Increase Your Earnings While Working from Home

If you are looking for flexible work as a nurse and a healthy work-life balance, this article will help you discover some of the best nursing jobs for work life balance. There are certainly more opportunities to leverage your nursing degree than with direct patient care. If remote work appeals to you and you’re at ease with technology, let me introduce you to the best nursing jobs for work life balance, allowing you to increase your income without leaving the comfort of your home.

Telework or remote work is when people do some of their usual work hours away from the main office, usually at home. They use technology to connect with others to get their work done. It can be just a few hours a week or full-time remote work. In the nursing profession, many jobs within healthcare organizations and healthcare-adjacent organizations can be done remotely.

According to studies, When COVID-19 started spreading, many local governments told people to work from home if they could. In March 2020, more than 3.4 billion people were stuck at home. Many nurses consider remote nursing jobs to be the least stressful nursing jobs available.

Now, many workers like the idea of a mix between working in the office and working from home. From the employee’s point of view, this can make them feel more productive and happier with their job. It feels like they have more control, and have a better balance between their work and personal life.

Telework and Remote Work Benefits

A systematic review looked at telework and found that it made employees feel happier about their job, more satisfied with it, and more committed to their organization. It also helped reduce their feelings of being emotionally exhausted.

Another systematic review stated that telework can make your work and family life better and make you feel better overall. Also, with COVID-19, some employees have more flexibility with their work hours, and this could be linked to better emotional and social well-being.

Some other benefits are:

• It’s easier to focus because being in a self-created safe workspace promotes concentration.
• There are fewer distractions because there might be fewer interruptions.
• You might get more privacy in your home workspace.
• You can save time and money because you don’t have to commute.
• It’s a healthier environment, away from the hospital, lowering your chance of getting sick.
• If you are organized, you will have more time to spend with family and friends.
• If you struggle to handle fast-paced or very stressful environments, remote jobs might be a good option to find calm.

Telework Disadvantages

In another study, almost 34% of people who worked from home mentioned that they divided their work hours between evenings and weekends. This practice ended up reducing the time they had for resting and recharging.

The usual health issues linked to telecommuting are musculoskeletal problems, stress, having more work, and feelings of loneliness or depression.

Things to Keep in Mind While Working from Home to Stay Healthy

• Setting up an ergonomic environment correctly is important if you are going to work from home to avoid potential orthopedic issues. Find an ergonomic chair for work, and make sure it comes with armrests and a backrest that allows you to comfortably rest your head. Seek out a mouse that provides wrist support and a desk that allows your computer to be at eye level, avoiding looking down or up to maintain good neck posture. Additionally, consider a footrest if your feet don’t comfortably reach the ground to support your lower back.

• Find a quiet space that is private enough for you to feel comfortable and focused while working.

• If you decide to become a freelancer and therefore are not following a company’s rigid work schedule, you need to be a master at time management and be disciplined, finding a routine that works for you. Try not to stay working for too many hours without breaks, or work during the night. Take good care of your habits, including your eating schedule and sleep.

• Leave the house sometimes to run errands (don’t just order everything online), take a walk to the park or the grocery store, see some friends, exercise outside to get some Vitamin D, and socialize when you can. Do what you can to stay active and social during the day when you’re not working.

• Avoid the temptation of working too many hours. Remember, it’s important to share time with family and friends. Isolation is linked to depression, anxiety, and cardiovascular disease, among others. Take care of your mental and physical well-being.

• Watch your vitamin D levels if you are inside the house too much and not getting enough sun, or eating food containing vitamin D. Approximately 35% of Americans are already deficient in Vitamin D, and working indoors can exacerbate that. You might need a supplement, discuss this with your doctor.

• Keep a healthy diet and avoid skipping meals or eating excessive snacks. Avoid overeating because sometimes people tend to eat in front of the computer, and they don’t realize how much they’re eating.

• Find a place to work close to a window to receive light, more so if you are feeling tired or low on energy.

• If you are a freelancer, organize and plan a payment schedule with your clients to avoid stress related to money issues.

• Additionally, to be satisfied and healthy while working at home, you need good working technological equipment, and a high degree of freedom to make your own choices, according to the first study mentioned in this article. Do what you can to ensure this is your experience.

Things to Discuss with Your Supervisor if You Are Hired for a Remote Position

• Ask for honesty regarding the schedule and set reasonable boundaries if they expect you to work too many hours.
• Ask questions about the equipment so you can know if they are going to provide everything (including ergonomic items), or if you must work with your personal computer.
• Talk about the responsibilities of the work position and the range of flexibility to make your own decisions when performing the tasks.
• Investigate if the company has remote career advancement opportunities for you and if they offer educational opportunities for employee development in your respective field.
• It’s crucial to sort out any technology you’ll be using in your new role. If you need training with a new software or tool, be honest and request to be trained.

Salaries for Nurses in Remote Positions

The salary for work-from-home nursing jobs can vary widely depending on factors such as the specific role, location, level of experience, and the employer. Some remote nursing positions can offer competitive salaries, especially if they require specialized skills or expertise.

For example, nurse practitioners, consultants, educators, diabetes management nurses, or psychiatric nurses may command higher salaries than entry-level remote positions.

Increasing Your Income While Working from Home

Let’s explore the possibilities for career growth and additional income sources within the remote nursing field, so you can find the best nursing jobs for work life balance.

Career Advancement

Many work-from-home nursing roles offer opportunities for career advancement. For example, a nurse working in telehealth might start as a telehealth nurse, but could advance to become a telehealth manager, overseeing a team of remote nurses. Advancement often comes with increased responsibilities and higher pay.

Freelancing

Some nurses may opt for freelance work, where they take on various projects or assignments independently. Freelancers often have the potential to earn more by taking on multiple clients and charging competitive rates for their services. For example, nurse writers can create articles, and do another remote or in-person job if they don’t become full-time health writers. If you like to write but don’t know how to turn it into a profession, you can read my book: The Nurse’s Guide To Blogging.

Part-time Opportunities

Remote nursing positions may offer part-time work options. Nurses looking to supplement their income or balance work with other responsibilities may find part-time roles appealing.

Specialized Nursing Skills

Nurses who obtain specializations/advanced certifications usually command higher salaries due to their specialized knowledge and skills. For remote work opportunities, this will often include technical, project management, communication, and other related skills that will enhance your ability to work in more jobs.

Nurse Consulting

Nurses with substantial experience in a particular healthcare niche may choose to work as healthcare consultants. They can offer their expertise to various healthcare organizations to help the organization achieve its goals.

Education and Training

Nurses who work from home may have opportunities to provide education and training to other healthcare professionals or patients. These roles can be compensated separately and contribute to increased earnings.

Otherwise, if you don’t want to be working from home 100% of the time, you can also keep an in-person part-time job, and work remotely as a part-time freelancer. Or get hired for a hybrid position, there are so many different possibilities.

Best Nursing Jobs for Work Life Balance

There is a whole world out there to explore in the remote nursing field. Here are just a few of all the great nursing jobs that can help you have better work-life balance as a nurse:

You can read a detailed explanation of these 13 jobs, most of them with their salary rank in my article: Best Remote Nursing Jobs in the United States. There, you can also find a list of job sites where you can start searching for remote nursing positions. For more information, you can also read about the least stressful jobs for nurses (most of those can be done remotely as well).

If you’re feeling excited about these opportunities, whether you’re currently on the job hunt or have already snagged a remote nursing gig, don’t hesitate to drop a comment! Share your experiences and stories about thriving in the digital work world – I’d love to hear from you!