If still doubtful, check out these 10 unusual jobs you can get with a nursing degree. They include everything from advanced duties in the operating room to the legal aspects of medicine and other types of nursing jobs.

1. Travel Nurse
   It is often thought that travel for leisure and work should be separated, but this career breaks that barrier. Those with nursing degrees can be hired out to the destinations of their choice for the duration of their choice. While days may be spent working, pay can be good, and seeing the world is just one of the benefits. Travel Nursing.com has loads more on travel nursing, including the best destinations, pay rates, and even more for specialty nurses who travel.
2. Nurse Anesthetist
   Why should brain surgeons make all the money? This is one of the top paying health care careers which can pay upwards of $180,000 in annual salary. If you find that hard to believe, check out this article on Minority Nurse on true life CRNA Gloria Spires, who is an integral part of many operations. She discusses the career, the nursing degree required, and more.
3. Home Health Care Nurse
   Love the idea of nursing but hate the idea of working in an office or hospital? There’s a nursing career for that. With so many patients being unable to leave their homes, there is a demand for home health care nurses. Karen S. was the typical RN working in a city hospital for five years before she stumbled into home nursing almost by accident. In this entry for Discover Nursing, she shares more on why this type of nursing is right for her.
4. Pediatric Home Care Nurse
   If you like the idea of the above and working with children, check out this career. These nurses provide healthcare for children with complex medical issues needing skilled nursing care to remain safely in their homes. This involves meeting with families, reviewing medical orders, developing care plans, and working with parents to meet the needs of the child. This nurse tells more about the job on Career Story.
5. Nurse Researcher
   This nursing career is an excellent choice for those who want to combine nursing and science. Nurse researchers work on the research side with top scientists, doctors, and even the occasional patient to make breakthroughs in medicine and treatment. In this entry for Nurse Week, Lorraine Frazier discusses her career as a nurse researcher.
6. Nurse Educator
   Love nursing but hate dealing with patients? Then swap them out for students in this nursing career. Often requiring an advanced nursing degree, educators can devote part or all of their careers to the teaching side of nursing. They often serve as faculty members for schools and develop teaching plans, oversee practice, and even lead the occasional course.
7. RN Case Manager
   If people aren’t your thing at all, there is a nursing career for you. A nurse case manager has a similar job to a social worker but with more of a medical aspect. Case managers do new admissions and outline a plan of continuous care for patients in need of a consistent visitation regimen. They can work for hospitals, clinics, home health agencies, and more.
8. Patient Advocate
   Nurses who would rather go quality than quantity in their dealings with people can have a look at a career as a patient advocate. They consult with individuals on their healthcare goals and outcomes, provide reports to doctors, assist in making decisions, and review insurance information. Real life nurse/patient advocate Janet Wise discusses more on Scrubs Magazine.
9. Legal Nurse
   Because medicine doesn’t just happen inside the healthcare field, check out this unusual nursing job. This nurse, also known as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, uses their expertise as a healthcare professional to consult on medical-related cases. Basically, they help bridge the gap between medical terms and legal jargon. Two stand out features of this career are that you can do it with an RN license, not an advanced degree, and can be paid $125- $150 an hour to review cases.
10. Nurse Practitioner
    Get as close to being a doctor with a nursing degree as possible in this career. In fact, nurse practitioners can often take the place of family care doctors in diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. Although an advanced nursing degree is required, the salary and benefits can be well worth the effort. This is also the most likely of the nursing careers to go into practice for themselves and be their own boss. The blogger at Mission NP has more on tips for those who want to become nurse practitioners.

Each of the above 10 most unusual jobs you can get with a nursing degree has their own requirements on education, training, and even certification. If you know which career you are interested in pursuing, make sure the program or college is an acceptable way to get there.

Blogs and Sites for Live-In and Home Care Nurses

Live-in and home care nurses are always encountering new obstacles and dealing with concerned family members. There’s an art to being a live-in or home care nurse and these blogs and websites show you how to make the transition to working in someone’s home, while providing them with the stellar care they’re used to in a hospital or nursing home.

