You don’t have to quit your nursing role to find out what else is out there.
(I know I’ve done it myself. But, that’s not always the model.)
You can keep your badge, your benefits, your seniority, and your sanity… and still run a real test on a new direction.
Most nurses treat this like a binary: stay forever or burn it down.
But there’s a quiet middle and it’s where the smartest career moves actually happen.
That middle is what this post is about.
The Advice You’ve Already Heard (And Why It Probably Won’t Work for Nurses)
Most career change advice tells you to redo your LinkedIn, schedule three coffee chats, and start “networking.”
That’s fine. But it’s not always what moves nurses forward.
We have something other professionals don’t: a license that lets us pick up paid shifts almost anywhere, a job that pays for our certifications, and a workplace full of people who already know the path we’re trying to scout.
We don’t necessarily need “coffee chats.” We need to use what we already have.
Here are 7 moves nurses can actually use to test a new path while staying employed.
Move 1: Book ONE Shift Somewhere New Through a Per Diem App
Apps like Medely, ShiftKey, IntelyCare, and CareRev let you pick up a single shift at a setting completely different from yours.
School nurse for a day. Outpatient infusion. Plastic surgery recovery. Dialysis. Aesthetics. Clinical research site. Long-term acute care.
You’re a licensed RN with so much specialty experience. Some roles may allow you to show up, work the shift, get paid, and walk away if you’re specialty-adjacent. You’ll be able to see plenty in one shift that gives you the data you need.
I remember when I was in Albuquerque, New Mexico (sort of temporarily)... I took on a role, did one shift and immediately knew I was not going back.🥴
So, it can be fairly easy to test.
What usually will happen is that most nurses scroll job boards for months when the actual move may be to scroll one of these apps and book a shift in your “maybe” specialty this month.
Cost: nothing. Plus, you get paid.
Move 2: Use Your Hospital’s Tuition or Certification Benefit on the Future You
Your healthcare organization/hospital may pay for continuing education or certifications.
The move is to use it on the certification or on continuing education that matches your next possible role.
- Want into case management → CCM
- Want into infusion → CRNI
- Want into education → CNE or CNEcl
- Want into informatics → an EHR certification or a healthcare informatics cert
- Want into legal nurse consulting → LNCC
- Want into quality/safety → CPHQ
You’ll have the credential before you ever apply. Your application stops looking like “interested floor nurse” and starts looking like “case manager who happens to currently work the floor.”
Your employer pays for it. Take it.
Move 3: Volunteer for the Committee That Maps to Your Future Role
Every hospital has committees. Most nurses avoid them. But committees are where you build a portfolio that has more to do past the bedside care we’re used to.
- Want into informatics → EHR optimization committee or Epic Super User team
- Want into education → preceptor council, new grad committee, or simulation lab
- Want into quality/safety → unit QI committee or Magnet champion team
- Want into leadership → shared governance, unit council, or policy review
- Want into research → IRB-adjacent committees or research nurse champion roles
- Want into DEI/workforce → nurse residency mentor or staff engagement committee
Two hours a month. Unpaid. But it directly builds the resume you’ll need — and you start meeting the directors of the departments or outside opportunities you’re trying to move into.
Plus, by the time a role opens at your organization, they already know you.
That’s how internal hires happen.
Move 4: Ask for a “Stretch” Assignment Instead of Waiting for a Transfer
Hospitals run short-term projects all year: EHR rollouts, accreditation prep, policy revisions, new equipment trials, Joint Commission readiness, staff education campaigns, throughput initiatives.
These almost always pull nurses off the floor for a few hours a week.
If you feel comfortable sharing with your educator, manager, or director, say something like:
“I’m interested in moving toward [direction] over the next year or two. If any short-term projects come up in that area, I’d love to be considered — even a few hours during my shifts or on a scheduled basis.”
Managers can say yes. They get an engaged employee. You get a paid, real look at what that work feels like — without applying for anything.
An example I can share is while working in the ED. I made known to our charge nurses/team leaders that I was interested in caring for our forensic patient population as much as possible. And then, I became a full-time forensic nurse because of that.
Move 5: Float on Purpose
Most nurses dread floating. The move is to volunteer for it — to the unit that aligns with your next step.
Tell your charge nurse: “If you ever need me to float to [unit], put me at the top of the list.” Or just volunteer when that one nurse grimaces when it’s their turn.
You’ll learn the workflow. You’ll meet other staff. The unit’s manager will know your face before you apply.
I would image a percentage of internal specialty transfers happen because someone floated there, did good work, and the manager said “we’d love to have her permanently.”
They didn’t receive an application from a stranger. They got a familiar face from a float shift.
Move 6: Pick Up a PRN Position at a Second Employer
You don’t have to leave your main job to work somewhere else.
