Corporate Nursing Career Overview and How to Become a Corporate Nurse

Although there’s plenty of job opportunities available for nurses in the hospitals, clinics, and medical centers, you may be surprised that there are more interesting and high-paying jobs beyond just hospitals and medical centers, and even the healthcare industry.

For instance:

• Several oil and gas extraction companies as well as engineering firms and retail chains often require on site RNs in clinical care or occupational health roles. 
• In the post Covid times, a lot of businesses with more than 20 employees on site are considering having a company nurse or an occupational health nurse onboard.
• Many large accounting & tax preparation services and payroll processors require nurses in more of an analytical role, i.e. for clinical audits.
• Nurses in the insurance industry are required to help in analysing and designing the care packages.

A Quick Overview of Corporate Nursing Career

Corporate nursing is relatively less stressful than working in hospitals and medical centers as you are not dealing directly with patients and medical emergencies, and are not expected to work in night shifts and over the weekend. However, the workload may be exhausting at times due to the deadlines.

If you are a registered nurse burnt out by the demands of traditional hospital nursing but still want to remain in the field, a corporate nursing career may be a great opportunity for you. However, it is important to understand that the employment opportunities for corporate nurses are very few, but these are highly paid jobs. You may also require additional and ongoing training to meet the demands of the industry you are working in.

Many individuals choose a career in nursing because of the direct patient contact, and a lot of nurses love taking care of their patients because it gives them peace of mind. When you switch to the corporate world, you will have less direct contact with patients which may bother you for a while. Technically, you will still be involved in patient care but in an entirely different capacity. 

Depending on your priorities, your career level, and the career path you desire to follow, if you are ready to pursue a corporate nursing career, below is the step by step guide to become a corporate nurse.

How to Become a Corporate Nurse

In order to become a corporate or an occupational nurse, you must first become a licensed registered nurse (RN) which requires you to complete an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN)  or a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN). 

Once you have completed the academic program, you are eligible to take the RN-NCLEX exam, which upon passing allows you to become a registered nurse. NCLEX is recognized almost everywhere in the world, however, separate nursing tests are there for different countries, i.e. each country has its own set of exams to check the ability of nurses based on the working conditions in the particular region.

Once you are a certified Registered Nurse, the further qualifications depend on the choice of the industry and the capacity you are looking to work in. 

Company Nurse

Company nurses generally do not require any additional certifications, as they are responsible for providing basic healthcare services to a company’s employees. Their job description generally includes providing general first aid when needed, assessing employee health risks on a regular basis, and designing plans and activities to promote employee health.

Occupational Health Nursing

If you are looking for an occupational health nurse position, certification in occupational health nursing is a prerequisite which can be achieved through The American Board for Occupational Health Nurses, 

In order to become a certified occupational health nurse, you are also required to have at least 3,000 hours of work experience in occupational health (within the last five years) or have a graduate level degree in occupational health. And then, there is an exam to qualify you as a certified Occupational Health Nurse.

Nurses in Insurance & Medical Auditing Industry

If you are looking for a position in the healthcare insurance and medical auditing industries, you may need to take extra training and courses like using accounting software and analytic tools. 

An advanced degree in Health Administration or a certification in Data Analytics can be a great addition to your portfolio and will surely weigh your resume higher.

The Bottom Line

Though most of the corporate nurses do not directly deal with the patients, they do impact patient care on a larger scale. Corporate nursing careers offer more leadership positions where individuals can make important decisions for the benefit of a larger population.

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