Transitioning From Bedside Care to Working From Home

The pros and cons of remote work and ways to be successful while working from home.

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Transitioning From Bedside Care to Working From Home

I started out doing bedside care and home health 12 years ago. In 2020 during the pandemic, I was transitioned into a remote position as a Prior Authorization Nurse. This was supposed to be temporary until a more permanent solution was made. During that time, employers learned the cost of renting office space was diminished, and productivity could still be managed effectively outside the workplace. Fast forward to 3 years later, I am still working from home. Some people have asked if it is worth leaving bedside care, "do you miss working with patients?" Everyone has opinions about remote work, but it has been an excellent experience for me.

What is Working Remotely?

Working remotely is completing your job duties somewhere other than a work office. This can be done from home, a private space, or abroad.

Working Remotely Has Several Perks

  • No more commuting back and forth to the office or stopping at the nearest coffee shop for the morning fix. This decreases your travel expenses and can definitely help you save some money.
  • Being able to make your own schedule or having more flexibility with your assigned hours. You can take breaks to fit into your schedule instead of waiting for someone to cover you.
  • You can ensure you get off work on time and intentionally take time off for vacation instead of trying to schedule time off based on what is available.
  • Working in your own environment helps to decrease the stress of a workplace. You tend to be more comfortable and more productive with fewer distractions from coworkers.

Is Working Remotely For Me?

You should have some qualities to be successful at working from home.

  • You must be well organized to keep track of your assignments and deadlines.
  • Have good time management to ensure you can meet those deadlines.
  • Not being in an office and having a boss hovering over you all day is nice, but you must be motivated to keep going. It can be easy to get distracted.

Keeping home life separate from work life can be challenging. Sometimes, family or friends think working from home makes you more available. While yes, you are at home, and yes, you are a little more flexible, you still have a job to complete. You also need to have some basic computer skills or an understanding of how to navigate through programs.

Some Downfalls

But just like with anything, it's not all glitter and sparkles. Working from home does come with a few downfalls. While some enjoy working in silence, others may miss social interaction. They may get lonely or start to feel secluded. Looking over to your colleague to communicate what is needed in a workplace is easy. Working from home requires all communications by phone, zoom, or email. While email is convenient, sometimes intentions or context can be misconstrued. The hardest part is maintaining that boundary between work time and personal time.

Separate Work and Home

If you want to try remote work, be sure to be honest with yourself about your needs and capabilities.

  • Designate a specific area as your office space, away from the noise and common areas.
  • If you have kids, put a do not disturb sign on the door to your office space during phone or zoom communications. Or schedule these tasks when the kids are in school or when a family member can help.
  • Set up a daily routine to keep yourself on task. This structure allows you to stay organized and mentally prepare yourself to work.

My routine starts as I get up, dress, and get ready as if I were going to work. This tells my brain its work time. I set aside time to prepare my kid's lunches and get them to school before I log in for the day. When I return, I open the windows, put on my work playlist, and start my day. This is what works for me. Everyone's routine will look different, and that is OK.

To Answer the Above Questions

Sometimes I do miss bedside care. I do miss 1:1 contact with patients at times, but overall remote work is the best option for me at this point in time.

Remote work has pros and cons, with no right or wrong choices. It comes down to personal preferences and priorities.

There are so many remote options available to just about everyone.

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TMartinez RN

About TMartinez RN

Specializes in Subacute Care and Home Health Care with 12 years of experience.

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Specializes in NICU/Critical Care/Legal case review.

This is a great characterization of remote work. Nursing has so many options now with the computer age. You're definitely right -- it's not for everyone. I worked NICU/PICU for almost 30 years. I also did some remote pre-authorization insurance work. I absolutely loved working from home for the reasons you listed. I must add a huge bonus for me was I had the best office crew at home -- my dogs. No office gossip, no bullying (well, except for that two of them are Boston terriers which are in the bulldog category), and no incessant monitors and vents.

The job I had, however, was rigid about time. They actually scheduled your breaks, including bathroom breaks. I, of course, ignored those because when you've got to go, you've got to go, right? 

You do need to be self-disciplined, organized, and have enough integrity and honesty to put in the work your employer is paying you for.

Right now, I'm trying to get a new avenue started as a nurse freelance writer. I am definitely in charge of my bathroom breaks now.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Interesting read - I've been in critical care / procedural nursing areas for approx 8 years. Need a break, and am exploring remote options. Thanks for the share! 

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Specializes in Health Communication and Patient Experience.

I currently manage language services for the hospital system I work for and have been working from home since the pandemic started. For the most part I really like it. It requires discipline and organization. I can say I'm actually more productive than being onsite. I do sometimes miss the face-to-face social interaction, but I don't feel too isolated because I spend a lot of time on the phone or on video conferences. Besides, if I get too lonely I always have my dog, who enjoys laying next to me while I work!

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Specializes in Certified Nurse Midwife.

I find that working from home is a huge time saver. At my last job, I drove 45 minutes each way to and from work. Add on the time it took to find parking, walk into work, and change into scrubs and we are talking about 2 hours each 12-hour work day.  

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