Why Make the Transition from a Clinical Care Career?

Are you feeling burned out from working in a clinical setting and ready to make a change? For many healthcare professionals, a point comes when they are ready to transition from working directly with patients to a non-clinical role. If you are considering making this switch, you are in good company. In a recent report, 26% of physicians indicated they were considering non-clinical career paths. Non-clinical healthcare careers can be just as rewarding as patient-facing ones, but you will need to have a plan for making this transition.

For nurses with many years of experience, a look at non-clinical roles in healthcare may feel unnatural. Yet there are many reasons to consider non-clinical healthcare careers. As you weigh the pros and cons of clinical versus non-clinical, here are some factors to consider.

• Physical demands of clinical care: Many nurses find that clinical care, especially in a hospital setting, means many hours on their feet, lifting patients and other physically challenging responsibilities. Making the transition to a non-clinical role can eliminate some of these physical demands.
• Exposure to germs: While many nurses and physicians develop strong immune systems, the reality is that working in healthcare settings means much exposure to germs. With the re-emergence of widespread diseases, the fear of getting sick from a serious condition has increased.
• Charting and more charting: While non-clinical work does often involve paperwork, it doesn’t involve charting. If charting is becoming part of the job that you, then you may want to put your skills and knowledge to work in a different area.
• Working toward your strengths: When looking at a career change healthcare professionals must consider their strengths. Do you have organizational skills? Would you feel comfortable in a leadership role? If so, then a career change to healthcare administration may be a good choice for you. If you're more introverted, moving out of direct patient care into an office/administrative role could be a better fit.

Dr. Dania Baba, an assistant professor of healthcare administration at UMass Global, offers insight into the types of students looking to further their healthcare career. “There is a diverse background of students, and they learn a lot from each other. When you have a nurse, someone not in healthcare, physician, and other healthcare students in a course they get to learn from all the stakeholders involved in management, enhancing their perspective.”

5 Tips for Making the Transition to Non-Clinical Healthcare

For doctors and nurses who have been working in patient-centric roles, making the transition to non-clinical roles in healthcare requires strategic planning. It’s not as simple as applying for a non-clinical position, as you may need additional education to make a complete transition.

Here are five steps to make the transition as seamless as possible.

Tip #1: Reflect on Transferable Skills

Before you start the process of stepping into a new role, take a closer look at your skill set. Figure out what you already know that can apply to a non-clinical setting and determine what you need to add. Completing research on the specific position you want is important in understanding the qualifications needed for role. This research will help you focus your educational efforts in the right areas.

Tip #2: Get a Non-Clinical Healthcare Degree

Prioritize training for the role you are considering. You may want to consider pursuing one of the many non-clinical healthcare degrees, such as a Master’s in Healthcare Administration. An MHA degree not only provides you with operational and strategic business skills needed for administrative roles, but it also adds to your earning potential by adding a graduate-level degree to your qualifications.

Tip #3: Research Positions Available in Your Area

Research the non-clinical healthcare positions available where you live. Can you see yourself in any of these roles? If so, adding a concentration to a healthcare administration degree could add specialized skills and knowledge to give you an advantage when pursuing these positions. Part of your research, of course, should be the number of possible positions you could transition to. You could also consider relocation.

Tip #4: Shadow or Volunteer in Your Area of Interest

Once you’ve found an area of interest, consider shadowing a professional in that field or volunteering some hours to help in that part of your hospital or clinic. This will give you firsthand experience to see whether or not you are a good fit for that role. You may find you love the non-clinical setting, or this experience could make it clear you belong where you are now — working directly with patients.

Tip #5: Find Positions and Apply

With your degree or certification in hand, look for open positions and apply. The more you apply to, the greater the chances that you will land a role. Depending on the feedback given throughout your interview process, you may learn more about the qualifications of non-clinical careers and what you should be touching on when discussing your skills. During this stage, make sure your LinkedIn and resume are updated so you’re ready to apply quickly when an opportunity arises. Tweak both of these to focus on the role you wish to have.

Common Non-Clinical Healthcare Careers

If you are considering a career change, knowing the different types of non-clinical healthcare careers that are available could help you decide if it is time for that change. Some of the more popular non-clinical careers include:

Nurse Ethicist

A nurse ethicist is someone who helps patients and their healthcare providers make ethical decisions regarding difficult healthcare choices. For example, these professionals may consult with patients about end-of-life choices or treatment disagreements among family members. Nurse ethicists have high ethical standards and good people skills, but are not needed during the patient’s treatment. With this role you can look forward to high earning potential, with the average nurse ethicist earning $110,287 in 2024. For this position you will need a master’s degree in nursing, public health, or administration.

Healthcare Educator

Healthcare educators teach patients about healthcare. Healthcare educators plan events, hand out educational materials, help members of communities access proper care, and more. This can be found across the healthcare spectrum, from clinical settings to government and nonprofit organizations. To become a healthcare educator you will need to obtain a healthcare-related master’s degree as it’s often a prerequisite to apply for this role. On average healthcare educators in 2024 make $60,994 a year.

Healthcare Administrator

Healthcare administrators and nurse administrators have a broad range of responsibilities, everything from staffing to budgets, interdepartmental communication to patient complaints. An MHA degree is required to apply for healthcare administrator roles, and the average salary in 2022 was $104,830.

Medical Writer

If you are a medical professional and a skilled writer, you may be able to transition into work as a medical writer. There is a high demand for freelancers who can write intelligently about medical topics. As a healthcare professional, you can provide first-hand experience on many topics, a valuable asset to companies and other organizations. While this normally is a side hustle, you can turn it into a full-time career if you are contracting enough work. Although earnings can vary widely depending on your client mix, in 2024 the average income is projected to be $39 per hour.

Make the Career Change to Healthcare Administration with UMass Global

Healthcare is one of the largest industries in the United States, encompassing far more than direct patient care. There are multiple professionals behind the scenes making sure everything works as it should so patients receive the highest level of care. UMass Global makes it simple to transition to a new non-clinical role with our flexible, online Master of Healthcare Administration degree.

Contact us to learn more about the MHA program, or apply today.