One of the great things about being a registered nurse is that there are ample career opportunities available. Unlike many career paths where there is limited lateral movement within the field, nursing affords the skilled individual a great deal of flexibility. There are career opportunities that take the nurse off the floor and into the classroom, there are also jobs that allow nurses to travel the country and be paid well for it! So, below are three alternative jobs for nurses that have become tired of working a 9 to 5.

Travel Nursing Contracts

If you are a nurse who is looking to travel and see the country, then you should look into a travel contract assignment. These are very popular with nurses who have a particular skill set and who would like to travel the country. Hospitals all over the country have regulated quotas determining the number of nurses that they need to have. These numbers are based on how many patients the hospital sees. When the patient level increases, the hospital will need to have more nurses on board. However, hospitals often times have difficulty finding those nurses on their own, so they offer travel contracts to nursing agencies across the country. Many nurses sign up with these travel agencies and find assignments around the county at different hospitals. The hourly pay is often quite high, so that is an additional benefit to consider. Some agencies will also offer a housing stipend.

Nurse Coaching Jobs

If you don't feel like traveling but are looking for something a bit different than a floor shift, then consider a nurse coach job. Working the floor can be exhausting because you are on your feet for most of the shift and are dealing with sick patients. When you move into a nurse coaching job you will be in a classroom setting for a great deal of the day. Some of the time you will be working on the floor, but it will be in more of a supervisory and teaching position. You can look into different nurse coaching jobs and discuss with the recruitment manager if it's something that you would like to move into. 

Per Diem Flex Work

Perhaps you might like regular nursing work, but you simply don't want to do it on a 9 to 5 schedule. The great thing about being a nurse is that you can basically set your own schedule. It's known as per diem in the medical community. The way this works is that you will find a hospital, clinic, or nursing home and sign up to work a per diem schedule. You might work a few days a week, or you might only want to pick up one or two overnights. Either way, it affords you a great deal of flexibility.