While many nursing professionals may think hospitals provide them with the most employment opportunities, there are a wide variety of available positions outside of the walls of the hospital that can provide nurses with many opportunities for career advancement. By examining a wider scope of employment opportunities within the field, jobseekers can find options they may not have considered.

As part of the healthcare industry's efforts to expand care in all possible areas to meet the rising demand for health services, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that more than 700,000 nursing positions will be created by the year 2020. One area that has seen marked growth is that of home care nursing, according to APRN Guide. New advances in nursing technology provide more opportunities for nurses to provide care – everything from hospice care to chemotherapy can now be delivered to patients directly. Homecare nursing calls for nurses who have the ability to provide one-on-one care and advanced skills in a more personal setting, making it a good job for compassionate and caring professionals. 

Case Management opportunities also hold potential
"For nurses that are seeking a new level to add onto their clinical experience, case management could be the answer," says Amanda Bleakney, Managing Director of The Execu|Search Group's Health Services division. "As medical facilities increasingly transition to an Accountable Care model, the need for Case Managers will escalate because nurses will be responsible for managing a patient's continuum of care pre-admission to a healthcare facility, during their stay, and after their discharge. As quality and performance improvement initiatives continue to be monitored by the NCQA, JCAHO, managed care organizations, and our government, the need for case managers will only continue to increase, which makes today the perfect time to start looking for case management opportunities."

For those interested in case management, Amanda suggests that jobseekers turn to telehealth organizations, where in an effort to improve the quality of care that healthcare organizations offer by preventing 30-day readmissions, are experiencing a large boom in hiring. 

By looking into different employment options outside of the standard hospital setting, nursing professionals can not only gain experience in different areas of the field and make themselves more well-rounded candidates, but it allows for them to see a wider scope of opportunity in the coming years. Hiring managers and healthcare recruiters will be impressed by candidates who can show that they have a variety of experience under their belt and have worked within different environments, making it an excellent time to take advantage of these opportunities.