Courtesy
of Hal Pham, NurseWeek
|
|
| |
More
NurseWeek Features |
|
|
Smoke-Free Zone |
|
| |
Nurses and patients tackle nicotine addiction
|
|
 |
Bloodless Survival |
|
| |
Surgical techniques to use when transfusion drops out of the equation |
|
|
|
| Nurses
who work for corporations say they can use their
skills and knowledge to help larger patient populations,
while enjoying competitive salaries and benefits
and regular work schedules. |
Four years ago, Linda Scarberry, RN, traded in her
scrubs for business suits when she transitioned from
a job in a dialysis center to one in the corporate sector.
As a kidney patient educator for Baxter Healthcare
Corp., a leading manufacturer of dialysis supplies,
Scarberry is one of a growing number of nurses using
their clinical expertise in jobs within the corporate
arena. Nurses who work for corporations say they can
use their skills and knowledge to help larger patient
populations, while enjoying competitive salaries and
benefits and regular work schedules. They also agree
that these jobs offer satisfaction without the physical
and emotional demands often required in hospital jobs.
Scarberry was happily employed as a nurse manager in
a dialysis clinic when, on a whim, she responded to
Baxter's newspaper advertisement for a kidney patient
educator.
"I was familiar with Baxter's products and knew
there was a critical need for a program to educate renal
patients about dialysis and related issues," Scarberry
said. "Over the years, I have seen too many patients
arrive for their first dialysis treatment extremely
fearful and having no idea what to expect."
Scarberry holds free educational seminars in Cincinnati
and Dayton, Ohio, and throughout Northern Kentucky.
She educates patients not only about what to expect
from dialysis procedures, but also ways they can possibly
avoid end-stage renal failure.
"I find it extremely fulfilling to work with patients
and help them make lifestyle changes that can slow the
progression of their kidney disease," she said.
Scarberry, who teaches classes at hospitals and medical
clinics, counsels more than 400 kidney patients a year.
As the volume of her patients has increased, so has
her job satisfaction. "A former employer offered
me a $30,000 bonus to return to work in an acute setting,
and I didn't hesitate to decline the offer," Scarberry
said. "I love my job. I work independently, have
weekends and holidays off and I feel valued and respected."
Although Scarberry has the luxury of working out of
her home office, many of her corporate counterparts
work on the road, traveling extensively for their jobs.
Anne Morgan, RN, estimates that she spends 60 percent
of her time jetting around the world as a market manager
for women's health at Siemens Medical Solutions.
"I have visited some of the most fascinating places,"
Morgan said. "The downside is that it's challenging
to commit to a social schedule."
A former intensive care nurse in Sydney, Australia,
Morgan worked in the area of vascular ultrasound before
moving to the United States and joining the ultrasound
division of Siemens in Issaquah, Wash.
Next Page
|
Reply
to Article