Low Stress Nursing Jobs That Pay Well!
Thinking of a career switch in 2023? Read on about five of the lowest stress nursing jobs you might want to consider new year!
In a recent poll, 524 registered nurses voted on a scale of one to five how stressed they feel at work. 63 of the responding RN’s said most of the time or every day. Statistically that is a large percentage. Now we know this is not a scientific poll, but all you have to do is read any current nursing articles and you’ll discover just how prevalent burnout and stress are in nursing.
Through some of our own research, and opinions from our readers and subscribers, we think these the five least stressful nursing jobs available today. Again, this is not some scientific poll and academically researched result. You should use this a guide and a starting point if you are thinking about a new career direction in the next few months or years.
If you are one of the registered nurses who are looking for a least stressful nursing job, then this is a good place to start. Not all of these jobs might be the best fit for you or your credentials. However, this list should get you thinking about the kinds of new directions you can take in your nursing career.
So in no particular order so let’s started!
Telehealth Nursing Jobs
Find telehealth nursing jobs here. Telehealth nursing jobs are some of the most popular and sought after work from home nursing jobs available today. This type of nursing is done through the telephone video conference or an email. Telehealth nursing jobs are relatively flexible, which keeps this job a low stress nursing job.
You’re not having in-person, beside interaction. This relieves a lot of stress for some people. Nursing Katherine says “When i worked in an outpatient center, I remember watching the med tech do zoom calls with people .I think the most stressful part of that position was trying to teach people how to open up a zoom call!”
If you have even the slightest bit of technical acumen, telehealth nursing jobs maye be something you want to consider. Even if you are not looking for a work from home nursing jobs, many telehealth nursing jobs are done from an in-office environment. Usually some bedside experience is required. Good interpersonal communication and nursing documentation skills are a must for this position.
The telehealth nursing job outlook based on 2022 data (Bureau of Labor Statistics):
- Median Salary: $64,480
- 9% job growth through 2030
School Nurse Jobs
Find school nurse jobs here. Number two on our list of least stressful nursing jobs is school nurse.
School nurses work in schools all around the nation and they enjoy set hours Monday to Friday. Since they follow the school calendar, they don’t work on holidays and weekends. They also have the summer off in most school districts.
These nurses provide children with their daily medications and PRN medications for the occasional bumps and bruises that come with children. They are also qualified in BLS. School nurses also help in health education.
“I remember back to elementary school being in this terribly old multi-school building but beyond that I was lined up with all my classmates outside of the nurse’s office. You would go in one by one and you would sit in this old wooden chair with that big light over your head and they checked you for lice. That is my remembrance of our school nurse. Also I might have taken a few naps here and there at the nurse’s office when i didn’t feel like being in class”, says Nurse Katherine.
All in all, being school nurse jobs are relatively low stress compared to a lot of other nursing positions.
- Median Salary: $48,330
- 7% job growth through 2030
Home Health Nurse Jobs
Find home health nurse jobs here. Number three would be a home health nurse jobs. Home health nursing has wonderful flexibility. You can get paid a lot of money to be a home health. Often you are taking care of one person at a time. Unlike hospital or SNF nursing, there is no more racing around the clock trying to juggle five patients.
Sometimes you may have one patient, helping with ADLSs, but not cooking and cleaning. This might include helping your patient getting dressed or bathing.
Home health nurses also help with medications. You can go into the home and provide those medications for those pediatric patients you’re taking care of or those adult patients you’re taking care of. Many home health nurse jobs are just so rewarding. It can be very fulfilling to just have that one-on-one patient care.
It’s wonderful for those parents. If you do take care of a pediatric patient you’re lightening their load when they are at home. So if you like the patient care aspect of the hospital, but you want a change, maybe this next one’s for you!
- Median Salary: $73,300
- 7% job growth through 2030
Lactation Consultant Jobs
Find lactation consultant jobs here. Number four would be a lactation consulting jobs for nurses.
If you have children you might already know what this is all about. If you don’t have children then you might not have any idea what this type of nursing is.
Lactation Consultant nurses specialize in the clinical management of lactation and breastfeeding. These nurses help the patient understand the positions of breastfeeding, how to have the baby latch to the breast, and also make sure the baby is getting enough breast milk. They also do much, much more of that and there is a lot of education that also comes with this type of nursing job.
Not only do these nurses work in hospitals, they also can work in birthing centers, public clinics, and even pediatric offices.
It is best to become certified as a lactation consultant. The International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE) sets the standards and policies for lactation consultant nurses. Like most nursing certification, this requires some prerequisites, clinical hours, and some cost. However, it still ranks as one of the best, least stressful nursing jobs on our list.
- Median Salary: $86,525
- 9% job growth through 2030
Outpatient Infusion Center Nurse Jobs
Find Outpatient Infusion Center Nurse Jobs here. Number five of our least stressful nursing jobs is outpatient infusion center nurse. Nurse Katherine says, “I worked in an outpatient transplant infusion center and clinic and let me tell you guys this was the least stressful nursing job i have ever done. I would have one patient, maybe two patients at a time, get their vital signs, hang their medication, and when the medication was done I would take their vital signs again, take the IV out, and they would leave”.
For outpatient infusion nurses there is no assessing or racing around the clock. You will have patient after patient come in for their infusions and some patients can come in late. Although that tends to back it up a little, infusion nurses say this is about the only stressful part about the job. Gone are the days of trying to juggle five patients at a time.
There are so many types of infusion centers out there, from very small to huge clinics. They treat all types of patients. Some may require additional certifications, depending on the medications and/or type of treatment patients are receiving.
- Median Salary: $71,565
- 16% job growth through 2030
So those are our top five least stressful nursing jobs. Keep in mind that no job will ever be stress free. Nurses provide such much needed care to so many people. There will always be aspects of any job that can cause some stress. The key is to find a job that gives you fulfillment, with people you enjoy working with. So much of your work environment and personal goals contribute to your job satisfaction.
Which one of these five would you choose to work in if you left bedside nursing or left your current nursing position?
Would you be a telehealth nurse, would you be a school nurse, would you be a lactation consultant nurse, would you be an outpatient transplant or infusion center nurse ,or would you be a home health nurse?
Comment below which one you would choose if you left your position today. We’d love to hear your opinion.