5 Best Nursing Jobs For Veterans

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nursing jobs for veterans

If you are thinking of ending your career just because you’re leaving the military- think again.

Nursing continues to be highly in-demand. In fact, between the years 2010 and 2020, the employment rate for nurses is expected to increase by as much as 26%. And being a military nurse, your unique experience puts you at an advantage over others.

Now, if you are wondering exactly which specialty to take, here are the best nursing jobs for veterans you should consider.

1Emergency Nurse

Working as an emergency nurse can expose you to a variety of cases and medical emergencies. You’ll get to work on a wide range of illnesses- from a simple case of sore throat, cardiac arrest to traumatic brain injuries.

The working pace in the ER greatly fluctuates. One moment you’re resuscitating a victim of heart attack and the next moment you’re teaching a kid about accident prevention.

Why you’re a good fit:

As an ER nurse, you need to be able to act on a crisis and decide quickly on a plan of action. You must know how to recognize life threatening conditions and arrange care fast.

To be able to meet the demands of the job, you need to possess good management and decision making skills. You also need to have knowledge of respiratory assessment, advanced cardiac life support as well as pediatric advanced life support assessment

These are the exact things that make you fit for the job.

2Critical Care Nurse

Critical care nursing involves caring for adult, neonatal and pediatric patients in the intensive care area. It can also include working in the post anesthesia, burn or coronary care unit.

In essence, this simply means working with patients who are seriously ill or those who have life-threatening conditions. It can also mean taking care of patients who require extensive medical support, such as those who are on mechanical ventilators and dialysis machines.

Why you’re a good fit:

Critical care nursing requires someone who has great problem-solving skills and someone who learns quickly. Since patients in this area are seriously ill, nurses who work with them must know how to personally cope with the situation- no matter how tragic it is.

See Also: How to Become a Critical Care Nurse

3Surgical nurse

Surgical nursing is another area of nursing that’s fast-paced. In this specialty, you’ll be able to work in either a simple or complicated case. Despite working in a routine, there are still cases where life-threatening emergencies can happen. You need to be prepared to respond accordingly.

Why you’re a good fit:

Surgical nurses must be effective team players. They need to be able to anticipate what their surgeons, as well as the rest of the surgical team, need. They need to be able to switch from one task to another quickly.

4Transport Nurse

Transport nurses typically work on airplanes, helicopters and ambulances. They are responsible for providing care to patients being transferred from one location to another. In some cases, transport nurses pick up patients from the scene of accident and transport them to the hospital. They can also transfer patients from one institution to another.

Why you’re a good fit:

Unlike being in the Emergency Room, transport nurses need to work and think independently. They won’t have a team of nurses and doctors around so they need to possess great critical and decision-making skills. They also need to possess advanced skills to make sure that their patients stay safe during the transport.

5Telephonic Case Manager

If you prefer a less stressful environment that will still allow you to work as a nurse, you can consider working as a telephonic case manager. You can perform the job at home, be comfortable and have a flexible working schedule.

For the job, your company will be the one to provide the necessary technology. You can do a huge part of the work over the internet. You can process calls and make the required documentation using your computer.

Why you’re a good fit:

As a telephonic case manager, you will be primarily responsible for assessing, planning, implementing and documenting case management activities regarding injured employees. You’ll have to work (through phone) with the patients, employers and claims adjusters to ensure that proper medical and disability services are provided.

You will work as an advocate for the injured employees. You’ll be assessing any barriers to their recovery, provide them with the best treatment alternatives and assist them in identifying cost effective rehabilitative services.

Other Nursing Career Options for Veterans

In case a fast-paced environment no longer excites you, there are other nursing specialties you can try.

If you like being in different countries and you can accommodate frequent trips, you might enjoy working as a travel nurse. The salary for the job is very competitive and there are other perks and benefits you can enjoy. You can also choose to work as a clinical nurse instructor and share your unique experiences with other nurses and nursing students.

How To Transition From Military to Civilian Nursing

In making the transition a lot easier, you need to set realistic expectations.

Civilian healthcare is a lot less rigid and far less formal if you compare it to your environment in the military. This, however, doesn’t mean that you won’t need to complete any prerequisites to get the job you want.

Most of those nursing jobs for veterans require specialized education, advanced training and higher nursing degree. If you have taken these benefits while you are still in the service, you won’t have much difficulty getting a job right after entering the civilian life.

In case you failed to take any of those requirements, there are programs and nursing schools that can assist you. There are online degrees and on-campus programs you can enroll in to get your MSN or doctoral degree.

See Also: Top 10 Cheapest RN to BSN Programs Online

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