How Nurses Can Plan Career Changes in 2025
Nurse.org is inviting all nurses to make 2025 the year you make those big career goals happen. Want to get beyond the bedside? Want to make more money? Want to have more autonomy and respect? Or just want to figure out what your next move is? Keep reading to find out how to plan a career change and then how to make it actually happen.
- How to plan your next nursing career move
- Jobs for nurses who want to change career paths
- Steps to achieve your nursing goals in 2025
- Download the free Nurse Career Planner
Popular Online RN-to-BSN Programs
Gain the skills and credentials to advance into nurse management and leadership roles, while laying the groundwork to pursue future nurse practitioner or advanced practice roles. Complete your courses online, on your schedule, at Purdue Global’s School of Nursing.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide, but certain programs have state restrictions. Check with Purdue for details.
WGU's award-winning online programs are created to help you succeed while graduating faster and with less debt. WGU is a CCNE accredited, nonprofit university offering nursing bachelor's and master's degrees.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide
The University of Texas at Arlington’s online programs are designed to help you achieve more in your nursing practice with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. They offer convenient, flexible options for completing your RN to BSN online, designed to fit into your busy schedule.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide
GCU’s RN-BSN program is tailored to meet the needs of the RN adult learner and to maximize the strengths that the working RN already possesses. Transfer up to 90 credits and earn a BSN in as little as 12 months. GCU’s online classes allow you to study at the times that work for your schedule while still enjoying a close connection with your classmates and instructor via online discussions.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide
As a pioneer in distance learning since 1985, Liberty University’s online nursing programs are designed to prepare practicing nurses to serve with integrity by teaching advanced skills from an ethical perspective. Liberty's programs are based on industry best practices and up-to-date research – so you can get the tools you need to stay on the cutting edge of nursing care and innovation.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide
How to Plan Your Next Nursing Career Change
Figuring out what your next step should be, starts with figuring out what you want and what matters to you. Think about the following things as you're planning out your career goals:
What Are Your Strengths?
Do you love sharing your knowledge and helping other nurses? Maybe becoming a nurse educator is the right path for you. Are you a natural leader? Then you might think about advancing into a management role.
What Are You Most Interested In?
Do you love crime dramas? Add forensic nursing to your list of career possibilities. Or maybe you're interested in helping people look and feel their best -- in that case you may want to look into aesthetic nursing.
What Are the Reasons You Got Into Nursing in the First Place?
Think about the beliefs and values that drew you to this profession in the first place and see if that leads you in any particular direction.
What Do You Want to Change About Your Current Role?
Perhaps the most important question on this list, what do you need in your next career? Do you want to work from home? Do you prefer not to have a direct patient care role? Do you want to explore new states? Are you ready to advance your education? This could be a number of things, but only you will know what matters most to you in this next role. It’s important to think about what is important to you for the next stage of your career as a nurse!
>> Show Me Online RN-to-BSN Programs
Jobs for Nurses Who Want to Change Career Paths
Once you've thought about what matters most to you, you can then explore the plethora of career opportunities that the field of nursing has to offer. You can explore a full list of all the types of nurses or see an explainer of nursing ranks and levels, or keep reading for some of our top suggestions for nurses wanting to make career changes.
Careers for Nurses Who Want to Leave the Bedside
If you want to get beyond the traditional bedside role, there are a lot of options available to you. In fact, the growth for non-traditional bedside roles is growing exponentially and the opportunities are endless. From aesthetic nursing to telehealth there's something for everyone. Below are a few options to consider, and you can also explore 10 more non-bedside nursing jobs.
Aesthetic Nurse or Aesthetic Nurse Practitioner
Aesthetic/Cosmetic Nurses and Aesthetic NPs help people through the use of non-invasive, in-office treatments such as injectables and skincare treatments. Aesthetic nurse practitioners often help plastic surgeons and cosmetic dermatologists, providing pre-and post-operative care related to plastic surgery as well as delivering care to patients under the supervision of a physician.
Nurse Educator
Nurse Educators are master's-prepared nurses (MSN) that generally work in academia; however, they can also work as a unit-based educators. They develop coursework curriculum, teach courses, evaluate educational programs, oversee clinical rotations, and conduct research. Nurse Educators need a minimum of a Master's of Science in Nursing degree. Nurse educators in the hospital setting will focus on continuing education, orientation for new nurses, as well as education-related to products utilized in the unit.
