Working remote and working from home, Is there a difference?

I have been working from home for several years now. My company community is mainly remote workers. For the first few years, I would tell people "I work from home". As my career has grown and my home life has evolved, I changed the way I described my job. I started describing my career as remote work. Why?

I was a traveling healthcare worker in the height of Covid. Being isolated and alone, without any support system or human contact without PPE. When I found Integris Neuro, I was burnt out to say the least. I was relieved to be working from home and having my office 6 feet from my bed. I got to be with my family and in my own home every day!

Once I regained my balance and Covid restrictions eased, it felt like the world started to develop a new normal. With this change, my work life balance changed. I started to find that with working from home also meant, working remote. But is there a difference?

There really is. Working from home became my alter identity as a "trash panda". I got to work in my jammies and eat snacks for breakfast! I shared a community of coworkers who were living my self titled "trash panda" lifestyle during Covid. Now I started to see a shift. We were all, in some form or another, starting to come alive. We started sharing healthcare tips and recipes. We were sharing our stories of blooming out of Covid.

The dynamics at home were shifting too. Travel commenced, and I transitioned from working from home to remote work. For many, that was the sole silver lining of Covid—the freedom to achieve an unconventional work-life balance. While my career aspirations and company requirements remain unchanged, my personal goals have evolved.

As long as I adhere to HIPAA privacy regulations and my company's remote work guidelines, I can work from almost any location with Wi-Fi and privacy. This shift has transformed me in numerous ways. Remote work offers a level of freedom that a traditional bedside role cannot provide, yet it also requires me to establish my own effective schedules. There are sacrifices involved as well; it's not just about freedom and vacations.

When we travel, I plan travel days to fit my schedule. I also need to manage time zone changes and ensure I'm available for my team when expected. This can be difficult when I'm confined to a hotel room while everyone else is out and about.

Having spent several years working remotely, I've found that my career has achieved a wonderful balance between my love for travel with loved ones and my "trash panda" habits. I enjoy the best of both worlds without compromising my career ambitions or being constrained by a traditional work schedule and model.