Here is the list of 7 healthcare jobs with flexible hours for moms and college students, some of which can be literally done in pajamas. Working from home has become increasingly popular as it has many benefits including saving time, increased productivity and costs reduction.
Americans spend on average 26 minutes daily going each way to work (or in other words nine days yearly), with 17% traveling in one direction 45 minutes or more. This is a considerable increase compared to 1980, when commuting took 21.7 minutes daily and when 12% of workers spend more than 45 minutes in transportation.
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In terms of money those who turn their homes into offices save $1,600 to $6,800 per year and what’s even more important -telecommuters are spared of stress that often accompanies commuting, and that can trigger a range of illnesses – from high blood pressure and cholesterol to obesity and depression.
Surveys show that growing number of Americans is opting for home work. According to Telework Research Network, 30 million US’ residents telecommute. The share of employees who leave traditional office jobs for more flexible ones will continue to increase each year. The survey also shows that telecommuters are happier compared to their office colleagues, have greater productivity and are more satisfied with the balance between professional and private lives.
Besides telecommuting jobs our list of 7 healthcare jobs with flexible hours for moms and college students also includes those that require leaving the house but have flexible shifts. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, 25,516,000 Americans work part-time compared to 110,706,000 full-time employees. Although full-time workers usually earn more per hour compared to part-time employees there are a few exceptions some of which are included in this list. In this ranking, we tried to cover jobs that can be done remotely from home as well as those that require leaving the house but nevertheless have flexible hours. This list does not exhaust all healthcare flexible positions – physical therapists, speech therapists, dental assistants, medical recruiters, translators, lab technicians… are some of the flexible jobs that are not included here.
Although flexible shifts in medicine are rarely connected with doctors, there is growing number of physicians who have started to work part-time. A survey done by American Medical Group Association showed that between 2005 and 2011 the number of part-time male doctors tripled while female part-timers went up 50%. In this list we are not going to cover physician positions which were in the focus of our previous ranking of 11 Least Stressful Medical Specialties and Careers that Pay Well.
Now, without further ado, we present you the list of healthcare jobs with flexible hours for moms and college students!
7. Transcriptionist
Transcribing medical recordings is a kind of work that can be done from home and it requires very little experience. The only requirement is knowledge of medical terminology and good typing skills. If you are not sure whether you are the right person for this type of work, you can check your skills using some of the free transcribing exercises. There are plenty of opportunities for freelance medical transcribing as you can see on sites such as Upwork. If you want to boost your chances of finding a job as a transcriptionist, you can sing up for some of the certificate programs that usually last a year, the majority of which can be done online. According to Bureau of Labor’s Statistics, there are 54,070 people working in the field and their median hourly wage is $17.17. Among jobs listed here, this is one of the lowest salaries. Moreover, this is the only occupation that will not experience job growth as the number of available positions will decline by 3%. And now, let’s see what’s next on our list of healthcare jobs with flexible hours for moms and college students.
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6. Medical coding and billing
We are continuing our list of healthcare jobs with flexible hours for moms and college students with medical coding and billing that is another type of healthcare job that does not require leaving home. Coders translate diagnosis, symptoms, tests that are performed on a patient, for instance, blood testing or ultrasound, into alphanumeric and numeric codes. Every illness and a healthcare service has a certain code attached to it, and the coder’s job is to enter these codes into a form or a program. On one side this facilitates communication between healthcare units and on the other provide groundwork for medical billing. Billers take the information provided by coders and make a bill that they send to the insurance company which evaluates the claim (i.e. defines which costs insurance covers) and returns it to the biller who then makes the final estimation of the costs a patient should pay. Educational requirements for medical coders and billers usually include a certificate in health information technology or similar. To find out more about education prerequisites, medical coding/billing programs in the USA, and salary range, visit the Medical coding and billing which offers comprehensive information on the subject. BLS classifies medical billers and coders under the occupation Medical records and healthcare information technicians, whose median hourly wage is $18,29.