>> Show Me Online Nurse Educator Programs
Telehealth Nurse
Telehealth nurses are Registered Nurses that use telecommunication technology such as video, phone, email, and messaging to provide high-quality care to patients. They often help patients with minor health problems and can help determine if patients need to seek emergency care, make an in-person appointment with a physician, or can be treated without further guidance.
Forensic Nurse
Forensic nurses care for victims of violent crime, abuse, or neglect while gathering evidence to support law enforcement. Forensic nursing is a unique specialty that blends the worlds of nursing, science, and the legal system. There are several types of forensic nurses that you can specialize in if this field interests you.
Research Nurse
Research Nurses, also referred to as Clinical Nurse Researchers or Nurse Researchers, develop and implement studies to investigate and provide information on new medications, vaccinations, and medical procedures. They assist in providing evidence-based research that is essential to safe and quality nursing care.
>> Show Me Nursing Research Programs
Home Health Nurse
Home health nurses provide care for individuals in their own homes. This care may be needed because of an injury or illness for which a patient has already been hospitalized, or for those who require medical supervision but who either do not require or do not want to be in an institutional setting.
Hospice Nurse
Hospice nurses care for patients in their final weeks of life, providing both acute clinical care and compassionate palliative care meant to deliver a high quality of life and to help them and their families as the end draws near.
Careers for Nurses Who Want to Make More Money
If you know that you definitely want to make more money, check out the options below as well as our list of the highest paying nursing jobs in 2025.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
CRNAs are the highest-paid registered nurses, earning on average more than $212,000 per year. CRNAs administer anesthesia and other medications as well as monitor patients who are receiving and later recovering from anesthesia. You'll need a doctorate degree to become a nurse anesthetist.
Nurse Practitioner
A Nurse Practitioner (NP) is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) that has earned either a Master's of Science in Nursing (MSN) or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). NPs earn a higher salary, have more responsibility and more career opportunities than many other types of nurses. They can serve as primary care or specialty care providers and typically focus their care on a specific population such as families, children, or the elderly.
>> Show Me Online Nurse Practitioner Programs
Clinical Nurse Specialist
A clinical nurse specialist (CNS) is a type of Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) that's completed a graduate-level education and clinical training. Like nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists specialize in specific patient populations; however, unlike NPs, they focus more on educating nurses and improving patient outcomes.
Travel Nurse
With more and more nurses wanting to travel the country and still work in a profession they love, travel nursing has become increasingly popular. It offers guaranteed shifts at a higher pay while exploring a new city as often as one wants, generally 13-weeks at a time. Furthermore, nurses often have the ability to extend a contract if the new city is starting to feel more like home.
Popular Online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Programs
Earn a valuable nursing credential at Purdue Global’s School of Nursing. Expand your expertise and prepare to take on leadership and independent practice opportunities. Complete your courses online, on your schedule.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide, but certain programs have state restrictions. Check with Purdue for details.
WGU's award-winning online programs are created to help you succeed while graduating faster and with less debt. WGU is a CCNE accredited, nonprofit university offering nursing bachelor's and master's degrees.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide
GCU's College of Nursing and Health Care Professions has a nearly 35-year tradition of preparing students to fill evolving healthcare roles as highly qualified professionals.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide
Earn your nursing degree from one of the largest nursing education providers in the U.S. Walden University’s BSN, MSN, post-master’s APRN certificate, and DNP programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Get enhanced practicum support with our Practicum Pledge.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide, excluding CT, ND, NY and RI. Certain programs have additional state restrictions. Check with Walden for details.
Careers for Nurses Who Want More Autonomy
Do you want more control of your work? Then perhaps you need a nursing role with more autonomy and responsibility. Roles in leadership are ideal for you; however, it does take an advanced degree and years climbing the management ladder. Check out these nursing leadership roles:
Chief Nursing Officer
A Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) is the highest administrative role within the nursing profession. Being a CNO involves communicating with nursing departments about business matters, best nursing practices, and nursing issues. Education to become a CNO includes a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or higher, with a focus on business administration.
