Unconventional Jobs for Nurses

Becoming a nurse can take you places—and we mean that literally. While the majority of nurses work in hospitals or nursing care facilities, there are plenty of other types of work environments that will appreciate your skills. Some are luxurious, some are strange, and some demand that you be as hard as nails. Not all of them are unusual, but we’d wager you haven’t thought of some of these strange locations you can work as a nurse.

Cruise ships, other vessels, and oil rigs

Cruise goers, sailors, and oil rig employees spend weeks at a time at sea. At some point, someone’s going to need medical attention, be it from sea sickness or a freak shuffleboard accident.

Working at sea means you’ll have to be more independent than you would in a hospital or clinic, as you might be the only healthcare provider on board. In the case of a truly dire illness or injury, your primary duty could be keeping patients stable until they can finally be taken to dry land.

Being at sea can mean a life of travel, seeing the world, and exploring ports of call. You’ll meet (and provide healthcare to) people from all over the world and see more in a month of work than some people see in their whole lives.

Related resource: What is Working in a Hospital Really Like?

Theme parks

Nothing ruins a vacation like life-threatening illness or injury. Fortunately, some larger theme parks have nurses on hand to see to cuts, scrapes, and accidents. First aid services will take up most of a theme park nurse’s time, but if a guest does have a medical emergency you could be the nearest healthcare professional capable of assisting them.

Like working at sea, theme parks offer you the opportunity to meet people from all over the world who are set on having the time of their lives. If they need the attention of a nurse, you’ll be there to make sure their plans continue with only minimal medical interruption.

Prisons

If you want a job that will truly test your mettle, work as a prison nurse. Working in a prison might not be pleasant or fun, but it does have the potential to be interesting, and you’ll be providing a necessary service for the criminal justice system. It’ll also give you the opportunity to work with prisoners themselves, as some of them might very well work as your nursing assistants.

While it’s not inconceivable that you’ll treat wounds left by a fight or sit next to a hardened criminal as he finally finishes a life sentence, much of working in a prison is more routine. Prison nurses mostly see to inmates’ ongoing, everyday health issues. Working in a prison isn’t for everyone, but it’s challenging, necessary, and unforgettable.

Related resource: Everything Nurses Should Know Before Filing Their Taxes

Extreme sports

Race cars, as you might imagine, are dangerous. So are ski jumps, motor bikes, and skydiving. When feats of speed and derring-do are on display, it’s only a matter of time before someone wipes out and needs medical attention.

Responsible extreme sporting events will generally have nurses on hand. Working at a racetrack or sports park will make you very familiar with the specific kinds of injuries that participants receive on a regular basis. It might make you never want to participate in the sport at all, or maybe you’ll want to get behind the wheel of a race car or go off the edge of a ski jump yourself.

Are you ready for the adventures that come with nursing? Visit our program pages to learn more about our nursing and RN–BSN programs.