Calling all HH Nurses, roll call - Page 7

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  1. Jun 10, '02 by
    Oh Patti, ditto on that redundant moronic OASIS!!!
  2. Jun 11, '02 by
    Hi all! I am a home care nurse in So. Cal. for the past 5 years and I have to admit I am fed up with it! When I first started the job couldn't be beat; 6 pts per day, no OASIS, nice atmosphere to work in (for the most part). Boy, things have rea
    I am tired of seeing 7 pts everyday, filling out those OASIS forms, and driving like a maniac. I do find that the job has it's rewards but I am seriously thinking of trying something new. Maybe I need a vacation!?
  3. Jun 11, '02 by
    cjk, I feel your pain. Certainly try something new. That in and of itself will seem like a vacation. I left and went back several times, but I still find that for my personal life, as aggravating as this job can be, and I have been FT this time around, it makes a hige diff in the burnout factor, it still works best for me and my family. Though I admit, I am currently exploring other options. I will probably start seriously looking in September, but I am being super-selective. Sometimes leaving and doing something else is the only way to find out you really like what you did before!

    Right now at my agency, we are losing nurses left and right. I haven't had to see more than 6, or 6 visits, for the last few months. They have been sort of kissing our butts, and I have to admit, it's nice for a change. They really can't affords to lose another nurse!
  4. Aug 21, '02 by
    Hi there.......... I have done home health off and on for the past 11 yrs......... nothing can compare to it. Granted that it has its pains........ but nothing compared to a hospital.

    The OASIS is a pain.......lol PPS is a pain....... but the benefits of actually being able to help the patients is all worth it. I have worked in the hospital all in critical care, but I always go back to home health. Granted we dont have someone to call to help with the IV that we cant get or to hold the leg so we can dress the foot, but thats what makes home health interesting........ you grow with your skills and become highly innovative.......lol

    Wouldnt trade my experiences in home health for anything.
  5. Aug 21, '02 by
    Hi, CardioTrans! Welcome Aboard. The saying, "Necessity is the mother of invention", was first said, I'm certain, by Home Health Care Nurses! Speaking of necessity, all you guys and gals: has anyone ever come up with a way to control the 100 feet of O2 line that my patients keep tripping over? Some of them have so much footage of it that they could go 5 miles and still have enough left to fly a kite with. I'm thinking of some kind of 'winder-upper' like the automatic clothes line type thing.

    Peace
    Lois Jean
  6. Aug 21, '02 by
    OOhhh, LOis, maybe you could design and patent something...great idea!! How about for now a tubing purse or backpack? Why the heck do they need so much?? I think our standard is 40 ft, and even in big houses that's enough to go up and down steps, etc... It's a wonder they even get any O2 thru there! LOL!

    Welcome Cardiotrans, our backgrounds sound very similar, I did ICU x 17 yrs, 13 of those in a CT SICU. Welcome and post often.
  7. Aug 22, '02 by
    Seven patients a day?? Hmm. right now that would be a nice, easy day for me!!

    I just talked to a nurse who resigned from our company. She's making $33 an hour in the hospital as a surgical nurse. When she goes home at night, she can forget about her job. I'm making $20 an hour, and have paperwork and phone calls to look forward to when the day's over. Staff retention is the pits, due to low wages, etc., and we are so short staffed it isn't funny. I was sick last week for 2 days, and there was ONE nurse covering the whole district. She saw 16 patients!!

    Weekend nurses are covering both days and evenings, which means 10 to 12 visits a day is fairly routine. That's manageable for one day, if you don't have anything unexpected happen. But the next day, you're dragging your a** due to fatigue.

    I love community nursing, but there is hardly a day goes by that I don't think of quitting....
    Last edit by Jay-Jay on Aug 22, '02
  8. Aug 22, '02 by
    Hi there. I have been in home health for 11 years! Yes OASIS does make good fire material!

    I am going back to the hospital after putting between 500 to 800 miles per week on my car. I was paid per visit but not for office or drive time. I would work 60 to 70 hours and be paid for 30 to 35 as I spent so much time in my car. I have alot of skills to refresh but hey the pay is great and weekends are fine with me......heheh I have five kids so hubby can watch them.......

    renerian
  9. Aug 26, '02 by
    Hi! I've been a home health nurse for 2 1/2 years. The first agency I worked for was okay, but the pay was terrible. You got paid $23 for doing one admission (Oasis), $30 if you had it done in 24 hours. Of course, that doesn't add up to much if you spend 3 or more hours doing it! We didn't get paid for travel time or mileage. I finally realized that I could make more doing the pullup window at Wendy's, so I started looking for another agency.

    Now I am doing home care through a department of a local hospital, and it's going MUCH better! I was asked if I would like to do the Medicare side or the private side. I chose private because no one else would do it, and I think it's the best thing that ever happened to me! No more Oasis, for one thing. I get paid mileage and travel time, no quotas on how many visits I have to do each week. I do scheduling, marketing, admissions, a large variety of things. AND I work Monday through Friday 8-4:30. No weekends! To me, this was a gift that was dropped right into my lap - I couldn't be happier.
  10. Aug 26, '02 by
    Iluvbeinganurse,,,,wow 23 for OASIS really stinks. I am meeting with another agency tomarrow to see what they can offer. I just can't keep putting between 500 to 800 miles per week on my car. I love the job just can't afford three to four tanks of gas per week. I drive an SUV.......................................

    Thanks for responding...................renerian