Many assume that working in nursing means that you work face-to-face with patients, but it is possible to work from home as a nurse. Remote or telecommute jobs are becoming more and more popular in today’s society where businesses are looking to lower their overhead costs while they increase efficiency in the office. Since technology connects professionals and makes the huge world much smaller, working from home is feasible in several occupations. If you would like to know what you can do with a nursing license from home, read on and map out your flexible career plan.
Working as a Nurse Case Manager
Perhaps the most popular at-home nursing position is that of the nurse case manager. While many professionals in case management do commute and work in a dedicated office, it is more common for medical and health organizations to employ remote and flex case managers who are registered nurses and have several years of experience in direct patient care.
A nurse case manager will review a patient’s medical file to evaluate their needs for care and to coordinate care with various medical specialists in the most cost efficient manner possible. As a specialist, the nurse works on the phone to communicate with allied healthcare specialists and insurance companies for referrals and care coordination. The purpose is to plan for discharge and to assess the delivery of healthcare services within certain facilities. Many case managers will work from home and then travel to other locations for assessments.
Telehealth Positions with Hospitals and Insurance Companies
Telehealth is becoming a very large specialty within the healthcare industry. Since the demand for healthcare services is on the rise, different institutions are looking for a way to care for their patients while keeping the number of patients who step through the door low. In telehealth, registered nursing professionals will provide triage services over-the-phone.
Patients are free to call and give their symptoms to determine if they have an emergency and if there is action they can take to avoid needing to come into an urgent care center. Some telehealth nurses will call patients who have chronic conditions to follow up with them and to see if appointments are necessary. To work in telehealth, you will need an Associate’s degree and acute nursing experience.
Jobs in Medical Transcription
Many medical transcription service providers are looking for experienced nurses to fill their growing positions. This is an in-demand and flexible opportunity where you will transcribe the recordings that allied professionals send to the provider to put into a patient’s medical records. Unlike other jobs where you work closely with patients, this is a position that is less demanding and allows you to work behind the scenes. While there is less stress involved, when you work for a company you can expect to earn a lower salary than the rest.
If you would like to work from home so that you can spend more time with your family or so that you do not have to commute, it is time to learn about all of your options. In nursing, you can work in medical transcription, case management and telehealth. Be sure that you check into the qualifications you will need (please see: Top 10 Best Online RN to BSN Programs) and then you will be closer to your goal to work from home as a nurse.