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5. Medical writer
This is a very broad category which encompasses a different kind of jobs. Depending on the scope of responsibilities and educational requirements the salary greatly varies. Freelance websites usually offer a bulk of jobs for health blog/presentation writers which do not require any particular experience but only commitment to producing a certain number of articles on a daily basis. Some of these jobs are underpaid while others can be a reliable source of income. Other types of jobs for medical writers are more demanding but they are also better paid. For instance, medical writers who work for pharmaceutical companies may prepare documentation required by regulatory bodies. Those who are hired by doctors or research institutions write scientific papers using data obtained from studies. Some medical writers that rank 5th on our list of healthcare jobs with flexible hours for moms and college students are employed in educational institutions and their job is to prepare education materials. Medical writers can also work in media covering health-related topics. Depending on the type of job, educational requirements may range from none to advanced degrees in science or journalism. According to Indeed, average hourly salary for medical writers is $26.25.
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4. Home health aid
There are a plenty of opportunities for home health aide as you can see on websites such as Indeed, Linkedin, or Snagajob. The job of a caregiver that ranks 4th on our list of healthcare jobs with flexible hours for moms and college students includes different responsibilities ranging from –meal preparation and grocery shopping to providing basic medical care such as measuring blood pressure and temperature, giving medication, changing bandages, massaging, and helping patients with medical equipment, scheduling doctors’ appointments… Depending on the employer, job requirements may include obtaining formal training offered by vocational schools or community colleges. In some cases candidates are expected to finish only on-job-training. Additionally, some employers might ask for a certification from a job seeker. Many home health aide jobs are part-time and employees are offered flexible shifts. According to BLS, median hourly pay for caregivers is $10,87, which is pretty low compared to similar health care occupations. However, the job prospects are excellent as the demand for the home health aides will grow by 38%.
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3. Nutritionists and dietitians
Nutritionists and dietitians, who occupy third place on the list of 7 healthcare jobs with flexible hours for moms and college students, earn a median hourly wage of $28.33. The demand for these professionals is high, and it is going to increase at a faster rate compared to the national average for all occupations. In the period between 2014 and 2024 there will be 16% job rise. Job growth is driven by higher public awareness about the importance of healthy diet and its potential to reduce the risk for many conditions or alleviate existing illnesses. One in four nutritionists and dietitians is a part-time employee while some work from home consulting their patients by phone or Skype. In order to become nutritionist/dietitian, a person needs to complete BA degree program, finish supervise training and acquire a certificate.
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2. Dental hygienist
More than half of all dental hygienists work part-time. Flexible schedule is one of the most appealing aspects of the job as it allows them nice balance between professional and private lives. According to the survey conducted in 2014, many of these professionals in all age groups work less than 30 to 40 hours a week. And even more importantly, part-time dental hygienists are one of the rare employees who receive higher hourly wage compared to their full-time colleagues. Requirements for the occupation include three-year associate degree while job duties range from assessing patient’s oral health, removing plaque, and taking x-rays to informing patients about oral hygiene and completing administrative office tasks. Their median hourly wage is $35.05 and the occupation will see 19% job growth in the following years.
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1. Nurse
First place on our list of 7 healthcare jobs with flexible hours for moms and college students is reserved for nurses who can either work from home or find a part-time job at healthcare units. Some of the telecommuting options for nurses include working as a triage nurse, auditor nurse or case manager. Triage nurses answer telephone calls from patients, listen to their symptoms and schedule appointment with a doctor. They are paid 22$ per hour, which is the lowest wage among here mentioned nurse telecommuting positions. Nurse auditors, who on average earn $28.71 per hour, combine knowledge in medicine and finance. They are usually employed by insurance companies and hospitals and their main responsibility is to review medical records and make sure that patient’s medical costs are calculated in the right way. Finally, nurse case managers are highest paid with an hourly wage of $34. Their job is overseeing health care plan of chronic patients. Moreover, there are plenty of opportunities to work as a part-time nurse. Depending on education and experience the salary ranges from $19.16 to $31.34 per hour.
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