Marketing myself as a Nurse Auditor?

[westwind1991]

Hi all,

I am looking to get some insight into the best way to maximize my marketability as a nurse auditor.

Some background about me: I have been auditing strictly as a chart auditor for 5 years now. I have my BSN. I am in my late 20's. I only have patient care experience in long term care and it was for one year. Yes, I was just as surprised to land a job as a nurse auditor with such limited floor experience, but I did.

I have come to realize that I need to cover other bases to open myself up to further opportunities as an auditor. Although I am familiar with the ICD-10 codes, I do not have a coding license and I am definitely considering becoming a coder.

I am also very aware that acquiring more floor experience will be to my benefit, so I plan to address this as well.

So to sum this up, my main questions are -

1. To become a licensed coder, am I obligated to complete coursework or am I able to challenge a test? If I can challenge it, is this advisable?

2. Are there any other certifications that I should consider obtaining?

3. What else can I do to make myself more marketable as a nurse auditor? (ie, events I can attend; skills I should learn, etc)

Any help is greatly appreciated!! I am sure there is much that I don't know.