A nursing license is required to practice nursing, but if you don’t have an active license, many other positions in your field that do not require licensure may still be accessible to you.
Many people with nursing degrees hold jobs that allow them to work in the healthcare industry or gain relevant nursing experience without a license. This includes those who are in the process of studying for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) to earn their licenses.
If you hold a nursing degree but don’t have an active license, consider pursuing some of the top nursing-related positions discussed below.
Medical Assistant
Medical assistants perform a number of administrative duties and can work in many different clinical environments. Scheduling appointments, updating patient health records, and filling out insurance paperwork are some of the many responsibilities you may have as a medical assistant.
Though many of your duties may be administrative, in some instances, you may perform clinical duties, such as preparing lab tests, taking vital signs, and giving medications to patients, all of which you can legally do without an active nursing license.
Medical Scribe
A medical scribe oversees and handles various types of documentation for a physician—mainly medical records and medical charts. You may be in charge of updating health insurance information and might occasionally attend appointments with physicians to record patients’ symptoms, medical histories, and diagnoses. Some medical scribes also communicate with multiple physicians and departments to facilitate diagnostic tests, such as X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans, and record the results.
Medical Transcriptionist
As a medical transcriptionist, you listen to medical-related audio files, such as lectures, physicians’ notes, and operative reports, and turn them into text documents. This position requires you to type quickly and accurately and pay close attention to detail to minimize, avoid, and correct mistakes.
Medical transcriptionists don’t necessarily need to work in clinical settings; many are self-employed and work from home. Holding a nursing degree can make you valuable as an applicant; you may be able to better interpret medical-related information compared to other freelance transcriptionists who don’t have nursing degrees.
Medical Records Technician
The duties of a medical records technician are similar to those of a medical scribe, except your responsibilities will likely focus on overseeing medical records only. This position typically requires you to create, update, and organize patient medical records and transfer information that’s on paper into electronic medical databases. You may also be required to learn about and memorize medical codes, which are typically used by insurance companies to classify certain health conditions and treatments.
Clinical Lab Technician
As a clinical lab technician, you work in a lab setting to evaluate and test urine, blood, and tissue samples collected from patients. You’re responsible for using various types of lab equipment, such as microscopes and centrifuges, to look for abnormalities in samples that can potentially lead to diagnoses and changes in treatment regimens. In some cases, you may have the opportunity to explain your findings to doctors and collaborate with them to discuss potential treatments for patients.
Compliance Officer
Compliance officers make sure health organizations adhere properly to local or federal regulations, such as those related to workplace sanitation. This position may require you to visit healthcare facilities at random to perform audits and monitor operations to ensure guidelines and regulations are being followed.
If you plan on working toward an executive nursing position, working as a compliance officer can help you develop skills that ensure your organization is always in compliance with the latest industry regulations.
Dietitian
If you have a bachelor’s degree in nursing, you might also consider becoming a dietitian. Though some states require you to have a license, many others do not—including Arizona, California, and New York.
As a dietitian, you can work with patients to develop healthy meal and nutrition plans that may prevent or improve various medical conditions such as allergies, diabetes, and heart disease. The experience you gain as a dietitian can also help you later on if you decide to earn your license and practice nursing.
Pharmaceutical Sales Representative
As a pharmaceutical sales representative, you learn about new medications and pharmaceutical treatments. You then have the opportunity to share that information with physicians who may buy those products or patients who want those products prescribed to them. You may be responsible for distributing samples of your products to various physicians or sharing the results of medical studies in which the products were evaluated and tested on participants.
If you plan on earning your license and becoming a practicing nurse, the experience you gain as a pharmaceutical sales rep can assist you in helping patients understand how their medications work. It may also boost your ability to inform them of potential side effects and benefits.
A degree in nursing holds high value, even if you decide not to pursue or hold an active nursing license. If you’ve earned a nursing degree and want to work in the medical field without a nursing license, think about the types of responsibilities and working environments that appeal to you the most. Then, look for relevant positions that give you a sense of purpose and a high degree of job satisfaction.
Resource Links
- “The 10 Best Careers Similar to Nursing” via WGU Texas
- “8 Things You Can Do with a Nursing Degree – Besides Nursing” via Herzing University
- “Dietitians and Nutritionists” via U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- “State Licensure” via Commission on Dietetic Registration