Non Clinical Nurse Marketing Positions (Hospital Nurse Liaison)???

[Salesman217]

I jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire with a move from the ICU to Home Care.

The ICU was cool. I worked with really, really good people and the money was OK except management gets on the "we gotta reduce overtime" kick.

The problem was the hours, 7a to 730p or 7p to 730a. Didn't matter. . I got two kids in their senior year in high school and one in the 6th grade and trying to schedule to be there for their extracurriculars was hit and miss at best. If I had to work on one of those days, I was gonna miss the event. Plus, feeling like a zombie ALL THE TIME was getting really old.

So I got a job as a home care case manager. I do visits. I gotta do about 6 a day to make 50K. 7 to 9 to get ahead financially. That's not the problem. It's the administrative stuff. Now I don't know if its done like this everywhere, but the administrative stuff is a freaking nightmare. The job follows you home. You can't get it done, or get it off your mind.

To put it in perspective, my ICU orientation was 3 months, and it was 90% clinical. The orientation for this job was 3 months, and it was 90% administrative. This form, that form, send this note, send that paperwork. UGH!!!

Of course this is not an indictment on the job. It's about what's a good fit... FOR ME!!!

Both at the ICU and in my current job, I get rave reviews about my "bedside manner" with my patients, with family members, and even with how I interact with other staff. But paperwork stuff is not only not my forte, it is my achilles heel. So now I went from managing and charting on 2 patients for 12 hours at a time to managing what will eventually be 40 to 50 patients AND ALL THEIR FREAKIN' PAPERWORK 24 -7.

So I'm pondering my hatred for my job (the administrative part) and realizing that I'm really good at dealing with, educating, and interacting with people, and really bad at remembering managing all kinds of mindnumbing secretrial details. So I wish out loud "Man!!! If I can find a job I where I could just deal with people, I'd be in heaven!!!"

So get on the 'net and find THIS job description...

The Hospital Nurse Liaison is the primary marketing representative to hospitals, physicians on a hospital staff, and long-term care facilities located on a hospital campus. He or She will provide education to hospital staff, physicians, patients, and patient families about XYZ Hospice services and the admission process as well as work with hospital staff to identify and plan care for patients who qualify for hospice.

You must be an R.N. with two years experience with a proven track record demonstrating client relations and education skills, honesty, character, a sense of humor, love and compassion and the ability to play well with others.

So my question is, do any of you guys have experience with these type of positions? I've always been a "Howard Cosell" of whatever I've been involved with... In other words, I can talk about it 100 times better than I can do it. I've worked most of my adult life as a salesman and got into nursing two years ago.

Help a brutha out!!!

[Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN]

Home care is a paper work nightmare but the flexibility is great. Being a Liaison has pressure of it's own. If the census is low you really have to work hard. I don't know if the paper work would be better than home care, since you would have to do the precerts.

[llg, PhD, RN]

I think you should apply and go through the process of interviewing, finding out about the job, etc. I don't have experience with such a job, but as a client, I did meet with a representative from the hospice service that took care of my mother. That nurse assessed my mom's needs, educated my family about the services they offered, etc. It seems like a job that would fit you well.

Good luck! Let us know what you find out as you explore this option.

[TheSkyIsTheLimit]

Salesman217,

Hi! 3 years later, I find myself in a similar position that you were in. Did you take the marketing position? How did you like it? I am just like you as far as being able to communicate myself well and I prefer social interaction.

I really hope to hear back from you, as i know this post is old. I need help figuring out if i want to continue with clinical nursing or to take the leap and become a marketer.

[Salesman217]

I did not get a marketing position job. I spoke with a few nurses who knew something about it who emphasized the pressure that is put upon you for keeping the census up. I ended up working in psych for a year then I got a daytime job in primary care with the VA hospital which still carries with it some case manager type duties, but only about half as much as with the home care gig. I still experience the same phenomena of shining in patient interaction stuff and struggling with administrative stuff. But in this case it's manageable to the point where I can catch in an extra 4 to 5 hours a week if I get behind. As a bonus, the job is 730a to 4p, M-F so family life doesn't suffer. In sales, jobs vary from those heavy in client education and service to those that require you to be a "closer" (meet quotas, close deals, hit your numbers). Think about if both of those ideas as you research and interview for those marketing positions. Good luck in your pursuit of the right job for you.