Telehealth Nursing Jobs
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly boosted the telehealth industry. Due to lockdowns and continuously changing regulations, many healthcare facilities had to cancel their appointments.
Telehealth became the safest and most convenient way out of this situation. More and more providers began offering distant services online.
Therefore the demand for qualified telehealth professionals, including nurses, rises. This is the best time ever to consider a career in this field. Let’s find out everything we need to know.
What is telehealth nursing?
Telenursing (this term is interchangeably used with telehealth nursing) is defined as the use of “technology to deliver care and conduct nursing practice”.
Despite being remote, this type of care is effective.
Telehealth nurses are registered healthcare professionals who can help patients to deal with minor problems, determine whether or not they need to seek emergency care or in-person appointment with a doctor.
Scheduling these appointments when needed is also their responsibility. Nurses monitor patients’ blood pressure, oxygen levels, glucose readings and educate patients on different ways to manage symptoms.
This helps to control chronic diseases and reduce hospitalizations
Other tasks vary depending on the type of job and may include prescription renewal, taking after-hour calls, performing follow-ups, etc. Telenurses generally work from home or triage centers.
Telehealth nurse salary
If we search online for median telehealth nurse salaries, we will get numbers around $26-40/hour. According to Glasdoor.com and Payscale.com salary is about $65 000/year.
In comparison, the average annual salary for a registered nurse in the USA is $73,300 per year or $35.24 per hour.
It seems on-site and telenurses are paid approximately the same.
As with other jobs in medical fields, salaries rise according to education and experience. Nurses usually get raises annually. The same is true for the telehealth industry.
Jobs available right now
If we search for job options online, we will find thousands of positions, mostly entry-level. U.S based jobs require a state certificate.
Some of the employing companies are offering telehealth nurse positions only for a limited time, as long as they are planning to return to in-person practice after pandemic. Others offer long-term cooperation.
Two examples of currently available positions are discussed here, for you to have a more clear picture. One of them is home-based and the other one is onsite.
Registered telenurse – Mynurse.ai
Employment type: Full-time job- Emeryville, CA
Estimated salary: $61,000- $83,000 a year
Responsibilities: Working from home you will be responsible for providing telephonic/virtual Remote Patient Monitoring support and Chronic Condition management to senior patients with chronic conditions.
Ideal candidate:
1 year of experience in primary care, family practice, geriatrics, or chronic disease management. Is currently licensed in at least one state (California preferred, the multi-state license may be required as the company grows nationally).
Is comfortable with digital technology (including tools like MS Office, Google, various EMRs, etc.). Is familiar with Medicare, chronic conditions management (CCM), remote patient monitoring (RPM), and quality measures (HEDIS).
Preferred: Bilingual candidates and candidates experienced in digital care management/coordination programs and services.
Benefits: The company provides bonus incentives for reaching growth goals. Bonuses are awarded to the whole team every month if goals are met.
Triage telehealth registered nurse – Eskenazi health
Employment type: Full time, onsite; Indianapolis, IN
Estimated salary: $63,000- $90,000 a year
Responsibilities: The Telehealth Registered Nurse is responsible for triaging incoming calls from patients. He/she assesses patient needs and clinical options and facilitates referrals to various primary care providers, specialists, healthcare facilities, and community resources.
Requirements: Active Indiana RN license. >4 years of clinical nursing experience, current BLS certification, proficiency with computer use.
Things to consider: Eskenazi Health’s programs have received national recognition and are accredited by The Joint Commission and named one of the nation’s 150 best places to work by Becker’s Hospital Review for three consecutive years and Forbes list of best places to work for women, and Forbes list of America’s best midsize employers.
How to become a telehealth nurse?
The answer to this question varies and depends on the country you reside in. As usual, there are no specific certifications for telepractice and anyone with a state license can do telehealth nursing as well.
But as in the case of cross-border telemedicine, the lack of regulatory framework makes it hard to serve patients outside the country or in the case of the U.S. even outside the state. But the International Council of Nursing offers Certified Global Nurse Consultants (CGNC) certification.
“Those who meet the CGNC standards will be issued a certificate that validates their body of knowledge, allowing them to contribute to various ICN initiatives and consult with governments, healthcare institutions and NGOs seeking the nursing perspective on the issues posed during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. They will also receive the added benefit of having their credibility and visibility as experts substantiated by two of the world’s leading authorities on the nursing profession”
So, if you are an active nurse with a few years of experience in direct patient care behind your back and are willing to do something new, then it’s a perfect time. You will have the freedom to work from home and better work-life flexibility.
Or you might be a newbie considering a nursing career. In this case, you will need to attend nursing school and pass local exams.
After that, you will need to gain bedside experience and earn your international certificate to increase your chances of finding a suitable job.
Resources
Here are some resources that will help you to find more information about telenursing and see the list of jobs available nearby.
International Council of Nurses
International Society for Telemedicine and eHealth
American Telehealth Association
List of jobs on indeed.com
Summary
Further development of the telecommunication industry and COVID-19 pandemic will increase demand for telenursing jobs.
Practicing telehealth is almost as beneficial financially as traditional nursing but in some cases offers benefits in terms of working schedule flexibility.
References:
See Also
Telehealth Nursing Pros and Cons
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