Are you a nursing student looking for a job that fits your studies? You’re in luck! There are plenty of great opportunities for nursing students to pursue that fit their needs, interests, and career goals. Whether you want to gain experience in the hospital setting or are looking for something more flexible to easily transition from school to full-time work, this guide will help you find the best jobs for nursing students.
Table of Contents
Best Jobs for Nursing Students
Hospital Jobs
One of the most popular jobs for nursing students is working in the hospital setting. This type of job offers hands-on experience with patients, as well as an opportunity to learn from experienced nurses and medical professionals. Hospital jobs also provide valuable insight into patient care and management, which is invaluable when transitioning into full-time work.
Benefits:
- Gain experience with patients
- Learn from experienced nurses and medical professionals
- Valuable insight into patient care and management
- Flexible scheduling options
Clinical Research Assistant
Clinical research assistants (CRA) are responsible for collecting data and performing clinical research related to nursing. This job provides a valuable opportunity to hone research skills and gain experience in the literature review, data collection and analysis, report writing, and presentation. It also offers a flexible schedule tailored to the student’s needs.
Benefits:
- Hone research skills
- Gain experience in the literature review, data collection, and analysis
- Learn report writing and presentation skills
- Flexible schedule tailored to student needs
Home Care Services
Home care services provide excellent opportunities for nursing students interested in providing direct patient care but don’t necessarily want to be restricted to the hospital setting. Home care services often offer flexible hours and allow nurses to specialize in certain patient care areas, such as geriatric or mental health care. This job also provides insight into how different treatments may apply outside of a hospital setting.
Benefits:
- Provide direct patient care
- Flexible hours and specialization options
- Insight into how treatments may apply outside of a hospital setting
- Opportunity to build relationships with clients and their families
Telemedicine
Telemedicine is an increasingly popular field for nursing students who want to work remotely. This type of job is usually done via video conferencing, phone, or email and involves providing healthcare services from a distance. Working in telemedicine offers an opportunity to gain experience in delivering patient care without the need for face-to-face contact.
Benefits:
- Work remotely
- Delivering patient care without face-to-face contact
- Flexible hours and scheduling options
- Gain experience in virtual healthcare services
Research Assistant
Working as a research assistant is another great option for nursing students who want to gain experience beyond the traditional clinical settings. Research assistants often conduct studies on various topics related to healthcare and medicine, giving them a chance to analyze data and draw conclusions about how healthcare systems can be improved or changed. Additionally, since research assistants often work directly with doctors and other medical professionals, they can learn firsthand about different medical procedures and treatments available today.
Benefits:
- Analyze data and conclude healthcare systems
- Learn firsthand about different medical procedures and treatments
- Work directly with doctors and other medical professionals
- Flexible hours and scheduling options.
Medical Writer
Medical writers provide written content for various publications, such as medical journals, textbooks, and websites. This job offers the opportunity to hone writing skills while providing valuable insight into the medical field. Additionally, since medical writers often work remotely or in offices, they have more flexibility regarding their hours and schedule.
Benefits:
- Hone writing skills while gaining medical insight
- Flexibility when it comes to hours and scheduling
- Work remotely or in offices
- Gain experience in medical communication.
Phlebotomist
For nursing students interested in working directly with patients, becoming a phlebotomist is an excellent option. Phlebotomists draw blood from patients for medical testing and analysis. This job provides hands-on experience with patient care and allows nurses to hone their skills in collecting vital signs and administering injections.
Benefits
- Experience in patient care
- Collect vital signs and administer injections
- Flexible hours and scheduling options
- Hone skills with medical testing and analysis.
Dietary Aide
If you’re looking for a job that will give you direct experience with patient care while also providing some flexibility, consider working as a dietary aide. Dietary aides assist in preparing and serving meals to patients in hospital or long-term care settings. This job requires an understanding of nutrition and customer service, allowing nursing students to hone their skills in both areas.
Benefits:
- Direct experience with patient care
- Understand nutrition and customer service
- Flexible hours and scheduling options
- Hone skills in meal preparation and serving.
Psychiatric Aide
For nursing students interested in mental health and psychology, becoming a psychiatric aide is an excellent option. Psychiatric aides work in hospitals or mental health facilities to provide direct care to patients with mental illnesses, substance abuse problems, or other related issues. This job requires empathy and understanding- both of which can be developed while studying nursing.
Benefits:
- Provide direct care to patients with mental illness
- Develop empathy and understanding
- Flexible hours and scheduling options
- Gain experience in the field of mental health.
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
An EMT works on the front lines of emergency medical response. This job requires a lot of knowledge and expertise in medicine and patient care, making it an ideal opportunity for nursing students to gain experience in these areas. Additionally, some states may require that EMTs have a nursing degree before they can pursue this career path.
Benefits:
- Gain experience in medicine and patient care
- Learn firsthand about emergency medical response
- Flexible hours and scheduling options
- Some states may require a nursing degree.
Orderly
Orderlies assist nurses and doctors in hospitals and other healthcare settings. This job requires exceptional organizational, time management, and customer service skills- all of which nursing students can hone through their studies. Additionally, orderlies often have an opportunity to learn about medical terminology and procedures while working closely with medical staff.
Benefits:
- Learn about medical terminology and procedures
- Develop organizational, time management, and customer service skills
- Flexible hours and scheduling options
- Gain experience working with nurses and doctors.
Undergraduate Tutor
Many nursing schools offer undergraduate tutoring programs where students can gain valuable experience in teaching and mentoring. This job provides an opportunity to apply what you’ve learned as a nursing student and help other students understand the material. It is also a great way to stay up-to-date on all the latest developments in nursing.
Benefits
- Apply what you’ve learned as a nursing student
- Mentor and teach other students
- Flexible hours and scheduling options
- Stay up-to-date on the latest developments in nursing.
Scrub Tech
Scrub techs assist surgeons and other medical professionals during surgery. This job can be the perfect way for nursing students to get hands-on experience with patient care and surgical procedures. Also, scrub techs can learn about different types of equipment used in operating rooms and proper sterilization techniques.
Benefits
- Get hands-on experience with patient care and surgical procedures
- Learn about various types of equipment used in operating rooms
- Flexible hours and scheduling options
- Develop knowledge of proper sterilization techniques.
Nursing Assistant
Nursing assistants provide basic patient care, such as taking vital signs, assisting with hygiene and dressing needs, and helping with dietary requirements. This job is ideal for nursing students who want hands-on experience in patient care while also learning about the medical treatments available today. Also, nursing assistants can learn more about medications, dosages, and administration.
Benefits
- Gain hands-on experience in patient care
- Learn about different medical treatments
- Flexible hours and scheduling options
- Develop knowledge of medications, dosages, and administration.
Final Thoughts
No matter what type of job you’re looking for as a nursing student, plenty of options fit your needs! Whether you’re interested in working in the hospital setting or prefer something more flexible like home care services or research assistant positions, these jobs offer valuable insight into patient care and management that will be invaluable when transitioning into full-time work after graduation. With many great opportunities available for nursing students today, finding a job that fits your interests and career goals is easy.
Mrs. Marie Brown has been a registered nurse for over 25 years. She began her nursing career at a Level I Trauma Center in downtown Chicago, Illinois. There she worked in the Emergency Department and on the Surgical Intensive Care Unit. After several years, she moved to the Midwest and continued her nursing career in a critical care setting. For the last 10 years of her nursing career, Mrs. Brown worked as a flight nurse with an air ambulance service. During this time, she cared for patients throughout the United States.