Key Takeaways:
- You can work remotely as a registered nurse (RN) or an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN).
- Remote RNs and APRNs perform the same core duties as in-person nurses and nurse practitioners.
- You can find a wide variety of remote jobs for RNs and APRNs.
Nurses provide care in:
- Hospitals
- Doctors’ offices
- Clinics
And with the rise of telehealth, they now work from home.
Remote nursing jobs offer greater control of your time and other benefits – but what kinds of roles exist? And how do you land one?
Can Nurses Work From Home?
You can work remotely as a registered nurse (RN) or as an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN).
Technology such as video visits and wearable devices make it possible to assess, monitor, educate, and treat patients from your computer.
Telehealth nursing doesn’t replace hands-on clinical care. If someone breaks an arm or gets diagnosed with cancer, they’ll need to make an in-person appointment.
However, plenty of care doesn’t require a physical exam.
Chronic condition check-ins, medication management, follow-up appointments, and mental health counseling all translate effectively through a screen – and create an opportunity for you to build your career in an environment more suited toward your goals.
What Does a Remote Nurse Do?
Remote RNs and APRNs perform the same core duties as in-person nurses, including:
- Patient assessments: Evaluate patient symptoms and route them to the right level of care.
- Treatment guidance: Review test results answer patient questions and teach them how to take medications safely.
- Care coordination: Connect patients with specialists and schedule follow-up appointments.
- Health tracking: Monitor patient vitals such as heart rate and blood glucose and flag concerning trends to the care team.
You could also pursue nurse manager or coordinator roles.
In these positions, you oversee a system’s telehealth program, ensuring it meets the needs of patients, providers, and insurers.
Types of Remote Nursing Jobs
You can find a wide variety of telemedicine jobs for RNs and APRNs. Examples include:
Nurse recruiter
In this role, you find, interview, and hire nurses for healthcare organizations and staffing agencies. You may also be in charge of the onboarding process, setting up their pay, benefits, and orientation schedule – all of which can be done from your computer.
Mental health nurse practitioner
NPs who specialize in psychiatry can offer counseling, therapy, and medication virtually. You would need to be licensed and registered in the state where your patient resides in order to provide these services.
Case management nurse
As a remote RN case manager, you work directly with physicians and insurance companies to coordinate long-term treatment for patients and their families. You track their medical needs, connect them with community resources, and serve as an intermediary so they can focus on healing.
Primary care nurse practitioner
Family medicine NPs can provide routine checkups and treat common illnesses and chronic conditions via video visits, which offer patients convenience and help offices free up in-person appointments for those with more serious or complex concerns.
Pros and Cons of Remote Nursing
Kristin Clayton spent more than 25 years providing in-person care before swapping her daily drive for a walk to a home office.
She works as a telehealth urgent care nurse practitioner and teaches biology for Portage Learning, an accredited online institution that offers affordable, self-directed healthcare prerequisite courses. The shift from bedside to remote care opened her eyes to what virtual medicine can actually handle.
During Kristin’s 12-hour virtual shifts, she meets with a few dozen patients and treats almost anything.
“I see people in their home, and I see people that go to the clinic,” Kristin explains. “We use specialized equipment that allows me to look into their ears, listen to their heart. I can still order chest X-rays and interpret them from home because it’s sent to me. Everything except for suturing, EKGs, and stuff like that can be done virtually.”
The format gives her a better work-life balance, and it puts care within reach of more patients.
“So many people don’t have access to transportation on a daily basis, and with telehealth, you can reach them,” Kristin says.
She adds, “Urgent cares can get so busy too. Patients sit there for an hour or two just waiting to be seen. Virtual care keeps things going. We see them within minutes, and they don’t have to be around other sick people and potentially catch other illnesses.”
For RNs and NPs debating whether to leave the floor, Kristin’s experience highlights the upsides of telehealth – and how you don’t lose the clinical skills most people assume it can’t offer.
How to Get a Remote Job in Nursing
You’ll find plenty of virtual RN and APRN job listings. A recent analysis ranked nursing as one of the top 10 fastest-growing fully remote career categories.
However, work-from-home roles often attract more candidates than ones that require a commute, meaning you need to really stand out to land one.
Here’s how you can do so strategically:
- Tailor your application
When you apply for a remote job, your resume and cover letter need to do more than just list your credentials.
They need to be Applicant Tracking System-friendly and include keywords mentioned in the description.
You should highlight how your experience aligns with remote roles and the company’s mission. Can you exemplify how you work independently or use virtual communication to deliver care in your current role? - Take advantage of LinkedIn
Connect with current and former colleagues and follow companies that offer work-from-home positions. It’ll introduce you to their hiring managers and values.
Your profile should include your headshot and a headline that clearly captures what you do and your unique value. Highlight outcomes, not just tasks, in the experience section. - Check job boards frequently
Employers add new remote roles all the time. Look daily for openings on sites such as:
- Indeed
- Nurse Fern
- ZipRecruiter
Set the filters on the job boards for telehealth nursing or remote APRN roles, and when you see one that meets your needs, apply because positions fill quickly. - Prepare
Once you land an interview, make a powerful impression.
Review the company’s website and be prepared to demonstrate your understanding of nursing concepts and your interpersonal skills.
Ask the hiring team thoughtful questions to display your commitment.
Applicants should always follow up with a thank-you note or email, reiterating their gratitude for the interview.
Skills Needed for Remote Nursing Jobs
Companies prefer telehealth nurses with at least five years of direct patient care experience. This ensures you possess strong clinical judgment and can make decisions without immediate peer consultation.
You must also be able to:
- Use technology proficiently
- Manage your time effectively
- Communicate clearly and concisely
- Stay productive without someone watching over you
Remote Nursing Job Salary
Work-from-home RN and APRN positions pay about the same as in-person roles.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nurses earn $93,600 annually on average. Nurse practitioners and other APRNs make about $132,050 each year.
Is Remote Nursing for You?
When telehealth first crossed Kristin’s mind, doubt crept in.
She knew how to work in hospitals, doctors’ offices, and clinics – but from home? It seemed to contradict everything experience taught her.
But Kristin quickly learned she could do it and believes other nurses and nurse practitioners can too.
Plenty of opportunities exist for those who possess the skills needed to provide compassionate virtual care, she says.
“The shift to remote nursing is happening fast, especially with the technology that’s coming out,” Kristin observes. “I think it’s what the future is going to be.”
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