If the pandemic has made you re-evaluate your career in nursing, or you’re just about to begin the search for your first RN job, this guide is for you.

Below you’ll find a list of the least stressful jobs in nursing, as well as some work from home nursing positions. Plus, to get you started on your search, there’s also a list of the best places to look for jobs.

You’re welcome in advance!

Top 4 work from home nursing jobs

The past year has seen much of the workforce trying to manage home and work life, all from their dining room table.

Except, of course, frontliners and key workers.

Nurses have been on the grind helping the world recover from the crisis, which may have given you all the experience you need to call it a day on bedside nursing. As such, if you’re ready for a little break and to be less hands-on, here are the top nursing jobs that you can do from home.

Health coach

As a nurse, you may find that most of your time is filled with dispensing medications and treating symptoms of illnesses or injuries that have already occurred.

As a health coach, you’ll instead work with clients to make positive changes in their lifestyle and diet in order to boost their overall wellness and prevent ill-health in the future.

The work of a health coach has been proven to improve treatment outcomes for patients, meaning you could be offering people the chance to lead a richer life. It’s an incredibly rewarding role that can often be done remotely or at a variety of locations where your clients are based.

Nursing informatics

The BLS suggests that there will be a 9% increase in the demand for nurses with a dual specialization in computer science and nursing by 2024. A nurse informatic or technician is a lucrative position in a new industry, meaning you could be enjoying a high-paying role.

You’ll be working with the technology that other nurses use to do their jobs and focusing on how to improve the experience for nurses using it or how to better manage patient data.

Telephone triage nurse

If you don’t mind sitting on the phone for a considerable amount of the day, you could consider a role as a telephone triage nurse. With the right software, you could do the role from the comfort of your own home while helping patients and answering questions.

Emergency service numbers are commonly called simply to ask a question or to find out whether they should book an appointment. Triage nurses can help reduce the pressure on the emergency services by answering these questions and putting patients’ minds at ease without filling in the lines.

Hospitals and clinics are often very busy, meaning nurses can be a great asset. Highly qualified nurses can help to support patients, assess symptoms, and recommend treatments without having to book them in with a doctor.

Freelance nurse writer

Those that have years of experience in the field could use this experience to inform and educate others through medical writing. Freelance writing is a lucrative career that can be done remotely. Medical writing is much more complex than traditional copywriting, meaning it requires medical professionals who understand the terminology.

You can find medical writing work through job sites or via platforms like Fiverr and Upwork. One day you may be writing a press release for a health facility, and the next, a practice exam paper for students at nursing school.

Top 4 least stressful nursing jobs

The work of a nurse is rewarding but incredibly emotionally draining. It can be hugely stressful to care for sick and injured people and to hear the traumatic stories to go with it.

If you’re struggling to deal with the stress of bedside nursing, you don’t have to give up your dream of being a nurse. As well as practicing self care for nurses, try looking at the following least stressful roles for nurses.

Nurse educator

With such a high demand for nurses and so many people applying for nursing school every year, how can there still be such a shortage?

One of the biggest barriers to getting nurses educated and into vacant jobs is the shortage of nurse educators. And you could become one.

Nurse educators do exactly what you think: Educate other nurses or students. The role is reliable, and you’ll often work set hours. As everyone you teach has taken the decision to follow a career in nursing, your students will likely be incredibly engaged – making the teaching super low stress.

Educators often work in colleges or universities and may even work from home if the course is based solely online. You’ll be training the next generation of nurses to be the best they can be, and it’s this that makes the role of nurse educator so rewarding.

Cruise nurse

There’s nothing less stressful than a job that feels like a holiday.

As a cruise nurse, you’ll work onboard or in a resort – making this the perfect combination of sea, sun, and work. You’ll likely be responsible for treating just minor injuries, scrapes, and sunburn.

The downside to cruise nursing is that you could be away from your friends and family for long durations of time. You may also need to work on a cruise-by-cruise basis and find your own jobs. That said, who doesn’t want to travel the world while earning a living?

Nurse researcher

Researchers in the nursing field will be based in a lab rather than at the bedside. In this line of work, you’ll focus on studying illnesses and potential treatments. Nurse researchers can conduct studies on participants or work in colleges on reporting.

Camp nurse

This seasonal based role is another low-stress position where it’s unlikely you’ll need to make any life-or-death decisions. It can even be fun. You’ll work during the summer at camp and treat minor injuries or prompt the children to take their medications. Your main treatments will be for bug bites, heat exhaustion, and sunburn. The rest of the time you can enjoy the weather.

The best job sites for nurses

So, with a few job ideas up your sleeve, all that’s left to do is find your dream role. But where do you start your search?

Below are the best job sites for finding nursing roles. Some are specifically for nursing jobs, while others are reputable job search engines that just happen to be ideal for healthcare roles.

Nurse.com

Recognized as one of the best job boards for nurses. Search by title, specialty, skill, or location. If you have an idea of who you want to work for, you can also set up a specific job alert for them.

NurseFinders

This site has been running for over 40 years and has helped hundreds of budding nurses find their dream roles. If you’re looking for a temporary job or somewhere that will hire quickly, this allied staffing agency is worth a try.

NursingJobs.com

For those that love the idea of traveling – even if it’s just around the country – NursingJobs.com is your best bet. They specialize in travel nurse roles but offer a vast number of permanent positions too.

Indeed

Everyone’s favorite job site, Indeed.com, is great for healthcare roles. You can upload your own CV and use the ‘quick apply’ buttons to whizz through applications in no time.

Health eCareers

What sets Health eCareers apart is their salary calculator that helps you negotiate a salary you deserve.

CareerVitals

For healthcare jobs, CareerVitals claims to be the largest job board out there. Pre-screen healthcare employers can directly contact you about potential work if you upload your resume. There’s also the option to get their advice on your CV before you start applying.

CampusRN

If you’re just about to graduate nursing school, CampusRN is a student-friendly job board that advertises roles specifically accepting new grads. Most jobs on the site won’t need you to have much experience, so it’s a great place to start your search.

CareerBuilder

This general job site has the option to search for remote work-only, meaning it’s a great place to look if you’re interested in any of the work-from-home roles mentioned above.

Health Jobs Plus

Those in no rush to find a new job can benefit from joining the mailing list from Health Jobs Plus. You upload your resume, and they’ll email you jobs that might be of interest that fit your skills. Even if you’re not currently on the lookout for a new position, it’s good to keep an eye on the market, other salaries, and the qualifications you may need to make a career move.

Nurse Jungle

Another great resource for new nurses is Nurse Jungle. Not only is the site simple and easy to use, but it also offers lots of information and links to resources for joining your first nurse association or how to get licensed as a registered nurse.

This post should hopefully make you think differently and more positively about your future in nursing if you’ve found the past year of bedside work too much. There are so many opportunities and plenty of resources to help you find the perfect role.