5 Tips for Starting Your Remote Nurse Practitioner & Physician Assistant Job Search

Want to work as a Remote Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant?

Here are 5 tips to get you stared.

1. State Licenses

Many remote telehealth companies want Remote Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants to come ready with at least 3 state licenses (some even want 10-15+!).

The most commonly requested states are CA, NY, TX, & FL. Consider the following when deciding which additional state licenses to obtain:

Compact States: If you are a Nurse Practitioner with an RN Compact license, it will be a faster process to apply for NP license in those states. 

Independent Practice States: Notice which states require physician supervision. Some companies require you to come ready with supervision, while others will provide it for you. However, it is something to keep in mind before you start applying to state licenses. If you don’t want to find a supervising physician, it’s probably a good idea to focus on independent practice states.

License Maintenance: Maintaining multiple state licenses can be expensive and complicated to keep up with. Be aware of the budget you are willing to spend and the capacity you have to keep track of multiple renewals.

Pro Tip: Start with 3 state licenses, with at least 1 or more of those being in CA, NY, TX, or FL.

2. Schedules

Many schedule opportunities exist for remote Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants.

There are Full Time, Part Time, PRN, Contract, and W2 jobs available. Most telehealth visits are conducted via pre-scheduled face-to-face video visits, but some companies offering asynchronous, chat-based, and even chart review consults.

Pro Tip: Start with a company that requires only 10-20 hours per week in addition to your current job. This is a great way to build a patient panel, get familiar with working remotely, and see how you fit at the company.

3. Specialty

Remote Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants can work in a variety of settings, including
  • Psychiatric
  • Primary Care
  • Urgent Care
  • Geriatrics & Skilled Nursing
  • Addiction Medicine
  • Women’s Health
  • and more
Pro Tip: Utilize the experience you already to break into a remote job in the same specialty. 

4. Pay

Pay can vary widely! Typically, we see a pay rate between $50-70/hr for Remote Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants. Some rates can even fall well below or above this, depending on multiple factors like state, specialty, experience, pay model, and company.

Some companies also pay “per visit” with the indication that you could see up to 3-4 patients per hour. While this can sound great, keep in mind that it will often take time to build a patient panel. You also have to consider admin time, no-shows, and other factors that could play into your “patient per hour” estimation.

Pro Tip: Ask the company to report the average amount of patients per hour across clinicians. If they cannot provide this info, find a current employee on LinkedIn or on our Remote NP & PA Jobs Facebook Group to see if they can give you a realistic expectation. You can also browse review sites like Glassdoor.com to see if real salaries have been reported.

5. Applying

Remote Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant jobs are very competitive, so expect to apply to many jobs. You might be surprised by how many rejections you receive compared to previous job searches. Just know that this is much more about market demand and less to do with your own intrinsic value! 

Pro Tip: Make sure to update your resume. Recruiters only spend 5-10 seconds viewing a resume, so make it count! Check out the Resume Makeover Pro course + templates from The Resume RX (use coupon code REMOTE for 20% off!)

  • Indicate each state license you hold, in addition to which ones you’ve applied for. You could list those in a “Pending” or “Applied” status.
  • If you are a Nurse Practitioner with an RN Compact license, specify that in your resume. This reflects your ability to apply for additional licenses faster.
  • Replace the objective portion of your resume with a summary that clearly and succinctly outlines why you are qualified for THIS job.

To find Remote Nurse Practitioner & Physician Assistant jobs, head to The Remote Nurse Job Board! We scour the internet every day to find all the newest remote Nursing, NP & PA jobs, making it easier for you to find jobs that specifically match you.

Want to hear about these jobs 1 week earlier than the rest of our community + job board? Consider joining The Remote Nurse Membership

Landing a remote Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant job can be a process. Follow these 5 key points and you will be that much closer to working from home in sweats and slippers!