Nonprofit nursing jobs: Should you work for a charitable organization?

By Andrea B. Clement

Nurse careers exist across a wide variety of work settings from which nurses may choose. Some nurses love the fast pace of a hospital job, while others would rather work in a private practice, and still other nurses may prefer a work environment completely different from a traditional clinical setting.

One option for nurses is working for a nonprofit organization. Many nonprofit organizations, especially those with a mission related to health care, employ nurses in Georgia and nationwide. Working for a nonprofit organization may sometimes offer a more predictable schedule, with set office hours, rather than long shifts on nights and weekends, which are required of many clinical hospital-based jobs.

Some nonprofit jobs for nurses include clinical nursing, while other nonprofit nurse careers are non-clinical office jobs requiring a background in nursing.

Nonprofit organizations that employ nurses

American Cancer Society – The American Cancer Society website says it’s a “nationwide, community-based health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem.” The national headquarters of the American Cancer Society is based in Atlanta, and according to its website, “what really sets us apart is that the work we do has global impact – and every passionate, dedicated American Cancer Society staff member contributes to each groundbreaking achievement we make.”

American Red Cross – The American Red Cross is actively hiring part-time and full-time nurses, some of which are in the Atlanta area, including RNs and a Clinical Services Nurse Specialist in apheresis. The Red Cross is a humanitarian mission that provides a wide variety of crucial services including disaster response, blood donation drives and collection, health education, and aid for military families.

American Heart Association – The American Heart Association’s mission is “to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives.” Founded in 1924, the American Heart Association has a long history of combating heart disease, one of the world’s leading causes of death. The American Heart Association frequently hires professionals with a nursing background, including a current opening in Atlanta for a Science & Medicine Advisor, National Hypertension Initiative.

Hemophilia of Georgia – HoG is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing services and support for people who have hemophilia, von Willebrand Disease, and other inherited bleeding disorders, according to their website. Additionally, HoG is a state chapter of a national organization, and therefore they are able to provide resources and support to hemophilia patients and their families throughout Georgia with large-scale resources and national support. HoG describes its careers as “rewarding job[s] with a great team of enthusiastic co-workers.” They have several openings for Outreach Nurses currently listed on their careers page.

“I first heard about Hemophilia of Georgia from former co-workers who had joined the organization. I was looking for a full-time job as a RN, but needed more flexibility to care for my children,” states Nancy McLaughlin, RN, BSN, outreach nurse at Hemophilia of Georgia. “Most hospitals primarily have 12-hour shifts which can make childcare challenging. When the opportunity came up to work at HoG, I jumped at it. Every nurse that I worked with previously who had gone to HoG was still there and they all loved it. Some of them have been there over 14 years now!” McLaughlin will celebrate her fourth anniversary with HoG this March.

In addition to the work-life balance, McLaughlin also enjoys the intrinsic rewards of working for a nonprofit organization. “As nurses at HoG, we have the opportunity to help families grow from a place of fear and uncertainty in their diagnosis to becoming confident and self-assured that they can manage their bleeding disorder and have a full life,” she explains. “We form long-term relationships with families, and are able to help our clients at all different stages of their lives. We also get to interact with our clients in unique and fun ways like spending a week with our younger clients at Camp Wannaklot!” McLaughlin says.

There are many other nonprofit charitable organizations that hire nurses in Georgia. To find more, you can search online for nonprofit nursing jobs on health care career sites, LinkedIn, Indeed, Facebook, or Google jobs.