Most people think of nursing as a very hands-on occupation, and for the most part, it is. The majority of nursing roles fall into the category of “bedside nursing,” which refers to in-person jobs providing direct care and working face-to-face with patients, doctors, and staff in a clinical setting.
That being said, more work-from-home and remote positions exist than ever before for registered nurses (RNs), and some of these positions may be open to licensed practical nurses (LPNs) as well.
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Why do some nurses want to work from home?
The reasons a nurse might want to pursue remote work are as diverse as the passionate professionals that make up the industry.
Some nurses have young children and need more time at home. Others have physical ailments or chronic illnesses that make long, in-person shifts difficult to manage. Some feel their time and budget are excessively taxed by long commutes and high gas prices.
Whatever the case may be, qualified caregivers looking to employ their skills and education remotely in a home-based setting have more options now than they have in the past. Bedside care still represents the foundation of the nursing profession, but modern technology and an evolving healthcare landscape have expanded the frontiers of the nursing job market to include many different types of remote roles.
From case management to quality assurance to providing virtual care by phone or video, there’s a niche in remote nursing to suit almost any area of interest. Here’s an overview of different types of work-from-home nursing jobs and where they might be offered so that qualified jobseekers can explore options based on their skills and salary expectations.
What types of companies hire remote nurses?
According to Emma Geiser (AKA Nurse Fern) — a former critical care nurse who now works remotely and maintains a website devoted to educating nurses about work-from-home jobs in the industry — some of the most prolific employers of remote nursing professionals include the following types of organizations:
- Insurance companies
- Acute care hospitals
- Regular hospitals
- Staffing companies
- Specialty triage groups
- Consulting firms
- Pharmacology firms
- Medical information websites
Remote nursing jobs & what they pay
In many cases, the nursing jobs below can be performed remotely. However, different organizations have different requirements for these sorts of positions in terms of office or clinic attendance.
Always read job listings thoroughly and check with recruiters to determine whether a specific job listing is for an in-person, hybrid, or fully remote position. Some roles must be performed in person for an introductory period before candidates can request a partially or fully remote schedule.
Case/care management nurse
- Requisite credentials: RN (additional education/experience often required)
- Salary.com median salary estimate: $95,359
- Indeed average base salary estimate: $83,452
- Glassdoor pay range: $81,000–$121,000
Registered nurses who work as case managers develop and oversee care plans for particular types of individuals. Specialties can include severe injury recovery, geriatric care, end-of-life care, chronic illness management, cancer treatment, and other mid to long-term medical situations.
Care management nurses coordinate care, schedule patient appointments, follow up after appointments, communicate regularly with patients and loved ones, aid in patient decision-making, and advocate for patients’ care by acting as liaisons with patients’ insurance providers.
Telehealth triage nurse
- Requisite credentials: RN (in-person triage experience usually preferred)
- Salary.com median salary estimate: $87,260
- Indeed average base salary estimate: $81,382
- Glassdoor pay range: $88,000–$140,000
Telehealth triage nurses work directly with patients by phone, chat, or video call. Their primary duty is to evaluate patients who need medical attention or have questions about existing issues and treatments. In many cases, telephone triage nurses may make diagnoses or assessments and then refer patients to appropriate care, whether that means a simple trip to the pharmacy for an over-the-counter ointment, a referral to a specialist, or an immediate trip to the ER.
Telehealth triage nurses access patient records and information via an online database. By evaluating potential patients remotely, they help reduce crowding and wait times at hospitals and clinics.
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Data abstractor nurse
- Requisite credentials: LPN or RN
- Salary.com median salary estimate: $77,042
- Indeed average base salary estimate: $78,138
- Glassdoor pay range: $83,000–$129,000
Data abstraction nurses use technology to dig through patient health and care records to identify service usage trends, gaps in care, quality issues, and other information. They essentially mine records for useful information and then translate their findings into an accessible format for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.
Data abstraction nurses, also called clinical nurse abstractors, are often employed by health insurance companies or medical technology firms and should be well-versed in patient record software and terminology.
Quality assurance nurse
- Requisite credentials: RN (and clinical experience)
- Salary.com median salary estimate: $86,886
- Indeed average base salary estimate: Not available
- Glassdoor pay range: $92,000–$137,000
Quality assurance (QA) nurses analyze patients’ care as it relates to insurance and hospital/clinic resources in order to identify opportunities to improve outcomes. In other words, they investigate whether patients are receiving appropriate care at an appropriate price, identify underused and overused services, and look for demographic insights that can be used to update and improve each patient’s care process.
When changes to policies and best practices are enacted, QA nurses are sometimes responsible for communicating and overseeing these changes and ensuring staff adhere to the most recent protocols.
