Working from home has plenty of perks. If you feel burnt out from your time on the hospital floor or from going through the doors of the clinic day after day, mixing up your career by working from your kitchen table can provide a much needed reprieve. Or, maybe you could use a supplement to your clinic or hospital duties and think working from home could be a nice balance. Whatever your reason for earning money without leaving your front door, there are a few ways nurse practitioners can use their expertise from home.
1. Take a Job in Telemedicine
Telemedicine is a growing field in which nurse practitioners can provide healthcare at a distance. Think diagnosing rashes via Skype. While telemedicine has gained the most traction in psychiatry, the concept is also getting roots in acute and chronic care. Some primary care offices are increasingly offering telemedicine as a service for patients when an in person exam isn’t necessary. This gives nurse practitioners working for these practices the option of completing part of their job from a home office. Now you can treat your patients while wearing your pj bottoms (collared shirt still recommended).
2. Become a Legal Nurse Consultant
If you’ve got some nurse practitioner experience under your belt and are looking to branch out from patient care, explore the idea of legal nurse consulting. Legal nurse consultants work with attorneys and/or insurance companies on any kind of medical case. From workers comp to toxicology and criminal cases, nurse practitioners may be needed to offer expertise in a legal case. NPs may answer attorney’s questions about medical issues, analyze medical records, and consult on medical research and literature.
Getting a booming legal consulting business up and running can take some time as you will need relationships with attorneys. Start by working as a legal nurse consultant on a supplemental basis. Then, you can gradually steer your career more in the legal direction should you choose. (Here’s a post entirely dedicated to how legal nurse consulting can transform your career)
3. Take Your Expertise to a Sales Position
If you’re ready to leave the bedside, as a nurse practitioner you can take your valued experience and knowledge to the business world. Pharmaceutical companies, medical companies, and makers of EMR systems to name a few love to have medical experts selling their products. While this type of position isn’t strictly an at home gig, many sales positions can be based in your residence. They also get you out on the road, away from the office or clinic. Not to mention, if you’re good at your job commissions can be quite lucrative in sales.
Do you plan to transition your career away from direct patient care? Which direction will you choose?
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