in different nursing fields other than bedside to go off of. That’s the real reason why I decided to start this blog. To give a first person viewpoint on the reality of leaving the bedside world and provide guidance on how you can get there too.

“So where do we go from here?” Well, that’s a great question. I’ll leave you with just a few of the career options you have outside of bedside nursing with some links to different sites and organizations that can help kickstart your search for an alternative nursing career.

Obviously I’m a little biased but informatics nursing is a great option if you’re tech oriented and enjoy solving problems. There are plenty of opportunities for growth and even to gain your MSN in Nursing Informatics (like I’m doing now).

• ANIA (The American Nursing Informatics Association) – An amazing organization that offers guidance and career advice for those in or looking to get into nursing informatics.
• AMIA (The American Medical Informatics Association) – Similar to ANIA but is not specific to the nursing profession.
• Nurse.org: What is Nursing Informatics? – Informative article discussing more about nursing informatics including potential job positions and salary estimates.
• WGU BSN-MSN Nursing Informatics Program – Competency based MSN program that is flexible to work with you and your schedule (I’m currently enrolled in this program).
• University of Pittsburgh Health Informatics MSN Program – Traditional credit based MSN program but is still 100% online to allow flexibility in your life.

Medical writing is a great option to start out with a side hustle that can potentially turn into a full time gig. Of course you’ll need to love and be decent at writing and there are some courses available online that can help with honing your skills.

• AMWA (American Medical Writers Association) – Organization that offers information on the background of medical writing, what you can do as a medical, and resources available for getting started in this field.
• How to Become a Competent Medical Writer – Article from Perspectives in Clinical Research (PICR) that provides invaluable information on becoming a great medical writer.
• MasterClass: How to Become a Medical Writer – Online article with links to courses instructed by some of the best writers to help guide you in getting started in medical writing.
• Udemy – List of online courses geared towards medical writing of all levels.
• Coursera – Another option for online courses for medical writing.

Education is a common non-bedside route that many nurses take. We essentially become educators almost immediately after start our nursing careers in the form of preceptors for new staff and nursing students. So it makes sense that we naturally gravitate to this field.

• NLN (National League for Nursing) – Organization that provides resources for nurse faculty and educators including journal articles and grants and scholarships.
• Nurse.org: Best MSN Nurse Educator Programs of 2023 – List of the top MSN programs for pursuing a degree in nursing education.
• RegisteredNursing.org: Nurse Educator – Webpage that provides tons of information on what you need to become a nurse educator and potential job positions you can hold.

Keep in mind, this is just a short introductory post and there is a considerable amount of career options out there to choose from. My aim is to do as much of the grunt work for you and find as many alternative nursing careers available as possible. And also have some fun along the way. If this sounds like something you’re interested in following, drop a comment and share this post to get the word out! Also, be sure to find me on Instagram and LinkedIn (TikTok to come – I’m still unsure about all that)!