century, but you might not know just how many different kinds of nursing jobs there are. If you have a background in nursing and you're looking for part-time work, or if you're a stay-at-home parent, you could be qualified for a telecommuting job, providing nursing care and medical expertise from home.There are a variety of stay-at-home nursing jobs working for insurance companies, healthcare service providers, malpractice firms, and even clinical research facilities. These jobs can be convenient for experienced nurses because you can make a steady income without working long shifts at the hospital, but they require a lot of dedication. Nursing is, after all, a collaborative position most of the time, so you have to be at the top of your game to draw on your medical knowledge without a hospital team present.
1. Case Management
Some insurance companies, as well as nursing homes, home health agencies, and other companies, can employ registered nurses to work as case managers for their patients. The case manager develops an individualized care plan when someone is injured, disabled, or suffering from a serious illness. They act as a liaison between patients and their families and the hospitals and care facilities they use. Case managers primarily work over the phone as an advocate for the patient's needs, but they also maintain a database of patient and care information so they can routinely evaluate progress and make changes to the health care plan when necessary. You must be a registered nurse, and most employers look for nurses who have worked in a clinical environment for several years or as a supervisor, as this job can pay more than $60,000 a year.
2. Telephone Triage Nursing
A perfect job for stay-at-home parents, telenursing involves providing information to patients, and even insurance providers or other healthcare workers. They can advise patients on their symptoms and where they should go to find resources and information, or how serious their condition might be. Triage nurses can also be involved in hotline counseling for issues such as AIDS, abuse, and suicide. This job is usually an on-call position, so you might find yourself working at all hours of the night and on weekends, and flexibility in your schedule is a necessity. These kinds of nurses are part of a greater trend toward telehealth – providing medical services using the phone and internet, to help reduce costs and get patients the most efficient care possible. The jobs are competitive – telenurses can make up to $75,000 a year, even more than many hospital-based nurses.
3. Medical Transcription
In order to work as a medical transcriptionist, a nurse must be extremely familiar with medical terminology, and even then there will probably be extra training courses necessary to pass a transcription exam and find a solid position. Some nurses transition into medical transcription work and some start out as transcriptionists before becoming nurses – it all depends. The work can be difficult, as you are taking complicated dictation from physicians, some of whom are not native English speakers, concerning diagnostic reports, patient assessment, workups, or procedures. You have to be a fast and accurate typist, and you make a lot less than jobs requiring more experience – usually around $35,000 a year. But if you're just starting out in nursing, it can be a great way to learn a lot about the medical field while working from home.
Nursing from home can be a great opportunity to help patients without ever having to leave your living room. You could miss the camaraderie of the hospitals, but you might not miss the stressful shifts and overwhelming work days. If you can focus on providing medical care from your home phone or computer, you might find yourself with a great salary and greater sense of job satisfaction.
About the Author
Kara Martin writes for nursing blogs that feature articles on nursing jobs and higher education including the benefits of getting an online PhD in nursing.
