Stay-at-Home Jobs for Nurses

by J. Lucy Boyd, Demand Media

While most nurses work in hospitals and other health-care facilities, some nurses choose to work from their home or a home office. This is a good option for nurses who have erratic schedules, have caregiving responsibilities or who live in isolated communities. Stay-at-home nurses communicate by telephone, computer or regular mail. They may work for a company or as freelancers.

Case Management and Insurance Nursing

Some nurses work out of their homes for insurance providers. They may review medical charts, deciding whether a particular medical procedure should be covered by insurance and whether appropriate procedures are being followed. They may provide case management services, which involves managing the care of a client with an injury or chronic mental or physical health problem to ensure that cost-effective, appropriate care is given.

Industry Consulting

Consultancy services provided by stay-at-home nurses vary widely. Some nurses work for attorneys, helping them ascertain whether medical professionals followed standard procedures when providing care for their clients and issuing reports of their findings. Others help fellow nurses find jobs by instructing them on resume preparation. Nurses may be hired by non-medical companies that need to understand how to keep their workers mentally and physically healthy while on the job.

Medical Writing and Editing

Many opportunities exist for nurses who wish to write medical content. As a medical writer, a nurse may write for a newspaper, consumer magazine or trade magazine. He may provide online medical content or write books or other curriculum pieces for medical publishing companies. He may write scientific articles for publication in medical journals, or grant applications for medical foundations in need of funding. Skilled medical writers may also provide medical editing services, reviewing articles written by others. Nurses can also work as subject-matter experts, working for publishing companies to ensure that the products they deliver are medically accurate.

Patient Advisement Services

Nurses can work as patient advisers, answering triage calls from patients concerned about a child's fever or a wound that isn't healing. They may provide first aid guidance, suggest a specialist, or help a client make lifestyle changes as part of the treatment for a chronic condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure. Patient advisers may educate clients on difficult topics such as AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, or mental health problems, allowing the patient anonymity while she receives needed information.


To find a stay-at-home nursing position, look at health insurance companies or utilize job-search engines by adding keywords such as nurse and telecommute. For a medical writing career, brush up on your writing skills and join a professional organization such as the American Medical Writers Association, which can provide you with extended learning opportunities. For freelancing opportunities, seek online resources that place clients with writers at no upfront cost to you. You can also advertise your services yourself, if that is allowed under your state's nurse practice act.

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