1. Family Care Giver Blog This is a must-read for care givers and live-in nurses. There’s nothing like getting help and support from fellow care givers. It is a stressful position and this blog provides you with other resources around the web to help your journey as a care giver.
2. The Caregiver’s Voice The independent voice for family and professional caregivers of adults with brain impairment or dementia caused by Alzheimer’s, stroke, related illness, or trauma. The Caregiver’s Voice brings hope and strength to caregivers through knowledge, support, and humor.
3. The Care Giver This blog is penned by a care giver caring for a 94 year old mother. The content can be heavy at times, but provides care giver with amazing support and stories from the front lines. For any live-in care giver or nurse dealing with an Alzheimer’s patient, this blog is packed with resources and information on the latest medical developments with the disease.
4. Hospice Foundation For care givers dealing with hospice patients, this site is an essential read. There’s information on being emotionally supportive for a family struggling with the idea of loss and how to consult patients so they make the most of the good times.
5. Care Diary This excellent blog speaks to care giver’s about safety precautions, mental health concerns and the importance of creating consistency in a patient’s life. Several professionals in the industry write posts regularly, which means you get multiple perspectives on care giver’s dealing with patients suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s.
6. Care Givingly Yours This blog is written by a spouse care giver coping with MS. It’s a touching blog that shows fellow care giver’s how to keep up a patient’s spirit when the going gets tough. It also discusses keeping a cool head and your patience when the circumstances seem overwhelming.
7. Doris Social Worker Penned by a social worker, this site isn’t about care giving, but it is the blog of a compassionate woman who has made serving others her career. Care givers and live-in nurses can learn a lot from this social worker’s blog when it comes to having an open mind and big heart when dealing with those in need.
8. My Wife Has MS At this blog, a husband chronicles his family’s struggles coping with a wife with MS. For care givers dealing with MS patients, this blog is packed with new studies and recent developments on the disease.
9. Family Care Giver Alliance For family members turned care givers, this blog is helpful in showing you what to expect when becoming the rock for an ill person. It also discusses important topics like taking care of yourself when you’re constantly taking care of someone else.
10. Compassion and Choices This blog focuses on those who have loved ones living with a terminal illness. While care givers may not always be related to patients, it’s still difficult to see someone struggling with a deteriorating quality of life. This site offers tips on keeping up morale for friends and family members, while being respectful of the patient’s wishes.
11. New Old Age This NY Times blog focuses on caring for the elderly. For family members who may not be able to handle being a care giver, the site also talks about nursing homes and interviewing professional care givers and nurses to care for your loved one.
12. Musings of a Cranky Care Giver This husband works as a care giver to his ill wife. Recently this blog has been wrapped up because the blogger find he doesn’t have to sit down to hash out his thoughts as a care giver anymore. It shows family members serving as care givers that things eventually become manageable, no matter how hectic they seem at times.
13. A Place to Scream Whether you’re a family member or a professional care giver or nurse, constantly tending to a sick person can be overwhelming. There’s immense pressure and emotional stress when you’re dealing with a sick patient day after day. This husband of a woman suffering from MS shows you it’s OK to let off the steam every now and then.
14. Middle Age Mania This dedicated wife works as a care giver to her husband who has MS. It’s a personal blog that gives care giver’s and live-in nurses a taste of the nuances that paint every day when caring for a patient or loved one.

Job Sites for Live-In Nurses and Home Care Givers

Online job hunting is the way to go when you’re a live-in nurse or home care giver. You don’t want to wait for patients to come to you. Instead, learn the power of the Internet and social networking to put your name and face out there, so those searching for a home care giver can come to you.

15. Caregiver List This site discusses the trends happening in the care giver industry, including where jobs are surging. Search the job list area and check out why turnover happens for those working as a live-in nurse. Plus, read up on tips on how to keep your patients feeling genuinely cared for, regardless of their condition.
16. Long Term Care Locators At this site, home care givers can scope out the job scene by region and see what folks are looking for from a live-in nurse. There’s also job postings from long term care agencies, which take care of the liability that comes with being a freelance care giver (which can be dangerous in some cases).
17. Premier Home Care Services See what areas of expertise those searching for home care givers are looking for. This is a home care agency providing services in Canada, but their rundown of what clients are looking for in a home care giver will help you put together your resume and brush up on skills that will get you hired.
18. Care Giver Jobs Search this site to find care giver positions in your area. This is an excellent resource for care givers who already know the ropes and simply need a way to post their area of expertise and look at job openings convenient to your location.
19. Home Instead Care Giver This site is conducted by an agency that trains home care givers. Learn what’s required by home care givers in varying states and discusses resources for caring for the elderly and Alzheimer’s patients.
20. Senior Helpers This blog talks about being a care giver to the elderly. Learn what’s involved in caring for an elderly patient. It isn’t all about bed pans and medicine; it’s often about companionship and helping the patient make the most of their quality of life.
21. Care Those in need of a care giver come to this site to search who’s available. This site goes beyond job hunting for home care givers and live-in nurses and also discusses opportunities for working with disabled children.
22. Gris World Special Care This home care giver agency shows you how to get through the process of becoming a home care giver. It talks about working with the disabled, as well as elderly patients. This site focuses on non-medical care giving tips.
23. Care Giver Career For those looking to go out on their own as a home care giver or live-in nurse, this site is a must-read. It helps you access the job market and allows you to post your resume for free, allowing employers to reach out to you if they find you’re a good fit.
24. Care Giver Needed At this site you can post your resume, peruse care giver jobs and learn how to grow your home care giver business. For live-in nurses and care givers who operate on a freelance basis, a site like this is integral to covering your bases and ensuring you’re putting safety first.
25. BrightStar Care This site caters to both care givers and RNs, CNAs, LPV/LPN. BrightStar is an agency that matches qualified care givers with families in their area. At this site you’re able to search job listings and also send in your resume in case BrightStar has a family you’ll fit in with.

