In its September 2021 Pulse on the Nation's Nurses survey, the American Nurses Foundation asked nurses about their well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Burnout and exhaustion were widespread, about a third reported being "not emotionally healthy," and roughly half had considered leaving their position (American Nurses Foundation). The worst emotional well-being clustered in high-acuity areas: the ICU, emergency department, acute care, medical-surgical, and among nurse managers, driven by repeated exposure to traumatic events.
If you are a nurse with anxiety, you are not alone, and you do not have to leave the profession to feel better. The salary figures below are rough national averages and shift over time; treat them as a guide, not a quote.
1. Preoperative/PACU Nurse
The preop and postanesthesia care unit offers a flexible schedule with fewer nights and weekends, and patient care is less intense than inpatient units. In preop you place IV lines, obtain surgical consent, and complete documentation. In the PACU you recover patients from surgery, then discharge them home or to a unit. Most PACUs want critical care experience or at least two years in acute care, plus an RN license and BLS, ACLS, and PALS certification. Around $88,000.
2. Special Care Nursery Nurse
You care for newborns with oxygen or feeding needs who do not require the close monitoring of the NICU, which means far fewer anxiety-inducing alarms. You also get to teach new parents before discharge. You need an RN license and neonatal resuscitation certification. Around $54,000.
3. Outpatient Surgery Nurse
Same role as an inpatient perioperative nurse, but in a calmer surgery center with fewer complex cases, so your patients are more likely to stay stable. You need an RN license plus BLS, ACLS, and PALS. Around $84,000.
4. Occupational Health Nurse
These are the nurses who place your TB screening and always seem relaxed, because they work away from the chaos of the floor. You draw bloodwork, run health screenings, and help staff handle workplace injuries and exposures, in hospitals or corporate offices. You need an ADN or BSN. Around $86,000.
5. Palliative Care Nurse
If watching patients die in the ICU or long-term care has worn you down, palliative care reframes the work around comfort. You keep chronically and terminally ill patients comfortable and educate families about end-of-life care. An LPN or RN license qualifies you; you can also certify through the Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center. Around $87,000.
6. Bed Control Nurse
A break from direct patient care that keeps you with familiar colleagues and systems. You decide which unit an admitted patient goes to, using clinical judgment in a desk setting. Ideal for ICU nurses. You need a BSN and at least two years of acute care experience; charge or manager experience helps. Around $102,000.
7. Nurse Injector
A medspa or cosmetic center is about as far from the hospital as nursing gets. You administer Botox and dermal fillers after specialized training. You need an RN license, and once you are skilled you may even work independently. Around $80,000.
8. Nurse Wellness Coach
You act as an accountability partner on a client's health plan, spending one-on-one time on their goals. Work for a corporate wellness program or build your own practice. You need an RN license and nurse coach certification. Around $41,000.
9. School Nurse
If you like kids but seeing them in the hospital triggers anxiety, school nursing handles everyday illness and injury plus chronic disease management. Most districts require a BSN. Around $52,000.
10. Nursing Instructor
Academic nurse educators are in high demand; the faculty shortage is a major driver of the nursing shortage itself. You stay connected to the profession without the anxiety of patient care. A master's is preferred, but the general rule is you can teach one level below your own degree, so a BSN can teach associate-degree students. Around $71,000.
11. Utilization Review Nurse
If you love advocating for patients but want to work from home, you serve as the liaison between insurers and health systems. You review charts and billing to confirm coverage and recommend adjustments to the care plan. An RN license gets you hired by a hospital or insurer. Around $79,000.
12. Telephone Triage Nurse
You help patients find the right level of care from a call center or home. You need an RN license and acute care experience; customer service and strong critical thinking help. Around $79,000.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the least stressful nursing job? It depends on what triggers your anxiety, but roles away from high-acuity bedside care tend to be calmer: occupational health, school nursing, nurse wellness coaching, utilization review, and telephone triage. Each lets you keep using clinical skills without the alarms and rapid changes of the ICU or ED.
Can I stay a nurse if I have anxiety? Yes. You do not have to leave the profession to feel better. Many nurses move from high-acuity units to lower-intensity settings like preop and PACU, outpatient surgery, or palliative care and find the work sustainable again.
Which low-stress nursing jobs can I do from home? Utilization review and telephone triage are commonly remote, and nurse wellness coaching can be built into a home-based practice. All three typically require an RN license, and triage usually wants prior acute-care experience.
Do low-anxiety nursing jobs pay less? Not necessarily. Some calmer roles pay well, such as bed control (around $102,000) and preop/PACU (around $88,000), while others like wellness coaching or school nursing pay less. The salary figures here are rough national averages and shift over time; treat them as a guide.
Why are ICU and ED nurses more likely to burn out? Repeated exposure to traumatic events and high-acuity patients takes a toll. The American Nurses Foundation found the worst emotional well-being clustered in the ICU, emergency department, acute care, medical-surgical units, and among nurse managers (American Nurses Foundation).
How do I switch to a lower-stress nursing role? Identify the setting that fits, then close any gaps. Some roles want two years of acute-care experience or a BSN, and others need add-on certifications like neonatal resuscitation, hospice and palliative credentialing, or nurse coach certification.