I feel like I'm always working...anyone else?

Specialties Home Health

Published

Specializes in L&D.

I really love home visits, I don't mind the computer work too much...I just feel like I've got work on my mind all the time. I didn't feel like this when I worked in the hospital. I don't think I'd feel this way if I wasn't care managing. I often spend an extra day a week to catch up on paper work. I have started looking for different work. The agency I work for is great! They gave me 3 months of orientation, they are very organized and accomidating, I'm just thinking this isn't for me. I thought it would be so great to be able to work from home, but working from home is actually part of the problem. It's hard for me to seperate my work day from home life now because of all the work I do from home.

I have been re-thinking other areas of nursing yet again. I worked 9 months in Neuro/Trauma, 6 months in Home-Health and now I'm going to try to find a career in L&D..(The reason I got into nursing in the first place). Ever since I was a teenager L&D nursing is what I wanted to do. No one would hire me as a new grad so I chose Neuro/Trauma. While working there, I had so much variety and learned so much, I couldn't even imagine going into L&D. But now I really want to look into it again. I had an interview Friday with another hospital with human resources for an L&D position. I think it went well. I'm hoping to hear from them this week to interview with the L&D manager. Please wish me luck! :wink2:

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Specializes in Tele, Home Health, MICU, CTICU, LTC.

I know exactly what you are talking about. I am working even when it is my day off. I am coming home and finishing hours of paperwork that I didn't have time to do during the day because I had to drive hours between too many patients. We get paid per visit and that is supposed to cover office time, drive time, visit time, and every other bit of time related to this visit. I started a new project this week. I am writing down every bit of my time and what I am doing: driving to work, driving between patients, time spent at home doing work, time spent with patients, etc. I'm adding all the time up and calculating my per hour rate of pay for all the work I did. Today I made $9.18/hour before taxes. I'm going to keep up my little project for the next two weeks and see what kind of numbers I come up with. It seems to me that I'm doing too much work for what I get paid. My paychecks show # of hours worked but they only count the time actually spent with patient, not all the extra time. We do not get paid for any office time, except for inservices and case conferences. I don't have time to get my work done for school. I constantly am being sent way out of my territory to see patients. They are quickly losing nurses which means that they will be expecting even more of me. My other half is mad because I'm always working at home at night. I feel like I'm working 5 or 6 - 12 hour shifts per week for the same amount of money as when I worked 3 - 12 hour shifts per week. My dogs hate that I am never home, they have started misbehaving even more than usual. I am frustrated and feeling used. I have been seriously looking at going back to the hospital or into travel nursing. I want my life back.

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Specializes in Tele, Home Health, MICU, CTICU, LTC.

Jennrnmi,

Good luck on your interview! I hope you get the new job.

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Specializes in L&D.
Jennrnmi,

Good luck on your interview! I hope you get the new job.

Thank you! My interview is Friday. With no l&d experience, I need all the luck I can get.

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I have been doing home health for almost 6 years now and still love it although I too experience some of the drawbacks that you were talking about. It is hard to separate work from home, especially if you take call. We take call one full week out of every month. I have coding books at home because I do most of my paperwork at home since the office is too distracting for me. I usually spread out after everyone has gone to bed. My daughter, who is in sixth grade now, said to me the other day: "I don't remember a time when you didn't do paperwork at home." I have found that using my time wisely helps. If I know that I will be taking one of the kids to the doctor, waiting for them during and activity, etc. I bring my paperwork with me- it seems like I always have my nose buried. But, I love being able to be on the road and not be trapped in a building all day, so it's worth it- at least for now.

Ann

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Specializes in L&D.
Thank you! My interview is Friday. With no l&d experience, I need all the luck I can get.

I got the L & D Job! I'm very excited but also feel guilty and upset now about leaving home health. Good luck to everyone as I move myself over to OB nursing board! Thanks everyone for their great advice and words of wisdom!

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