Message Boards and Forums for Live-In and Home Care Nurses

There’s nothing like chatting with other live-in and home care nurses to get an idea of what to expect once you’re exclusive to one or a few clients. Learn how to negotiate prices, how to conduct taxes and take care of liabilities from these nurses in-the-know.

26. Care Givers Home Forums Care givers at this site chat about caring for the elderly. For family members living with an elderly parent, this message board is helpful for learning how to make your home more accessible for an elderly person who isn’t able to get around as easily as they once did.
27. My Parkinsons Forum Nurses and care givers dealing with patients struggling with Parkinson’s will appreciate this message board. Members talk about the progress of their loved ones and there’s also a forum for caring for children with PD.
28. HealthBoards – Care Givers Forum This site is a mix of professionals and family members turned care givers. Here, care givers vent and share their experiences, making it a great place for interacting with other care givers struggling with emotional frustrations.
29. Strength for Caring Care givers discuss caring for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients, as well as keeping your spirits up during hard times. There’s also a forum for grieving, which is helpful since many care givers grow close to patients and must grieve the loss just like a family member.
30. Family Care Giving 101 Family care givers share their stories at this messageboard. This board talks about how to prepare yourself for the major responsibility of being a care giver, as well as what to do when you feel you’ve reached the end of your rope. It also talks about guilt, grieving and doing your best to keep your family member aware of their condition (when possible).
31. Empowering Caregivers This is arguably one of the most welcoming and knowledgeable online communities for care givers. It discusses everything from taking care of yourself in order to care effectively to how to explore alternative healing and spiritual inspiration with patients.
32. Heart and Stroke Patient Care Giver Forums This Canadian-based message board aims to provide readers with resources in British Columbia, but the thread are packed with information on how to prevent another heart attack from happening. The site is still developing, but worth stopping by for educating yourself on heart and stroke prevention.
33. Alzheimer’s Messageboards Register at this message board and you’ll have instant access to a plethora of information over working with Alzheimer’s patients. This forum delves into financial assistance, what family members can expect and how to have the patience to cope with an ill loved one.
34. On Top of Cancer Care Giver Care givers working with cancer patients will find this site helpful. It talks about how to recuperate from care giver’s burnout and tips for dealing with the anxieties and stress that come with being around a terminally ill patient.

Home care givers and live-in nurses can use the web as a tool to find new clients, land permanent positions with an agency or raise their business profile. It’s also imperative to read up on safety and liabilities when you’re working in someone’s home. For family members that become care givers due to a loved one falling ill, these blogs and websites will provide everything you need to know about the emotional responsibilities that come with the position. Whether you’re a live-in aide or nurse, it’s important to take care of yourself and get adequate rest so you can take care of your patient with ease.

You can also meet other nurses and health care professionals online. Professional organizations and nursing social communities can be a great way to connect with others. You can get support, and you can ask questions of your peers. If you are looking for some helpful web resources, here are 50 to consider:

General Reference Sites and Medical Libraries

Find information about general medical concerns, and nursing ideas. You can access a wealth of knowledge online through these resources. Brush up on items you already know, and learn something new.

1. PubMed: One of the best databases of medical information. Learn about clinical trials, access a great database, and even find journal articles.
2. eMedicine: This is the WebMD for professionals. Check it out, and find great information.
3. Welch Medical Library: From the Johns Hopkins University med school, this library is full of great references.
4. MedicalStudent.com: An amazing resource that can help any nurse. It includes textbooks.
5. Mayo Clinic: Get your information from one of the most trusted resources in the world. Great reference site full of solid info.
6. Health On the Net Foundation: Use this great resource to help you find information about different health and medical topics.
7. Healthline: Great reference information in a consumer friendly format.
8. Intute: Visit this U.K. reference site for great information on various medical subjects.
9. Medical Dictionary: This handy reference can provide you with what you need to keep up with the jargon used in health care settings.

