New home health nurse, what should I expect?

[smartypants22, LVN]

I passed my nclex at the end of February and after 2 months of searching for a job, I responded to an ad for pediatric home health on Craigslist because it said immediate hire and they hire new grads. Home health was the last thing I wanted to do because the thought of being left alone with a patient (though I think this company will have an RN with me, as I am an LVN/LPN) scare me, I really wanted to work in a doctor's clinic, but they always wanted someone with experience. So I'm just wondering what to expect and for advice. I will start orientation with the family next week and will work early weekend mornings (another reason I wanted to work in a doctor's clinic, the 8-5 Monday to Friday schedule, oh well)

I will only have one patient and he's a child on a trach and has a g-button.

[caliotter3]

Were you provided a copy of the Plan of Care (the 485)? If not, request it. Never start an extended care case without reading over the plan of care first. The agency should have automatically given this document to you. Look up anything you are not familiar with. Look up meds, just like you would prepare for your assigned patient in clinical. Ask questions of the supervisor. You will be oriented to the care of the patient during, or after, your first meeting with the family/patient. The family will tell you what their expectations are, what the house rules are, etc. Most of the time, the family is helpful, so don't be afraid to ask questions. They will tell you how they want things done. No. There will not be an RN with you. You will be on your own. This is why new graduates are not encouraged to go directly into home health, whether it be intermittent visit work or extended care.

Take some time to explore the home health and 'private duty' forums. There is a wealth of information available and many of your questions can be answered by reading what has been posted in the past. Good luck.

[SDALPN]

You are taking about private duty, not home health. PDN is never for a new grad. In my state, medicare/medicaid doesn't even allow a new grad to do PDN. There is way too much that can go wrong. The agencies just want a warm body with a license. Check out the PDN forum for answers to the same question you asked.

[smartypants22, LVN]

Were you provided a copy of the Plan of Care (the 485)? If not, request it. Never start an extended care case without reading over the plan of care first. The agency should have automatically given this document to you. Look up anything you are not familiar with. Look up meds, just like you would prepare for your assigned patient in clinical. Ask questions of the supervisor. You will be oriented to the care of the patient during, or after, your first meeting with the family/patient. The family will tell you what their expectations are, what the house rules are, etc. Most of the time, the family is helpful, so don't be afraid to ask questions. They will tell you how they want things done. No. There will not be an RN with you. You will be on your own. This is why new graduates are not encouraged to go directly into home health, whether it be intermittent visit work or extended care.

Take some time to explore the home health and 'private duty' forums. There is a wealth of information available and many of your questions can be answered by reading what has been posted in the past. Good luck.

Yes, I have the plan of care. Thank you.