2020 has been a brutal year for healthcare professionals and others working in the clinical environment. Covid created great anxiety while working in an overstressed healthcare system, filling in for family members as visitors are restricted in hospitals and fear of what illness they may bring home to their family.
A Google search for alternative nurse career opportunities suggests roles in medical billing, health writer, and other roles that limit patient contact. In the last twenty years, the nurses we’ve been privileged to have as our colleagues, making a difference for patients and working as a team with other nurses are the primary source of job satisfaction.
Healthcare call centers are often overlooked by nurses looking for a potential alternative.
Call centers with Life Science clients, support and educate patients, caregivers, and other healthcare professionals in a way that may be even more impactful than some clinical roles without all the paperwork.
It’s a lifestyle change as well. Weekend work and off-hours are rare, schedules are predictable, and no lifting is required.
Here is a peek into one of our projects, to show the difference our Nurse Specialists make.
A new therapy—the first of its kind—came on the market to treat patients with a rare disease. Because of the disease, patients suffered from severe fatigue, making every aspect of life difficult. We assigned each patient a Nurse Specialist, who became a lifeline during the patient’s first year on therapy, helping them to stay adherent to the drug as prescribed.
The nurse provided critical support to their assigned patients in a number of ways. If a mix-up on a required medical test prevented the medication from being sent by the specialty pharmacy, the nurse resolved the issue and made sure the drug was delivered. The nurse helped the patient cope with the drug’s side effects, which could be significant in the early weeks of therapy. If the patient was feeling discouraged, the nurse used clinical data to educate them and define road ahead. The nurse was also there to recognize when the patient needed to contact a member of their health care team.
The nurse spoke with their assigned patients regularly over that first year. They celebrated the small wins as life became increasingly easier for the patient thanks to the effects of the therapy. At the end of each work day, the nurse knew they had really helped patients have a better health outcome and a better quality of life, which gave them much personal and professional satisfaction.
Nurses who make the career choice to join a healthcare contact center often don’t realize that they are about to meet like-minded people, make lifelong and supportive friendships, and engage in work that makes a significant difference.
To learn more about Diligent Health Solutions, please visit our website. If you are looking to make a career change, please contact us.
Thank you for all that you do.
Mary Anne Greenberg
CEO
Diligent Health Solutions