Specialty Medical Reference

In addition to general sites, there are medical resources that are organized by specialty. If you are focusing on a specific area of nursing or health care, it can be useful to understand the issues related to your specialty.

10. Internet Mental Health: A great reference site for mental health nurses.
11. GeneralPediatrics.com: Get access to textbooks, journals, case studies and more related to pediatrics.
12. OBGYN.net: An excellent resource for those who want to be nurse midwives, or who work various areas of women’s health.
13. M.D. Anderson Cancer Center: A great reference and resource for cancer nurses.
14. Sci-Info-Pages: This is a site devoted to information on spinal cord injuries.
15. Clinical Neurophysiology on the Internet: Get specific information about neurophysiology. An interesting branch of medicine that you can learn more about.
16. ElderCare Online’s Medical Research Assistant: If you are in geriatrics, this is a great reference.
17. RxList: Use this resource to learn more about pharmacology, and what different drugs do.
18. Medication Information Library: Helpful resource that keeps you up to date on the latest information on medications.

Care Plans

If you are looking for sample care plans, or if you want help creating a care plan, the following web sites can be quite helpful. These sites include great information on creating care plans, as well as templates you can use to improve your own care plans.

19. CareScribble: Use this nursing care plan editor to create the best course of treatment for your patients.
20. NursingCrib: Perfect place to go to learn the basics of nursing, and find helpful hints on creating a nursing care plan.
21. Virtual Nurse: Information on how to write a nursing care plan. Step by step instructions.
22. Comprehensive Nursing Care Plans: An interactive nursing care site.
23. Careplans.com: Learn about building plans, and see some samples.
24. Transitional Care Planning: A great resource for those who want to put together a transitional care plan for patients.
25. eHow: Simple step-by-step instructions for creating a good care plan.

Case Studies and Journals

Get the latest information on treatments and new breakthroughs. You can get access to case studies, as well as to peer-reviewed journals. Make sure you know what’s happening in the world of medicine so that you can apply it as you work with your own patients.

26. Online Case Studies: Recent case studies that can be of use to just about anyone.
27. Case Studies in Science: Plenty of medical case studies that are peer-reviewed and full of helpful information.
28. Transcultural Nursing Case Studies: An interesting look at caring for those in different cultures. A very helpful resource in our shrinking world.
29. Clinical Nursing Case Studies: Links to different case studies. Great resource for real life examples of nursing.
30. Medical References: Great access to different reference materials and peer-reviewed journals.
31. Directory of Open Access Journals: Get access to open access journal articles on nursing.
32. The American Journal of Nursing: Get access to interesting articles about the latest advancements in nursing.
33. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing: Keep up with the latest issues in the nursing.

Profesional Nurse Organizations

If you are looking to make professional connections and get access to conferences and some other perks, you can visit the web sites of different professional organizations. Check with these organizations for career advancement opportunities, helpful nursing hints, and the latest headlines, nursing issues and more.

34. International Council of Nurses: Interact with nurses on an international level.
35. Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses: Connect with other med-surg nurses.
36. American Nurses Association: Connect with other nurses, and get helpful information and advice.
37. American Academy of Nurse Practitioners: If you are into advanced nursing practice, this society is for you.
38. American College of Nurse Midwives: Nurse midwives can get career support and more.
39. American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants: If you are looking for help from a legal consultant, or if you are one, this is a great resource.
40. American Assembly for Men in Nursing: Specifically aimed at male nurses.
41. American Forensic Nurses: An interesting organization for an interesting field in nursing.

Social Nurse Communities

Sometimes you just need to kick back and make social connections. Other times you may want to vent about the rigors of your job. Joining a nurse social community can help. You can ask questions, and find friends. These are great places to get practical tips that you can use every day, or meet other nurses.

42. Nurse.com: A great place for nurses to interact.
43. Nursing Community: Interact with other nurses, be an advocate, and keep up with news.
44. Ultimate Nurse: Plenty of nursing discussions, especially on travel nursing.
45. NurseTogether: Connect with other nurses from around the world.
46. NursingCenter: Great resources, and chances to chat with others.
47. allnurses.com: One of the most well-known social sites for nurses.
48. Nurse Uncut: Candid community for nurses.
49. Nurse Forum: Head over to NurseTV and connect with your nursing peers.
50. Nursing Voices: Share your story with friends from around the world.