If you want a career that is challenging and can make a positive difference in people’s lives, then a career as a registered nurse could be an excellent choice. Traditionally, registered nurses provide vital bedside care for patients. But as technology evolves, there are now numerous roles that a nurse can perform while working from a home office. In this article, learn about eight nursing jobs you can perform from home.
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Top registered nurse jobs you can do from home
Using your registered nursing skills to work from home has many advantages over a traditional, location-based nursing job. A virtual job means that you will have more flexibility in your daily life, you can work with organizations that are far away and you can enjoy more free time because there is no commute to the workplace. A remote, work-at-home job could make you much happier as you enjoy an improved work-life balance while still working in a career that you find fulfilling.
Some of the following jobs require technical and nursing skills, while others may draw upon the soft skills that you have developed during your time in nursing. There are now more options than ever to explore when looking for remote work and rewarding career choices. Here are eight jobs that require licensed registered nurse status and pay above $41,000 annually, as shown by Indeed Salaries where salaries throughout this article were sourced from and are frequently updated.
1. Medical coder
National average salary: $47,756 per year
Primary duties: You may not think that nursing and medical coding have much in common, but a nursing background can help you to understand this complex role because you will be interpreting patient notes and medical records. Many companies now prefer to employ medical coders who are also licensed nurses.
Hospitals and clinics provide patients with a range of services such as laboratory tests, scans, radiographs, treatments and consultations. Medical coders—who may also be called medical billers—are employed to read, interpret and analyze patient records and charts to see what treatments their physician gave them following their diagnoses.
These professionals will then translate this information into a series of industry-standard codes that medical insurance companies and healthcare providers can use in their billing processes.
Additional duties could include providing education on federal compliance, performing audits, administration of claims that have been denied and helping to assist patients with appeals and issues with insurance coverage.
Medical coders act as a link between the patient, the healthcare team, and the insurance company. They need to communicate with these groups to ensure that the codes are accurate throughout the patient’s medical history and for each visit. Medical coders protect insurance companies against insurance fraud and ensure that patient records are correct.
2. Telemedicine nurse
National average salary: No salary data at this time
Primary duties: Clinics and hospitals may employ nurses to work remotely as part of their triage system that determines the priority of treatment for the patient based on their medical symptoms and the severity of their condition. Telemedicine triage nurses speak to patients on the telephone about their symptoms and condition. From this information, they must decide what must happen next, considering the patient’s needs and the availability of care.
They also need to be able to answer simple questions that the callers have and advise the patient of treatments they can do at home if appropriate. If the patient needs to see a doctor, these professionals may coordinate appointments for patients to visit the clinic. If the problem is urgent, then telemedicine nurses need to arrange the resources that the patient needs such as an ambulance or an at-home visit from the doctor.
A remote triage nurse must ensure that the right resources are available to patients, and that time is used as efficiently as possible for all members of the medical team.
3. Legal nurse consultant
National average salary: No salary data at this time
Primary duties: A legal nurse consultant is a registered nurse who uses their medical and nursing expertise to help to provide legal professionals with information about medical issues that are relevant to the law. A lawyer, paralegal or legal secretary could consult with these professionals over cases such as personal injury, medical malpractice or worker’s compensation.
Nurse consultants help legal professionals to read medical notes and records and understand medical terminology so that they can get the best result for the client in the form of compensation. They may need to interpret medical results and records or coordinate any medical or specialized exams that the case requires.
A governmental agency, law firm or insurance company could employ legal nurse consultants. These professionals could also work as independent contractors for one or multiple employers.
4. Case management nurse
National average salary: No salary data at this time
Primary duties: A case manager is responsible for coordinating all aspects of patient care and allocating resources to ensure that patients receive the best care possible. They are advocates for patients and act as their voice. Typically, the type of patients these nurses manage are people who are recovering from serious injuries or illnesses or those who have a chronic disease. There are specialized positions available to manage patients in one specific group, such as those with cancer or the elderly.
Case management nurses could work in the community or as part of a large hospital or clinic. They work closely with doctors, social workers and other healthcare staff. Case managers work holistically—they are responsible for making sure that each care plan they create and implement meets the physical and health needs of the patient as well as their emotional and social needs.
5. Freelance grant writer
National average salary: $42,579 per year
Primary duties: As a grant writer, you would be able to use and apply the medical knowledge that you gained as a licensed nurse to form persuasive arguments about your organization’s suitability to receive funding.
Medical organizations frequently have to apply for grants to fund themselves. A grant writer is responsible for finding these potential sources of funding and making sure that their organization is successful in securing this funding. A proficient and capable grant writer makes a significant impact on the success of an organization.
A grant writer needs to persuade the funding body that their organization is the most worthy recipient of the funds and that it will use the money effectively. They need excellent communication skills and medical knowledge to convince the funding body in a cover letter, proposal, and application.
These professionals need excellent research skills to find grant opportunities and to make sure that they know enough about the funding body and source of the financing to be successful in the application.
6. Insurance claims specialist
National average salary: $46,647 per year
Primary duties: Insurance claims specialists or consultants are crucial staff members for health insurance companies. They review claims for medical insurance and make decisions to decide if the claims for treatment are covered and that they are legal, accurate and valid. They also determine the level of payment that the insurance company must pay to the claimant.
With nursing experience and extensive healthcare knowledge, you are in an excellent position to understand the issues that the patients have had, and what decisions would be best for them, the healthcare providers and the insurance company that employs you. These professionals need excellent communication skills as they are the point of contact for the patient, the attending physician or healthcare professional and the insurance company.
7. Online nurse educator
National average salary: $88,129 per year
Primary duties: The market for online education is increasing at all levels, including for nurse educators who can work remotely. You may find employment as an instructor for an established course or you could be developing a curriculum for others. A position as a course designer involves strategic planning and implementing educational courses and the methods used for evaluating these courses.
These professionals could work in a hospital, providing on-the-job training for new staff or as part of professional development. A training provider, company or college that offers online educational courses could employ you. Your communication and presentation skills must be excellent as you will be working with all levels of nursing staff and students to identify the needs for training and continuing education at all levels. Your work may also involve liaising with clinical councils to establish standards and competencies for nursing practices as required.
8. Nursing and medical writer
National average salary: $97,987 per year
Primary duties: Medical writers need to have impressive writing and research skills as well as in-depth knowledge of medicine, medical terminology and treatments. Registered nurses already hold this knowledge and experience so they have an advantage that some employers prefer or could even specify in their requirements.
These professionals need to explain complicated scientific and medical research and results in a way that average people can understand. Depending on the field that they work in, they may also need to understand web optimization and technology.
In this varied role, you could be creating complicated and in-depth journal articles and literature reviews for scientists and doctors or for fellow nurses. You could also write simple information for patients in leaflets or on posters. If a pharmacological company employs you, you might write promotional material and press releases for new products. You could also be involved in writing course material for medical staff or working alongside nurse educators.
The writing that you produce is highly dependent on your employer. If you are working on clinical trials for new drugs or devices, you would create study protocols, investigators’ brochures and standard operating procedures. You will need to interpret and represent complex data accurately and with great attention to detail. If your employer is a small, private clinic, you might write online articles for the general public or content for their website.
An experienced medical writer can find employment in many fields, including drug manufacturers, clinics, hospitals, government organizations, universities and as a freelance worker.
I hope you find this article helpful.
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