Need help finding remote LVN work or deciding to inactivate license

Dear Nurse Beth Advice Column - The following letter submitted anonymously in search for answers. Join the conversation!

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I have been an LPN for 20 years. About 4 years ago I just needed a break from bedside nursing. I took night classes and got my CPC. I have been coding from home for the last 3 years. I live in Nebraska and we have to work 500 hours every 5 years to keep our license up.

I have a little over a year to go before my 5 years is up but I am not ready to go back to bedside at all. But I also do not want to give up on my nursing license. I would love to find something where I could work from home and possibly use my coding also. I can find anything in Nebraska like this. I have looked into data abstraction and utilization review but in Nebraska it looks like they only hire RN's for that position. It is so frustrating because other states have LPN utilization review jobs. Wondering if you have any ideas on other work from home LPN jobs are available or even thinking about making license inactive. Only thing with that is I'm not sure what it all entails to go back to active. I can not find that info on the DHHS site.

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Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.

It's great that you've transitioned into coding and have been able to work from home for the past three years. Balancing your desire to maintain your LPN license while not returning to bedside care can be challenging, especially given the specific requirements in Nebraska.

Exploring Work-from-Home LPN Opportunities

Even though you've found that many positions in Nebraska prefer RNs, there are still potential avenues you could explore:

  • Telehealth nursing. Some companies hire LPNs for telehealth roles, where you can remotely assist with patient education, triage, or chronic care management. While many positions are for RNs, some telehealth providers may hire LPNs, especially for roles like patient education or chronic care management.
  • Insurance companies. While most utilization review roles might be RN-focused, consider looking at insurance companies for roles like prior authorization, where your coding experience could be an asset. Some companies might be more flexible regarding licensure requirements for these roles.
  • Medical coding and auditing. Since you are already a Certified Professional Coder (CPC), consider expanding into medical auditing, where you could combine your nursing knowledge with coding expertise. Medical auditors review clinical documents and codes for accuracy and compliance, which is often a remote role.
  • Health information management. This field sometimes has roles for LPNs, particularly in smaller healthcare organizations, where your combined nursing and coding background could be valuable.
  • Patient care coordination. Some remote roles involve coordinating patient care, including scheduling, follow-ups, and patient education, which could be a good fit with your nursing and coding experience.

Inactivating and reactivating your license

If you decide to inactivate your license, you can no longer practice as an LPN, but it allows you to retain your license without meeting the practice hour requirements.

However, think carefully about inactivating your license. In Nebraska, to reinstate your license, you must complete a Board-approved refresher course consisting of at least 75 contact hours within the previous five years of application.

Steps to Take

Contact the Nebraska DHHS directly. It's a good idea to contact them for specific details about the process to make your license inactive and what would be required to reactivate it. They should be able to provide clear guidance.

Explore national remote opportunities. Don't limit your job search to Nebraska. You might find opportunities in other states that don't require you to be an RN.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth

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