Nontraditional Nursing Careers: A Guide to Remote Work and Freelance Writing
Four years ago, I stepped away from full-time bedside nursing to pursue flexible, nontraditional nursing work and haven’t looked back.
Plenty of nurses dream about nontraditional roles, but many think they are impossible to achieve. Nurse writing jobs might not fall into your lap, but they’re possible with the right plan.
How I Left Midwifery to Become a Freelance Nurse Writer
So, how did I get here?
I spent my first year as a nurse in a pulmonary step-down unit. Next, I moved back home to be a labor and delivery nurse. I met midwives who treated families with patience and compassion, but mostly I was frustrated by the medical model of delivering babies like pizzas.
After that job, I worked at a community hospital with many midwives. There, I fell in love with physiological birth and empowering patients. They created the space I felt my patients deserved. When I gave birth, midwives caught my babies.
I worked as a labor and delivery nurse for 5 years while pursuing a master’s degree in certified nurse-midwifery and advanced practice nursing. My nursing grind included long hours- I struggled. But I persisted, because midwives matter.
How I Quit My Midwifery
Job
to Work From Home
Why I Left Clinical Care (Choosing Sustainability Over Burnout)
I worked hard as a midwife- catching babies, educating clients, and empowering families. Attending the births of these incredible superhumans is a joy that I will always treasure. Empowering patients meant everything!
I missed important holidays, school shows, weekend trips, and sleeping at the same time as my family. I struggled to be the mother my children deserved while providing for our family. While empowering my community, I felt like I was letting down the little people in my life.
When I gave birth to my fourth child, I developed postpartum depression, anxiety, and a chronic health disorder. While it wasn’t a direct result of my profession, I learned that I needed to minimize my stress in all aspects of life.
After a year of struggling to sleep and juggling my responsibilities at home and work, I resigned. I felt free for the first time in my nursing career, yet it was terrifying.
How to Transition into Remote and Nontraditional Nursing
Leaving clinical care didn’t mean leaving nursing—it meant choosing sustainability over burnout.
I was hired as the head nurse-midwife at a company that was to open a dreamy freestanding birth center in Florida. It never opened. As I mourned the loss of my dream career, I learned the art of the pivot.
At first, my priority was simple: making enough money to support my family. I knew I wanted flexible, nontraditional nursing work, but I didn’t have a single, linear plan—so I built one by experimenting strategically.
Leveraging Clinical Expertise for Contract Work
I believed I had the clinical expertise to leverage for self-employment as a full-time freelance writer. Stubbornly, I became an entrepreneur and started writing for health, medical, and parenting blogs. I also taught midwifery and nursing students to earn a steady paycheck and supplement my income. It worked for me, and I fell in love with it.
Still a Nurse—Just in a New Role
Thinking about leaving the bedside but staying true to your calling? Grab the free guide: 15 Remote and Nontraditional Jobs for Nurses.
I started with contract-based work that leveraged my clinical expertise: writing certification test-prep questions, creating educational and consumer health content for large healthcare organizations, and helping direct telehealth monitoring programs.
Building Skills in Medical Writing and Consulting
Along the way, I supplemented this work with seasonal clinic roles and short-term contracts to build experience, diversify my income, and stay connected to clinical care. Over time, these opportunities added up to a sustainable, flexible nursing career; one that supported both my family and my professional growth.
The Reality of the Freelance Nurse Writer Life
Do you know the thrill you get when you land a new job? As a freelance nurse writer, I felt the same sense of excitement every day when I landed these incredible projects. I became addicted to the feeling of working for myself and landing incredible opportunities. I tasted the freedom of working for myself as a nurse writer. That excitement flows into my life with our family, as well.
The best part of owning my schedule? The positive changes in our family’s life.
If the urge to write until 1 A.M. strikes, I can.
I leisurely drink hot coffee with my husband instead of rushing out the door and leaving my coffee in the microwave. I put on a robe, wander to my office, and gaze at my garden as my computer flickers on. When my babies were little, I could nurse them during my lunch break or take family walks with my littles.
My guide to working remotely in Walt Disney World (because I have done it so many times!)
Working from home changed my family’s entire dynamic.
Most nurses are superheroes who sacrifice their sleep and sanity for their profession. Nurses are the country’s most trusted profession year after year. Healthcare heroes risk their lives, minds, and families daily to support our communities.
I didn’t leave nursing because I stopped caring; I left so I could finally care for myself, too. If you’re feeling the same tug toward a different path, you don’t have to figure it out by accident as I did. It’s time you find the career that best supports you.
You don’t need to quit your job tomorrow, but you can start exploring what’s possible today. Download the Flexible Career Roadmap for Nurses and see which path fits your life
Evidence-Based Resources: From Obstetric SOAP Notes to Nontraditional Career Guides
I’ve spent years gathering resources to make our clinical lives easier and our recovery more intentional. You can find my full toolkit below.
1. 15 Remote and Nontraditional Jobs for Nurses
Explore career paths that utilize your clinical expertise in new environments. [Download the Career Guide]
2. 30-Day Nurse Burnout Recovery Plan
A structured, physiological approach to nervous system regulation and professional restoration. [Access the Recovery Plan]
3. Obstetric SOAP Notes Template
Streamline your clinical documentation with this midwife-approved template for arrest of dilation and complex cases. [Get the SOAP Template]
FAQ: Flexible Nursing Careers
I started by taking any project I could find that paid decently, from editing medical manuals to fact-checking medical drama scripts. Over time, I built up skills and networks, adding blog writing, content editing, and consulting. It was a gradual process fueled by persistence and curiosity.
It sounds incredibly basic, but practice consistently. Write often and across different formats. The more I’ve written over the years, the better I’ve gotten.
Learn about creating content that appeals to readers and search engines. Creating content is more than beautiful words on paper. It sometimes means creating images for social media and appeasing search engine algorithms.
Connect with other freelancers for support and inspiration. I have found a lovely network of other freelancers, literary communities, and nontraditional nurses, and it rejuvenates my soul.
Identify your strengths and interests beyond your current specialty. Build writing or consulting skills, join nursing communities focused on nontraditional nursing roles, and be open to freelance work to gain experience.
I’m lucky because I started this business as a happy accident to support my family a few years ago. The fantastic thing about satisfied customers is that they leave testimonials and referrals, which are critical for spreading the word about a new business.
Flexible nursing jobs are still nursing jobs. Download this free guide to explore flexible, rewarding nursing roles that don’t keep you at the bedside: roles you might never have known existed!
