In my career advice column, Ask Nurse Beth, I am asked so often about job opportunities away from the bedside, and just as often how to work from home. Why do nurses quit the bedside?
There are so many reasons for leaving the bedside. Some nurses face age discrimination. Others have lost their passion and need a new start.
With an emphasis on proactively managing health and improving outcomes, more opportunities are being created that use nurse's knowledge and skills.
At some point, many of us dream of working from home. Picture yourself coffee cup in hand, slipper or flip flops on your feet, with your dog or cat nearby. Sounds great?
Working from home is perfectly suited for the individual who enjoys minimal supervision.
Most remote jobs require two to three years of clinical practice experience and MS Office skills such as Word and Excel (easily learned).
First, identify your skills and what you're looking for in a job. Do you enjoy detail and digging deep to audit charts? Would you enjoy coaching and talking to patients on the phone, educating and coordinating?
Here are some promising jobs for the nurse who wants to work from home.
Note: Sometimes "work at home" jobs actually mean "based from home" with travel required. Sometimes work at home is allowed after working on-site for a time, such as a year.
Telephonic Nursing/Nurse Hotline/Nurse Advice Line
Telephonic nursing includes telephone triage where you'll provide health care guidance, support, and referrals for members. You help members decide if they need to go to an ED, or a provider's office, or manage their concerns at home.
Case Manager
Case Managers cover a range of jobs and responsibilities that vary from employer to employer. Essentially, Case Managers coordinate and collaborate to provide services across the continuum of care, using available resources to promote quality cost- effective outcomes. There is a ton of good advice on the Case Management forum .
Some jobs require certification. Here's how to get Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC) Certified. Eligibility requires a minimum of one year of case management experience, but does open more doors.
Case Reviewers
Case Reviewers review and abstract medical record data. Case reviewers may include Quality Reviewer, Field Nurse Case Workers, and Worker's Comp. Reviewers.
Medical Claims Review
Medical Claims Reviewers evaluate adults with chronic illness or disability to determine the level of care and eligibility for services. Often these are Medicare related, such as determining eligibility for Medicare Part B.
Closely related is Clinical Appeals, where the nurse evaluates documentation used to approve or deny claims.
Wellness Coach/Care Coach
Wellness Coaches are hired to contact and coach individuals to help them meet their insurance plan's wellness goals. For example, an overweight individual may be called once a month by the coach and in this way held accountable.
You assist members in navigating the healthcare system and help them move towards better health and wellness which assists in preventing hospital and ER visits.
Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI) Specialist
This is a rapidly growing field. The CDI Specialist is a liaison between providers who enter orders and coders. The CDI Specialist reviews and evaluates clinical records to determine accuracy and integrity of coding outcome versus clinical documentation and compliance with coding regulations and guidelines.
You would use your knowledge of clinical documentation to make sure the coding accurately reflects the clinical episode of care and conforms to regulatory requirements.
Online Nursing Faculty
The distance nurse instructor facilitates online discussions and evaluates student performance. Depending on the program, this may require a graduate degree. Good for the nurse who loves teaching.
Prior Authorization RN
The Prior Authorization nurse performs medical necessity reviews for services that require prior authorization utilizing specific criteria. She/he collaborates with treating physicians and other healthcare professionals to gather necessary information needed to review the requested services.
Register with a job search engine such as Indeed and set your filters for "work at home" Other search keywords are "remote", "telecommute" and "distance online faculty". Start reading the different jobs available to see what's out there and what interests you.
Companies That Offer Work at Home Jobs
Aside from using job search engines, search companies sites for listings. Here are just a few large companies known to offer work from home jobs:
Aetna, Anthem, AxisPoint, Medtronic, Cigna, CVS, Humana, McKesson, UnitedHealth Group
Self-Employed
Then there are those of us who are self-employed or have side hustles, like the nurse writers. Be sure and check out the Nurse Entrepreneurs/Innovators Hub for our inspiring stories!
Here's mine: How I Became a Nurse Author and Wrote a Book!
Best wishes on finding your dream job working from home.
