Pediatric Home Health(help interview this week!)

[newflgrad]

I am considering doing Home Health in Pediatric but really have a very faint idea of what it is like. I was hopeing to hear and talk to some that are already in the field? I am a new grad 7/2005 LPN and currently working on a Med/Surg unit and hate it for 6 months now. All adults! I have 8 years experience as a medical Assistant in a pediatric office and did Everything you could imagine in that office and my heart is in Peds. I am a single mom of two kids and we rely heavily on my paycheck of course. I really have no idea how this Home Health Field is Good or Bad. I guess what I am trying to ask is. 1. Are there times you are struggleing to get work or hours or can you pretty much get a consistant pay check? 2. I want to work days, what is your typical day like?

3. I live in Fla. what is the Average pay for Peds Home Health for LPN's In Fla?

I have 2 interviews with 2 different agencies this Week and would like to hear what the "nurse's" have to say other than what "they" want me to hear about thier company! Thank you for all who help me in this!

[TexasPediRN]

I work peds home health/private duty presently. I know home health/private duty are used interchangably but can be different, so i'm hoping you're meaning private duty in which case I'll give you lots of info below. If not, oops!

Its a wonderful and rewarding job. I too love working with kids and cant imagine myself working with any other population.

Personally, the pay rates for my company are18-19 for LPN, 20-22 for RN as a starting wage. Shift differentials are minimal- .50 to 1.00 for evening and night, respectively. Milage pay not included.

Heres a semi typical day for me:

Arrive at pt home, complete assessment, give meds, charting, suctioning, bath and trach/Gubtton care, repositioning, use of hand splints/afos on patient, skin assessments, working with pt during PT/Ot (in home), going to drs appointments (oh let me tell you its crazy the amount of things you must bring with you! It takes 2 people to take 1 2 year old special needs child to a doctors appointment).

And throughout the day its meds, resp treatments, pulse ox checks, etc. Some patients are on ventilators, GButton feeds, etc.

I like the one on one patient care. You get to be really involved with the families and you know everything there is to know about the patient, which is nice.

I dont know about florida but wanted to chime in with the above info, hopefully it helped! I know here in Texas I get a steady paycheck, and I signed on to be a full time benefited employee. I must work 40 hours per week, but I received benefits with 16 dollars a week deduction (64 a month) from my paycheck. Thats not bad at all to me. I think my benefit coverage is great, and it was worth it for me to do so.

Good luck with your interviews! Remember that the company should not send you out without giving you trach/GB care, and you should (hopefully), always be oriented very well to each patient, as each patient has different needs.

[newflgrad]

Thank you for that. It sounds like heaven to me! LOL After working 12-13 hour shifts on the Med/Surg floor and being thrown anywhere from 8-9 pts and you cringe when you see the call light go off and you are made to carry a phone at all times so even on your non-paid lunch hour the doctors and your charge are calling you! I just love kids and have missed being and working with them so much. To me, nothing more rewarding than helping them and thier families! It sounds so good to me, and I fulfillilng. Any FLA nurses out there care to share there pay also?