• Branch out of your nursing career to do something different.nurse chris image by John Keith from Fotolia.com
  
  A job as a registered nurse, or RN, is a very lucrative one. However, if you have an RN degree and looking to do something other than nursing, you have options. Whether you're looking to make more money or work less hours, there are different job opportunities for registered nurses to branch out of their field.
  
  

Anesthetist

• The job of an anesthetist--or a certified registered nurse anesthetist--is to administer anesthetics to patients undergoing surgeries and procedures. According to Salary.com, the median salary is $146,521. Anesthetists work very closely with surgeons, anesthesiologists and other doctors. According to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, to become an anesthetist--besides having a Bachelor of Science in nursing, having a current registered nursing license and having one year of experience in the field--you must also obtain a master's degree from an accredited nurse anesthesia educational program as well as pass the anesthetist certification exam.
  
  

Working With Schools

• Local elementary and high schools hire nurses for different things. More and more schools are hiring registered nurses to teach health. This may include eating healthy, proper hygiene habits, anatomy, sex education, the dangers of illegal substances and overall personal health. Schools hire nurses to oversee athletic events in the event of an injury of a player or an attendee. Most schools are also now equipped with defibrillators and prefer to have nurses who know who to work them properly on campus in the event that someone goes into cardiac arrest.
  
  

Teaching

• To teach nursing at the college level, you will further your RN degree and obtain at least a master's degree in nursing--keep in mind that many larger universities prefer their professors to also hold a doctorate as well. According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, nursing faculty members are at an extreme low and are expected to decrease more. Because of this, many colleges and universities are desperately looking for nurses who can teach at their schools. This window of opportunity is ideal for a nurse who would like to turn in her scrubs to teach the next generation of nurses.