Anyone ever work for Optum???..

Specialties Triage

Published

HI everyone,

I'm back and still on the quest to find a telephone triage position. I stumbled across a position at Optum....they are hiring rn's for their "nurseline"...and the position nearest to me is offering a "work at home" opportunity. I'm just wondering if anyone has worked for them...and if so, did they enjoy it? It truly sounds like my dream job...although....one of their qualifications requires 5 plus years of varied clinical nursing experience. Much to my dismay, I only have roughly four years of experience in Med-Surg. only. Should I wait for another year before trying to apply for this job or do you think I should just drop my application in and see if maybe they would want me anyways???? I've only had one job out of nursing school...which was just handed to me, no interview or anything...because I did my internship there and they liked me...(sorry to brag...I've gotta do that sometimes). I just think even though I've only been a nurse for 4 years...I still have a lot to offer...I am ACLS certified, work on many projects including finding educational materials for patients and updating our discharge instructions. Plus..I work in a small rural hospital...so we don't have a seperate ped's dept.....so I do have a lot of experience with peds which was one of the varied clinical experience suggestions. So...what do you guys think...should I wait it out and try to gain different experience....or should I apply anyways because it's my dream job and I don't want to let it slip away..... The line operates 24/7 and I am a night person...so maybe that would appeal to them too.... The only down fall of the whole thing is that it does require you to work every other weekend.....ohh well..that's nursing for ya. Ok...guys...lead me in the right direction...k? Thanks for all of your knowledgable assistance.

Luv,

Olivia

Thanks, i really appreciate the help.

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I worked for Optum for 4 months. :eek: I had been in a small call center for 5 years:nurse: . Optum seemed like a dream job to me...BUT I found myself a little fish in a great big pond,or gold fish bowl. They hear every word, can watch every key stoke and don't get back from lunch even 1 minute late. I am sure there are people that can work this way,but it ain't me. I am back

in my little pound, we police ourselves, self schedule and cover if need be. If lunch runs over few minutes,we just recall the times we did't go to lunch.

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I worked for Optum for 4 months. :eek: I had been in a small call center for 5 years:nurse: . Optum seemed like a dream job to me...BUT I found myself a little fish in a great big pond,or gold fish bowl. They hear every word, can watch every key stoke and don't get back from lunch even 1 minute late. I am sure there are people that can work this way,but it ain't me. I am back

in my little pound, we police ourselves, self schedule and cover if need be. If lunch runs over few minutes,we just recall the times we did't go to lunch.

what area of the country did you work in at optum? i have been in a call center for 10 years with around 60 nurses. all of my calls are recorded. they sounded very flexible to me. like the option to work 8,9,10,12 hour shifts. i was even told i could take time off in the day if i needed to take a child to a doctor appointment then come back. are you a triage nurse?

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Yes, I am a Telephone Triage nurse.We are recorded, but we do not have anyone sitting at another computer listening and watching as we triage. Our director can pull the call up on the computer in her office if there are any questions about a call . I am in San Antonio,Texas we triage for the University hospital pts, make appointments to clinics,also answer for some inusrance companies. As I told the director when I left Optum, I like being a little fish in a little pond.She understood. We work hard ,do it properly but we are more laid back.Thanks for the response.

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Yes, I am a Telephone Triage nurse.We are recorded, but we do not have anyone sitting at another computer listening and watching as we triage. Our director can pull the call up on the computer in her office if there are any questions about a call . I am in San Antonio,Texas we triage for the University hospital pts, make appointments to clinics,also answer for some inusrance companies. As I told the director when I left Optum, I like being a little fish in a little pond.She understood. We work hard ,do it properly but we are more laid back.Thanks for the response.

Ok I interviewed at another office that seemed very laid back and the schedule is very fleixible but it is not triaging as I do now. At my job we are recorded and someone listens in for our QA's every 3 months and prints out my calls(a few) and makes comments. Do they sit and actually watch you at Optum or are you just recorded like my present job? I am just curious what Optum did that you didn't like. I think I am going to accept this postion. I have other offers but the managers seem like I would like working with them. I'm moving on for better hours.

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I work in a call center that answers for some insurance and mediciad co. We do a lot of health teaching and helping people decide if they need ED or not( it ALWAYS left up to them, we don't say then cant go). Our ER is the only level 1 in the a200+ area and is ALWAYS packed. If you are really sick you get seen but we try to help the pt with a sorethroat stay home and be sick in as much comfort as possible. Then we can make them an appointment the next day.We also do a lot of education, the new parent with the constipated new born,or the newly Dx diabetic that needs encouragment and better explanation of the diet ,etc. We also call the surgeons if pt calls from home with a post op problem, the Drs really like it because before a clerk just paged them and they had to call the pt. We can triage give them a picture of the pt problem, and then we can call the Pt with instructions , or they can call the pt if they like. We can call Rx in for them also.

I really enjoy it. We have someone listening to a % of our calls and critique them.

If you really like a structured work environment OPTUM might be the place for.It just wasn't my cup of tea.

I am still looking for a core curriculum for the Triage certification. There doent seem to be one, any wat... HAVE A GOOD EVENING

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I work in a call center that answers for some insurance and mediciad co. We do a lot of health teaching and helping people decide if they need ED or not( it ALWAYS left up to them, we don't say then cant go). Our ER is the only level 1 in the a200+ area and is ALWAYS packed. If you are really sick you get seen but we try to help the pt with a sorethroat stay home and be sick in as much comfort as possible. Then we can make them an appointment the next day.We also do a lot of education, the new parent with the constipated new born,or the newly Dx diabetic that needs encouragment and better explanation of the diet ,etc. We also call the surgeons if pt calls from home with a post op problem, the Drs really like it because before a clerk just paged them and they had to call the pt. We can triage give them a picture of the pt problem, and then we can call the Pt with instructions , or they can call the pt if they like. We can call Rx in for them also.

I really enjoy it. We have someone listening to a % of our calls and critique them.

If you really like a structured work environment OPTUM might be the place for.It just wasn't my cup of tea.

I am still looking for a core curriculum for the Triage certification. There doent seem to be one, any wat... HAVE A GOOD EVENING

i do exactly the same thing. take call for doctors and triage their patients. 911, ED or stay home with care. we also have standing orders for meds but no antibiotics pretty much asthma meds refills or rescue meds, prednisone, abx ear drops, abx eye drops ect... handle alot of asthmatics, new parents ect... i love my job but taking call is all evenings and weekends so i am looking for a change to day hours and do have experience in many areas of nursing so thats why this company looks very interesting. thank you for your input.

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Specializes in Inpatient Acute Rehab.

I start next week with Optum Nurse call Line. I have been an RN for nearing 2 years, but was an LPN for 20 years prior. I do have 6 years med-surg and rehab nursing-- which was a big plus for them.

I went on the interview, did a few tests, had a background check and drug screen and was offered the position almost immediately.

Benefits are fantastic, and my hours are set, days on and off will never change-- except for holidays.

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update:

i took the job at optum LOVE IT!!! disease management. we are not micromanaged. i make my schedule and do my job. no one is counting the minutes of when i go to lunch, i decide how long a day i will work. if i take an hour for lunch instead of 30 minutes i decide to work 30 minutes later sometime that 2 week period its my choice i get my work done. i LOVE the work, the job, the environment!

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wincha, Are you doing your job for Optum as a work from home job? May I ask what state you are located in? I am in Virginia and I see that they have positions in my state for case managers and nurse reviewers here - do you know if they are 'at home' positions? Any info would be very useful. Thanks! Also does your salary compare well to hospital pay?

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