Where are my work-at-home homies?

Nurses General Nursing

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I am going to be starting a full-time, work-at-home nursing position in a couple of weeks. It's not case management so I didn't post in that forum, and we don't exactly have a WAH forum either. So here I am, looking for any feedback. ?

My employer will provide hardware, so that's all set. But if anyone has any words of advice, feel free! I used to work at home a couple days a week back in my old career (graphic design/desktop publishing), so I know I have a tendency to work too many hours. My new supervisor has told me they will slap my wrist if I do that, haha. Perhaps I have a chance of real work-life balance? My daughter will still go to daycare, by the way, so I have no illusions of doing this job with a toddler at home! This role is 90% computer, minimal phone interaction.

The best part will be having a job that can move with me in 2020 and 2023 as my husband does what he needs to do for his career. Starting new jobs every time we move wasn't fun.

Do you love it? Hate it? Find yourself talking to inanimate objects?

Thanks for reading!

Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

It's for a national insurance company, I'd rather not get more specific, though goodness knows that most people who know me, know me. lol.

I have been applying to work-at-home (WAH) jobs for more than a year, and in July was the first time I had a response to an application. Apparently these companies get upwards of 350+ applications per position, so it's really important to tailor your resume and cover letter to the position.

I went to the career pages for the following companies on a regular basis: Parallon, Anthem, Aetna, UnitedHealth Group, AmerisourceBergen, Humana, Cigna, and Carenet. I also joined a Facebook group called Remote Nursing Jobs. I have a bunch of different versions of my resume and an equal amount of customized cover letters. I set up a search on Indeed to search for "Work From Home Nurse" without filling in the location. I followed those same big companies on LinkedIn and applied there as well. I was pretty aggressive in applying during several time periods over the past year.

I feel very fortunate. I am a disabled veteran with hip and feet issues and also am still in recovery from peripartum cardiomyopathy. I have to say my good days far outnumber my bad days, though. I just really needed one company to see my potential, and it happened. I have advanced degrees and board certs and all kinds of stuff, but that doesn't always matter when you don't have the exact experience that matches the job description.

If you need more info, PM me. ?

2 hours ago, ruby_jane said:

WOW! This is so cool.

I'm just a little jealous, not a real contributor here. Do you have to be licensed in multiple states, or are all the appeals from your home state?

For my role, I am only be required to be licensed in the state where I reside. This really varies by company and position, from what I have seen.

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I am allowed to work from home once/week. It's great because I can get some cooking/laundry done while working, and like someone else said, no commute! I personally wouldn't want to do it every day because I like the team environment, and I like being on-site in case I have technical problems or need to collaborate with others. Calling in to meetings is not the best way to connect with my coworkers.

I hope you enjoy your position!

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Specializes in UR/PA, Hematology/Oncology, Med Surg, Psych.

I work in a medical review position for the government. I literally prayed and prayed for the job and feel very blessed. I honestly have never been happier. But I definitely don't make 6 figures ?My pay is consistent with the average.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

I've worked from home (academia) for three years now. My current roles gets me out of the house a coupe times a month at least- so that helps.

I tend to work all the time a I have no little ones- so I've started 'going to work' and 'going home from work' by leaving the house and literally walking for 10-15 minutes. It helps me separate my home and work lives.

I would have a VERY rough time going back to an actual job site now. Spoiled I guess.

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On 9/3/2019 at 11:55 PM, dream'n said:

I love it! One of my favorite things is no commute. That cuts 1 1/2 hours out of my day and it's wonderful. And even though it's silly, I like not having to pack a lunch. I can just get up from the desk at lunchtime and walk to the fridge. Not having to lay out my outfit the night before work is good too. My stress level has decreased a tremendous amount.

After working at the bedside, I am so happy to work in peace without having to run around like crazy.

if you dont mind me asking, what do you do? i have a toddler and i would love to work from home. i know case manager is one of the good options, but was wondering if there are other opportunities that im unaware of. thx

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
21 minutes ago, anishr said:

if you dont mind me asking, what do you do? i have a toddler and i would love to work from home. i know case manager is one of the good options, but was wondering if there are other opportunities that im unaware of. thx

Most (all?) companies require that you have childcare while you work. My daughter (she is 2) will still go to daycare.

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Specializes in Maternal/Child Health. Obstetrics.

I ultimately would like to transition to WFH Nursing. I currently commute 52 miles each way. I earn great money, but I’m a little over it. I have school aged children, so no child care needed. But I would just like to increase my quality of life while gaining more experience in other areas. My question is how can I break into this sector with no experience in CM, UM, etc and make a decent wage. I can take a slight decrease because I won’t be driving so much. But what do positions like this earn typically. I live in PA, FYI. TIA

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
On 9/7/2019 at 11:54 AM, HarmonyRN said:

My question is how can I break into this sector with no experience in CM, UM, etc and make a decent wage.

It's not entirely realistic to expect to enter a job with no experience and to be paid the same or more than what you're making. You could try to get experience in CM, UM, etc., in a hospital and then apply for WAH jobs. Or you could just apply broadly and see what sticks. ? But I have no idea what you'd make in your area or what those types of jobs would pay. The Facebook group that I referenced might have info for you. Good luck!!

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Specializes in ICU.

I will not lie. I am extremely jealous right now??? good luck!

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
1 hour ago, L-ICURN said:

I will not lie. I am extremely jealous right now??? good luck!

Thank you! I am loving it! ? It's a lot to learn, but I will get there. I feel well supported in my training.

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
On 9/4/2019 at 12:05 PM, Jedrnurse said:

As an appeals nurse, do you feel more like a patient advocate or an agent of the insurer?

I can sort of answer this now — I work for the patients, at the end of the day. Right now I am doing provider appeals, and they tend to fall into two categories — things that were denied for administrative reasons that I can fix outright and approve myself, and then things that should have been precertified but were not, and I have to use clinical guidelines to see if whatever it is (outpatient MRI? inpatient admission? IVIG infusion?) meets those guidelines. One nice thing is that I never deny anything — I can only recommend that a denial be considered based on definitions, and those decisions are ultimately made by the medical directors. Of course, our medical directors have some latitude, and they will use it. I had a case in which a patient received IVIG infusions for a pretty rare condition that wasn't specifically included in the criteria, but it wasn't excluded either. I prepared a case summary and noted that it was neither included nor excluded in the policy, but that the patient had received the same infusions in the past, just with different insurance. So the medical director called me and we discussed it, and he ended up approving it. This pretty much guarantees that it will be approved going forward, which is good for the patient and provider.

Overall, I really like it! I find that I have to set an alarm on my phone to make sure I take lunch because I get really focused on my work and next thing I know, it's 3pm! lol

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Hello! work at home peep here..

I am loving my new position. After 5 years bedside, I wasn't happy in the end. I decided to follow my heart.

Yes it was a new "feeling " m-f 8-430p.

I LOVE the new found freedom of

No stress, no med errors and floor favorites. I work with outpatient only.

Pay cut not involved.

God is good. Thank you for this blessing.

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