Certified diabetes educator (CDE)
Nurses who have hold BSN degrees with diabetes specialty training can advance their careers through different corporate roles and also help their communities. CDEs act as representatives of manufacturers committed to progressive therapies, create awareness and also encourage others to become proactive about their health. CDEs are very important to people who need to acquire knowledge and skills necessary to keep their blood sugar in check and steer clear from long term complications as a result of hyperglycemia. As a CDE you will be spending most of your time with newly diagnosed patients and thus you will be greatly needed for both educational purposes and emotional support. CDEs not only serve as nurses but also pharmacists dieticians and exercise physiologists. As a certified diabetes educator you may be traveling to various hospitals and private practices within your area of residence to make presentations and also teach consumers how to use medical devices used in management of diabetes.
Clinical research associate (CRA)
Are you an analytical thinker who is always eager to learn about the recent and greatest medical advancement? If your answer is Yes then advancing our nursing career to become a CRA is a good career choice for you. Becoming a CRA is a great way to break into the pharmaceutical industry. CRAs monitor the results for clinical and patient data. They play a major role in research and the market launch of cutting-edge therapies. As a CRA you will be keeping track of statistics of study participants. Besides being very accurate in your documentation, you must be comfortable with interacting with the other research professionals undertaking these studies. Experience in nursing medical or pharmaceutical research comes in handy when you hold such a position. Qualified nurses are adequately prepared to review and discuss the complex results generated by study participants before reporting the findings. Clinical research associates can work in pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms, contract research organizations and government organizations. Most recruiters recommend contract organizations as the right bridge from clinical nursing to research. CRAs who have an experience of 2-3 years earn an income in the range of $60,000 and $70,000 and other bonuses.
Nursing adviser
Nurse advisers work in many programs which are sponsored by pharmaceutical firms. Nurses working in this capacity give advice to the company from an unbiased perspective, concentrating more on providing health improvements for patients. When holding this position, you will be advising consumers on a drug therapy programs and also introduce patients to the latest therapies.
Medical information specialist
This is also another prudent choice of advancing your nursing career into pharmaceutics. In this career you will be using your knowledge about pharmacology and physiology to dispense clinical knowledge to consumers over the phone.
Pharmaceutical sales representative
When moving from a patient care setting to a pharmaceutical sales representative, it is not so much a shift as a huge leap. As a sales representative one of your responsibilities is to persuade physicians and decision makes to purchase the products manufactured by your company. A pharmaceutical sales job may not necessarily use your clinical nursing skills and so you might feel somehow unchallenged. However, this job is both satisfying and lucrative. Your starting salary may be between $50,000and $60,000 but over time your personal earnings in bonuses and commissions can boost your annual salary up to six figures. Other than the handsome pay, you will get the fulfillment of being a key player in a dynamic venture.
See also Sbar nursing
Whichever choice you make, there are some key points to bear in mind. Most organizations invest heavily in recruitment and training new staff. To be hired by these companies you may be required to have a BSN degree. Your credibility is boosted if you are an RN with a Bachelors degree in another field. The pharmaceutical training programs are rigorous and they involve written assignments, tests and also role playing. It is never too late to make a transition in your career but you must do thorough assessments to ensure that the transition is a good fit. The change may not be as challenging but it may be just the career jolt you are searching for.