Director of Nursing
Nursing Directors are key administrators in the healthcare system. They collaborate with other healthcare professionals while overseeing the day-to-day operations of a nursing department. With high pay and many opportunities for career advancement, it’s a highly sought-after position. Nursing Directors typically have years of bedside clinical nursing experience as well as leadership skills, and an advanced education -- either an MSN or DNP.
Nurse Manager
Nurse Managers manage and oversee the nursing staff in a healthcare facility. They create schedules for employees, give annual performance reviews, and help create policies within the unit. Managers can oversee one specific unit or may oversee several units within a healthcare facility. This will depend on the organizational structure of the facility. Nurse Managers are usually required to hold at minimum a Bachelor's in Science in Nursing (BSN). Most major healthcare institutions will also require completion of an MSN degree or current enrollment in a master’s level program.
Popular Online Healthcare Leadership Programs
The University of Scranton offers multiple online degrees in the growing healthcare industry. The comprehensive coursework is based on real-world scenarios and is equally rigorous and rewarding. The return on investment will be as big as the change you can make in a variety of healthcare leadership roles!
Multiple
Online
Enrollment: Nationwide
GCU's College of Nursing and Health Care Professions has a nearly 35-year tradition of preparing students to fill evolving healthcare roles as highly qualified professionals.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide
Whether you’re taking the first steps toward a nursing degree, seeking to advance as a nurse or want to hone your craft with specialized study, there’s a path for you at Purdue Global’s School of Nursing. Our programs were designed so that you can easily balance your lives at home and work with school - without sacrificing the rigor and cutting-edge curriculum of a quality nursing education.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide, but certain programs have state restrictions. Check with Purdue for details.
WGU's award-winning online programs are created to help you succeed while graduating faster and with less debt. WGU is a CCNE accredited, nonprofit university offering nursing bachelor's and master's degrees.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide
As a pioneer in distance learning since 1985, Liberty University’s online nursing programs are designed to prepare practicing nurses to serve with integrity by teaching advanced skills from an ethical perspective. Liberty's programs are based on industry best practices and up-to-date research – so you can get the tools you need to stay on the cutting edge of nursing care and innovation.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide
How You’re Going to Achieve Your Nursing Goals This Year
Once you've decided which direction you want to go, you then have to figure out how to make it happen.
1.) Put Your Goals Into Writing
Write down exactly what you’re going to accomplish. To get ahead of any future doubts, you can also write down potential excuses you may give yourself down the road along with rebuttal statements.
2.) Look Back at What You’ve Already Accomplished
Just in case the above steps weren’t enough to get you motivated, you’re also going to make a list of your previous accomplishments. That way when you’re feeling down and like you can’t do this, you can look at this list and know that you have what it takes.
3.) Share it
Keep yourself accountable by sharing what your goals are on social media so that you and all the other nurses you’re doing this with can keep each other accountable.
4.) If You Need to Advance Your Education, Explore Nursing Schools
After you’ve reviewed the process for getting that next degree, you need to start exploring schools. This will give you a sense of application deadlines, prerequisites, entrance exams, etc.
- Top 10 Best Nursing Schools of 2025
- Best Online Master's in Nursing (MSN) Programs for 2025
- Top Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Programs
5.) Brush Up Your Resume
If it's been a while since you last updated your resume, or if you just want it to be in the strongest shape possible, check out our Ultimate Guide to Nursing Resumes to learn how to optimize your resume for robotic resume readers, the role you're applying for, and what to include to land your dream job.
6.) Apply For Jobs
Once your resume is in good shape and you know what you're looking for, you're ready to apply for nursing jobs. Be sure to check out the Nurse.org job board and others to learn about the latest nursing roles in your area.
7.) Prep for Interviews
If your newly updated resume was strong enough to land you an interview, make sure you're ready by checking out the 31 Top Nursing Interview Questions & Answers as well as the Complete Guide to Nursing Interviews to learn everything you need to know to nail the interview.
Why 2025 is the Best Time to Make a Major Career Change as a Nurse
It may seem daunting to start any major career changes, especially in these uncertain times, but you owe it to yourself to go for what you want! Because if not now, when?
There will never be the perfect time to make your dreams come true, but hopefully, this gives you a guide for where to start. We can't wait to see what you make happen in 2025!
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