Prior authorization nurse
- Requisite credentials: RN (and clinical experience)
- Salary.com median salary estimate: $83,192
- Indeed average base salary estimate: $62,539
- Glassdoor pay range: $46,000–$74,000
Prior authorization nurses evaluate requests for client treatment to determine whether they are medically necessary and should therefore be covered by the clients’ health insurance. In other words, they review requested medication, treatments, and procedures against patient records, diagnoses, and exam results, then use their clinical judgment as a medical professional to decide whether the requested care will be covered, documenting their process and rationale as they go.
Prior authorization nurses are often employed by health insurance companies and care management firms.
Utilization management/review nurse
- Requisite credentials: RN (sometimes with an additional certification)
- Salary.com median salary estimate: $83,192
- Indeed average base salary estimate: $96,676
- Glassdoor pay range: $91,000–$138,000
Utilization management nurses, also called utilization review nurses, are similar to prior authorization nurses in that they review proposed care plans and treatments to ensure that they match patient’s needs and insurance coverage. They document this process to maintain compliance and ensure that insurance providers don’t deny reimbursement for procedures.
UM nurses frequently collaborate with case management nurses and other healthcare providers involved in the patient care decision-making process. This job involves making decisions that directly affect patients, such as whether they remain in the hospital overnight or are discharged for outpatient care, so it’s important for UM nurses to balance ideal care with cost concerns and insurance reimbursement.
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Denials and appeals nurse
- Requisite credentials: RN (and relevant experience)
- Salary.com median salary estimate: $90,379
- Indeed average base salary estimate: Not available
- Glassdoor pay range: Not available
Denials and appeals nurses, also called clinical appeals nurses, work as advocates for patients whose insurance companies deny their claims or refuse to pay for their treatment procedures. To do this, they carefully review patient records for medical evidence to determine if an insurance company’s denial was appropriate. If not, they write and file an appeal to the insurance company on the patient’s behalf.
Nurses in this field work closely with prior authorization nurses, case management nurses, and utilization management nurses, all of whom are involved in the process of navigating patient care as it relates to medical necessity and insurance coverage.
Nurse navigator
- Requisite credentials: RN (and sometimes an additional certification)
- Salary.com median salary estimate: $99,426
- Indeed average base salary estimate: $101,676
- Glassdoor pay range: $90,000–$147,000
Nurse navigators work with patients (often cancer patients) from admission to discharge or end-of-life care. They are a patient’s point person, go-to advocate, and liaison to the rest of the care team.
They answer patient questions, explain options, recommend resources, and monitor symptoms and progress. Nurse navigators also provide emotional, mental, and sometimes spiritual support to their patients throughout their care journey.
Clinical documentation integrity specialist
- Requisite credentials: RN (and sometimes an additional certification)
- Salary.com median salary estimate: $61,696
- Indeed average base salary estimate: $46,660
- Glassdoor pay range: $72,00–$122,0000
Clinical documentation integrity specialists are responsible for carefully reviewing patient medical records to ensure that diagnostic information, test results, and other data are coded properly for reimbursement.
They also educate care providers to help them ensure accuracy and specificity in their documentation processes, provide clarity about documentation when necessary, and investigate and remedy any irregularities or mismatches between documented information and reimbursement codes.
Legal nurse consultant
- Requisite credentials: RN (and related skills/experience)
- Salary.com median salary estimate: $89,738
- Indeed average base salary estimate: Not available
- Glassdoor pay range: $90,000–$143,000
Legal nurse consultants (LNCs) are registered nurses who are paid to provide expert testimony regarding medical matters in court proceedings. Most often, the cases LNCs weigh in on involve personal injury, medical malpractice, or workers' compensation, but they may also serve as witnesses in other types of cases.
LNCs review documents and medical records, interview patients, attend examinations, communicate with doctors, attorneys, and other professionals, and prepare and give testimony in court as part of their work.
Nurse health coach
- Requisite credentials: RN (and sometimes a certification)
- Salary.com median salary estimate: $75,932
- Indeed average base salary estimate: Not available
- Glassdoor pay range: $75,000–$114,000
Nurse health coaches are registered nurses with personal coaching skills who guide individual clients toward their health and well-being goals from a medical perspective. Using their medical expertise, nurse health coaches evaluate clients’ medical records, treatments, and prescription medications.
They then educate their clients and help them create tangible plans to meet their health goals based on an intimate understanding of their current health and medical history.
Can you travel while working as a remote nurse?
In most cases, nurses who work from home are not able to pursue the “digital nomad” lifestyle favored by some other types of remote workers. Due to patient privacy concerns and the sensitivity of the information they handle, remote nurses typically need a home office outfitted with a reliable secure internet connection and employer-approved VPN.
Like in-person nurses, work-from-home nurses can use sick days and PTO for travel and leisure, but working while traveling usually isn’t a realistic option.
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