Week 4 of orientation.......paperwork nightmare!

[Detroitrn59]

I am starting week 4 of orientation with home health. We are nice and protected in a bubble right now . I almost had a melt down today due to all the charting, follow up, and non call backs from MD,s, no response to consults for tele health, home health aide, pt, to. sent patient to ER today by ambulance and trying to figure out McKesson charting. Plan for visit, for next visit, clinical note.....trying to wrap up the open and get 485 done to put that to rest. Now, I have been a hospital RN for many years......but this is mind boggling! When does the learning curve end? I keep being told I am doing well by the educators, etc. I just had visions of juggling all of these cases, with no docs calling back, following up on EVERYTHING, and trying to chart it all appropriately. My brain hurts. Any words of hope are appreciated.

[paradiseboundRN]

It does get better. Remember, home care nursing is its own specialty. It does take time to learn the specifics to the specialty even if you are an experienced nurse. In home care, the documentation is very important and very time consuming. Its not uncommon to spend more time documenting than seeing patients. It sounds like you work for a big agency or hospital based agency. These agencies have very high acuity patients and they have high productivity standards which is tough even for an experienced home care nurse. On the up side, once you put in a few years with them, you will be an excellent home care nurse and will be able to get a job with any agency. Possibly a smaller agency with fewer demands. So hang in there and appreciate the experience. If it gets too bad and you can afford it, you can go part-time or contingent. That's how I kept my sanity! And regards to the doctors not calling you back, just document it and try to work around it. Be persistent with the staff at the office. Good luck!