From The Nontraditional NurseMarch 18, 2025 Hi All!I’ve been listening to your feedback — and you’re ready for more than just inspiration. You want actionable career advice. So that’s exactly what we’re adding. You’ll still get a monthly spotlight, along with a growing library of nontraditional roles on the website. But we’ll also be adding a mid-month Career Moves edition focused on giving you practical, actionable advice to help you navigate your job search. The Nontraditional Nurse -Career...
18 days ago • 5 min read
From The Nontraditional NurseMarch 1, 2025 Welcome to the first edition of The Next Shift. New name. Same great content. Still powered by The Nontraditional Nurse. Each issue, we explore where nursing is headed, not just where it’s been. This month, we’re looking beyond the bedside… and beyond the planet. Let’s talk about nurses in space. The Nontraditional Nurse spotlight Today’s spotlight is on Christine Rincon — also known as “The Space Nurse.” She’s a critical care nurse who’s built her...
about 1 month ago • 6 min read
Career Exploration Beyond the Bedside February 1, 2025 Welcome to this edition of The Nontraditional Nurse Newsletter! The Nontraditional Nurse spotlight When nurses think about leaving the bedside, they often imagine stepping away from clinical care altogether — trading scrubs for a laptop and heading into remote roles. But not all nontraditional careers are hands-off. This month, we’re spotlighting a career path that keeps you deep in the action: the Registered Nurse First Assistant (RNFA)....
2 months ago • 7 min read
Career Exploration Beyond the Bedside January 1, 2025 Happy New Year and welcome to this edition of The Nontraditional Nurse Newsletter! The Nontraditional Nurse spotlight What if patient experience wasn’t just a department — but a mission? This month, I sat down with Kris Baird, RN, a former bedside nurse turned nationally recognized leader in patient experience, healthcare culture, and leadership development. As the founder and CEO of Baird Group, Kris has spent decades helping healthcare...
3 months ago • 8 min read
Career Exploration Beyond the Bedside December 2025 Welcome to this edition of The Nontraditional Nurse Newsletter! The Nontraditional Nurse spotlight After starting her career at the bedside, Teri Crumb stepped into the world of clinical research — and never looked back. Over the last 20+ years, she’s helped lead groundbreaking studies, supported countless families through clinical trials, and now runs her own consulting business. In this interview, she breaks down the realities of research...
4 months ago • 7 min read
Career Exploration Beyond the Bedside November 2025 Welcome to this edition of The Nontraditional Nurse Newsletter! The Nontraditional Nurse spotlight This month, we’re diving into a career that’s equal parts clinical, strategic, and tech-forward: Nursing Informatics. We sat down with Whende Carroll, MSN, RN-BC, a nationally recognized nurse leader and informaticist with over two decades of experience spanning hospitals, startups, and global thought leadership. Whende has built her career at...
5 months ago • 8 min read
Career Exploration Beyond the Bedside October 2025 Welcome to this edition of The Nontraditional Nurse Newsletter! The Nontraditional Nurse spotlight Today we’re highlighting a role that’s growing rapidly — and still flying under the radar for many nurses: Patient Advocacy. It’s a career path built on the heart of what nursing already does best — guiding, supporting, and advocating for people through a complex healthcare system. We sat down with Lori Schellenberg, RN, who brings over 40 years...
6 months ago • 6 min read
Career Exploration Beyond the Bedside October 1, 2025 Welcome to this edition of The Nontraditional Nurse Newsletter! The Nontraditional Nurse spotlight Meet Traci Espenship DNP, MSN, MSN-Ed, MS, RN, CPHQ, CPPS, CPHRM (Yes, we are impressed too). Traci spent 17 years in acute care, working in CCU, PCU, and the OR at a rural community hospital. One unexpected phone call changed everything: a friend asked if she’d consider a leap into medical risk consulting for a medical malpractice company....
6 months ago • 5 min read
Career Exploration Beyond the Bedside September 2025 Welcome to this edition of The Nontraditional Nurse Newsletter! This one is jam packed with great content, Enjoy! The Nontraditional Nurse spotlight Meet Julia Harrington RN — Julia is a nurse, tech startup professional, and master’s student whose thesis focuses on large language models (LLMs)—the technology behind tools like ChatGPT. She never expected to work in tech, but a nontraditional path led her from nutrition to nursing to nursing...
7 months ago • 5 min read