Most nurses can hold a PRN position at a second facility — outpatient surgery center, dialysis clinic, school district, urgent care, telehealth platform, occupational health, plasma donation center, employee health, jail clinic, hospice agency.
One shift a month is enough to answer:
- Is this the pace I want?
- Are these the people I want around me?
- Could I see myself here full-time in two years?
Some of these jobs may pay less than the hospital. That’s fine — you’re not there for the paycheck. You’re there for the test.
(Many of them, by the way, pay more. Aesthetics, dialysis, and some telehealth platforms regularly beat bedside hourly rates.)
My test: I did this when I worked PRN in an eating disorders inpatient hospital and PRN in a maximum security prison. I was just interested in learning more about the work and decided to try them both.
Although I didn't go full-time in either, I had enlightening experiences for up to a year in both opportunities.
Move 7: Take a Clinical Advisor or AI Reviewer Gig on the Side
Healthcare startups hire nurses by the hour. So do AI companies training their models on clinical data.
Typical pay: $30-$65/hr. Typical hours: 5-10 a week. Typical setup: remote, async, your schedule.
You’re not quitting. You’re moonlighting in the world you’re curious about — and getting paid to learn it from the inside.
Where to look:
- LinkedIn job search using terms like “clinical advisor,” “RN consultant,” “clinical SME,” “AI clinical reviewer,” “nurse contractor,” “remote RN reviewer”
- Indeed and ZipRecruiter with the same terms
- Direct outreach to digital health startups whose product you actually like
- Platforms like Outlier, Invisible, Mercor, and Surge AI for AI training work
One contract is enough to know if this world is for you.
And if you’d like to be added to the list when I get opportunities in my inbox, sign up here.
How to Tell If Your Test Worked
You’ll know it worked if:
- You came home with energy instead of dread.
- The work felt interesting even when it was repetitive.
- You started imagining a version of yourself doing this full-time.
- You finished and thought “I want another one.”
You’ll know it didn’t if:
- You felt the same heaviness, just in a new setting.
- The work was the issue, not the environment.
- You couldn’t picture yourself there in two years.
- You were already trying to find the next test before this one ended.
Both answers are useful. A “no” saves you a year of job searching for the wrong thing.
FAQ
What if my manager finds out I picked up a shift somewhere else?
Most hospitals have a moonlighting policy, not a moonlighting ban. Read your policies. As long as you’re not at a direct competitor or violating your scheduled hours, you’re almost always fine. PRN, per diem, and contract work at non-competing facilities is standard. If you’re unsure, email HR and ask in writing — once you have it in writing, you have it forever.
What if I don’t have time on top of my regular shifts?
Start with ONE move that doesn’t require extra hours — signing up for a committee, asking your manager about a stretch project, or pulling a certification you can study for during slow stretches. You’re not adding a second job. You’re redirecting what you’re already doing.
What if my hospital has a non-compete?
Most non-competes for RNs are narrower than people think — usually limited to direct competitors within a small geographic radius, and often unenforceable depending on your state. Read the actual policy. If you’re seriously concerned, a 15-minute consult with an employment attorney is worth the $100 or even a conversation with HR. Don’t make career decisions based on something you’ve never actually read.
What if I try one of these moves and hate it?
Then you saved yourself two years of pursuing the wrong direction. That’s the entire point. The information you get from hating something is just as useful as the information you get from loving it.
What if I’m too burned out to add anything to my plate?
Then this isn’t your week to test a new path — and that’s fair. The first move when you’re that depleted isn’t a career test. It’s PTO, a real weekend off or a true vacation… and an honest look at whether you need to drop hours before you do anything else. Save this post for when you have a little gas in the tank.
What if I don’t even know what direction I want?
Pick the move that requires the least commitment — booking ONE per diem shift in any setting that sounds remotely interesting. You’re not committing to a career. You’re sampling. The direction will start to show itself after 2-3 samples.
Is it worth it if it lowers my income temporarily?
Sometimes the test costs a little money. A school nurse shift may pay less than the hospital. A clinical advisor gig may pay less per hour than overtime. That’s not a loss. That’s the price of information. You’re trading a small amount of income for a real answer about your next 3-5 to 10 years.
What if I’m not ready to apply for the role yet?
You don’t have to be. None of these moves require you to apply for anything. They’re tests, not commitments. The point is to give your future self real data — not to force a decision before you’re ready.
You don’t have to know where you’re going. You just have to start collecting real data on what you’d actually like.
The license is already in your hand. The benefits are already paying for things you can use. The committees are already meeting. The apps are already on your phone.
The only thing missing is the decision to use them on YOU.
Pick ONE move from the list this week. Just one. See what it tells you.
I’ll see you in the next article.
– Marsha
