If the Suit Fits
Experts in their clinical fields, nurses who have moved into the corporate sector continue to positively influence patients

By Linda Childers
January 24, 2003

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.

On the road

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.

Her background in ultrasound technology caught the eye of a corporate recruiter and ultimately led to her position with Siemens. Morgan now teaches medical professionals about the company's ultrasound equipment for obstetrics and gynecology.

"Throughout my nursing career, I have always considered how I can make life better for patients," Morgan said. "Although I'm no longer working at the bedside, I'm still impacting patient outcomes by marketing equipment that promotes a healthy lifestyle."

Focal shift

Like Morgan, Priscilla Ayers, RN, enjoys the indirect contact with patients in her corporate job. Ayers, now a manager of medical affairs for Chiron Corporation's oncology group, previously worked as a nurse for 25 years. In the hospital setting, she worked with chronically ill patients in cardiology and oncology.

"Unfortunately, I think nurses can only see so much illness and tragedy before it begins to take a toll on their psyche," she said.

As a manager at Chiron, Ayers still helps chronically ill cancer patients, but her focus has shifted. Rather than providing direct patient care, she trains physicians and nurses on how to administer Proleukin (aldesleukin), a drug that reduces tumors in patients with metastatic kidney and melanoma cancers.

"My job is very gratifying," she said. "We have patients on Proleukin who weren't expected to survive and are alive 15 years after their diagnosis. I'm still a patient advocate. I'm just doing the work for a global biopharmaceutical company instead of in a hospital."

Ayers, who is based in St. Louis, oversees a department of five and often travels to Chiron's headquarters in Emeryville, Calif., for meetings.

"There is more travel involved when you are working for a corporation," Ayers said. "It's probably not the best career fit for nurses with small children and puppies, but a seasoned nurse with good judgment skills and an entrepreneurial approach can be a great commodity in the corporate sector."

The skills and education required for nurses working in corporations vary by company. Most of the nurses interviewed agreed that hospital work experience, good assessment skills, computer literacy and an entrepreneurial attitude often count for more than an advanced degree. In addition, knowledge of a specific corporation and experience working in that company's area of expertise can prove invaluable for nurses seeking to land their first corporate job.

Talent quest

As regional manager for American TeleCare Inc., Susan Slater, RN, is always on the lookout for talented nurses.

Nurses often can fill positions as regional trainers who teach nurses across the country about the company's telehealth equipment. Slater, one of the pioneering nurses in the field of telehealth, joined the company several months ago and manages accounts in 25 states.

When she's not on the road, Slater works out of her home office in Pennsylvania, serving customers who operate home health agencies and assisted living facilities.

"This job has taken my nursing career to a new level," Slater said. "I have autonomy, flexibility, I'm considered an expert in my field and I'm the happiest I've ever been in my 25 years as a nurse."

Slater estimates that she puts in 12 to 14 hours each day. In addition to her full-time job, she teaches a telehealth class to senior nursing students at the University of Pittsburgh. "The disadvantage of working from home is that your job is always with you," she said. "But the positive aspects of working independently and setting my own schedule far outweigh the negatives."

For Sally Burrows-Hudson, MSN, RN, working for a corporation has given her a more global perspective on patient care.

Burrows-Hudson worked as a nephrology nurse before joining Amgen, a large biotechnology company, as senior associate director of the company's nephrology and medical affairs department. She oversees Amgen's large national accounts in the dialysis markets and serves as the link between science and the commercial business.

"The first six months of the job are when most nurses miss the direct patient care," Burrows-Hudson said. "And then you gradually see that rather than assisting patients on an individual basis, your work is touching the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients and their families."

Contact Linda Childers at eastbaypr@aol.com