Corporate/Business world Nursing?

augigi, CNS · Dec 11, 2006

Not sure what "clinical sales" is - if you meant my post, I was talking about acting as a clinical resource for products (drug/device etc) - there is NO sales involved, mostly training and troubleshooting.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Dec 11, 2006

One specialty that really piques my interest is occupational health nursing.

You will be able to wear casual clothing and work daytime hours at a major corporation as you perform routine tasks such as obtaining baseline hearing and vision tests, collecting specimins from employees, weighing, vital signs, record-keeping, triage, and sending corporate employees out to the hospital when their condition declines. A good percentage of your time will be spent sitting behind an executive desk.

Occupational health is one of those specialties that would be a dream come true for me.

outcomesfirst, BSN, RN · Dec 11, 2006

Ok... thank you very much for all the input so far. I do have one question though...what exactly IS case management? I honestly don't know. I like the idea of clinical sales better than pharm sales... but then again it's still sales.
Basically I'm trying to figure out if I should stick with the Clinical route and go to PA or NP school, OR go business route and explore some of these avenues. Can anyone help guide me? Thanks!

In a nut shell - case management is coordination of all the providers, resources and patient needs. You really are coordinating a patient centered team. Depending on the environment (acute care/home health/insurance) you have many roles and priorities. Nurses are ideal in this role, because no matter what, they are patient focused (thanks to all the sterotypes - and employers (at least the good ones) know this) You need an excellent knowledge base of basic disease process and the care required to manage it. You work to help patients and organizations. This may involve assisting in educating a patient about DM, or negotiating with a HHC agency to provide visits after hours/within contract etc. Or working with families to insure patients get meds, or providing physicians information about various DM education programs, resources meds, equipment. It is alot of people skills, communication and resource management. Hope this helps!

outcomesfirst, BSN, RN · Dec 12, 2006

I work for a medical device company which makes cardiac implantable devices. I started out of ICU -> Clinical Specialist role -> I'm now the manager of Medical Affairs. I write clinical trial protocols, teach the utilisation of the device to surgeons/nurses, attend conferences to present on the device, troubleshoot clinical issues, come up with evidence-based treatment guidelines.
I've loved it, and make a good salary, but I'm probably going to leave in the next 6 - 9 months to go back to clinical.. I miss it after 3 years out!
THere are tons of pharmaceutical and device companies which need clinical reps (rather than sales reps) - I would hate sales too.

Been there, done that. It is not what you think it will be. You have changed and even in 3 years, nursing will have changed. The rosy glow you sense around clinical and 12 hour shifts will be different now - especially the $$. Pick up a few shifts, before leaving your current job.

TemperStripe · Dec 12, 2006

I work for a large corporation right now (starting school in June) and at the headquarters in California, they have a doctor and a nurse ON STAFF so employees don't have to leave work to get meds or whatnot. Seems like a pretty sweet deal for all parties involved.