Home health as first job out of school?

Specialties Home Health

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I worked in home health in the past in the office side of the business. The company I worked for did not hire new grads, a policy for the safety of the patients. In hospitals/ltc l you have people to help you all around and home care you have a phone. I see many new grads starting off in home care and I have an interview with a company on Monday but I'm having mixed thought about the opportunity. Who started in home care and what was your experience?

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Specializes in public health.

My friend couldn't find hospital jobs. She now works for a peds home health company. She cares for one kid with all kinds of tubes. I think it's challenging for new grads but doable. Since she only needs to take care of one kid, she can learn all about that kid. If she took a visiting nurse job where she cares for multiple clients, I would be worried because she doesn't have the floor experience. I think it depends on what kind of home health you are getting yourself into. From reading allnurses, I can tell you that people who had only home health experience can get hospital jobs later (if that's where you want to be). So it's a good experience in any cases.

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Thank you for your response. I figure it would be a good experience if they have a good training program.

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What do you think about new grads starting in home health?

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

Duplicate threads merged per site terms of service.

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I am a new grad but have 10 yr exp as a paramedic. Even I find it challenging when it comes to ares I haven't been exposed to, such as, pressure ulcers. But if u have a good supervisor she can place you in your comfort zone, and then shadow or train you in other areas. But many may not be as good as my boss

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Specializes in Cardiac, Home Health, Primary Care.

As someone else mentioned if you are seeing multiple patients in a day I would not suggest it. You must be able to recognize medication side effects and possible issues that you may not realize if you have not worked around it much. A patient with new a-fib just got started on coumadin and amiodarone last week....INR 2.3....doc says recheck in 3 weeks....concern? Yes. When amio and coumadin are started together the amio can magnify the coumadin's effect and the INR may to 7.0 next week. You need to clarify with the doctor on next INR check. Same thing with antibiotics and coumadin. Patient has severe orthostatic hypotension and it's affecting his safety. Think it may have to do with prostate med tamsulosin? Likely. Check with the doc to see if pt might can D/C.

With a SINGLE patient you would likely have time to read up and research their disease processes and meds. While it might still be daunting being a new grad and not having experience doctors and nurses around you it would be more doable.

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Hey all! I'm a new grad that as stated above could not get a hospital position. I did do an internship with a hospice for a bit while still in nursing school and had a preceptor that also worked home health on the side so I did get some exposure to the world. I do see multiple patients a day but at our agency they are all low acuity (blood sugar, bp checks, and a health assessment). I make sure that I look up each medication a patient has in my drug book with the patient at my side and we have a discussion about what is working, any side effects, and any concerns they may have about the medication. About 90% of my job is non-compliance with medications, general condition education, and education about diet. I think I could handle some pressure ulcers due to that was mainly my case load when I worked with hospice. However I don't think that if the patient were higher acuity or on respirators I'd be able to handle home health. I think it all depends on the type of patients you see and how your agency supports you.

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Specializes in Peds(PICU, NICU float), PDN, ICU.

If you are talking about private duty (shifts, not visits), its never a good idea as a new grad. Especially with peds because they can change so quickly. There are tons of posts about why in the PDN forum. The PDN agencies will throw you out there as a warm body with a license with almost no training. You will be lucky to get one shift of orientation. The agency will tell you anything you want to hear to get you in the door. Its also getting close to respiratory season and these kids have more problems during respiratory season. Then add to that the part about not having work while your patient is in the hospital. Its just a bad idea for a new grad. Medicare requires a year of experience to do PDN. If you are caught, the agency will only cover for themselves. But you can read all the posts about why new grads and PDN don't mix.

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