I am a student working on a project for school.

What skills and qualities in particular would you consider most valuable for Home health nurse? Pros and Cons of the area? Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Also, may I have your permission to use your responses and link to your threads?

Thanks in advance!

Flexible and creative. Ability to work independently. Able to tolerate cockroaches. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound (couldn't resist).

Excellent clinical skills/assessment skills as your out there on your own. Compassion, empathy and ability to drive all over God's creation with a map, not get upset when lost and creativity since many times the poor do not have enough supplies/dressings.

Cons: I have had my bag stolen twice, chased, a loaded gun pointed at me-all while on the job. Safety is a numer 1 priority.

renerian

Great answer Hoolahan!

I learned that lesson the hard way with my worst patient ever....a woman who had end stage COPD, steroid induced IDDM and Profound depression (spent 3 yrs in psych hospital and had ECT therapy three times in past). I was there for her COPD mgmt and IDDM as sisters refused to prepare insulin syringes----but would watch me prepare syringes then "check em" to make sure all on exact line. Client too weak and had tremors from meds to self inject--finally worked out compromise with 1 sister to inject her. Of course mini-neb tx always occured mid visit !!!

C. would wake up at start of my 1 hour visit and ramble on. 5 min before Iwould leave, find out meds not delivered, allow me to do BS over 250 etc. after 3 months caught on to do Hoolahan's advice. Reinforced visit time when arranging visit. Start of visit annouced time I was spending (usually 1 hour), 20 min what else can I do for you, 5 min warning then goodbye out the door so next patient not kept waiting as they valued my promptness.

Somtimes were just too nice and guliable for our own good. Stick to kimit, walk out and leave emotion at the door. Playing Jazz station helped me to relax after that TOXIC visit---I was the only staff member left able to deal with her. I now see her sister in Church---with Oxygen on and PRAY she chooses a differnet homecare agency!