A Few Questions-I'm considering HH

[CathyRN06]

I'm a previous travel nurse whose experience is ER/ICU and am considering a change to Home Health as a staff nurse.

I've read a few pages of the posts here and realize I have a lot to learn but I'm up for the challenge.

What advice do you have for someone new?

How do I evaluate the agencies?

What about pay - hourly vs. per visit - which is better?

How can I get up to speed fairly quickly?

What would a good orientation consist of? I'm use to a very brief orientation at present but what would be sufficient for someone new to HH?

Anything that I'm not aware of that I should consider?

[flasandy42]

How do I evaluate the agencies?

What about pay - hourly vs. per visit - which is better?

How can I get up to speed fairly quickly?

What would a good orientation consist of? I'm use to a very brief orientation at present but what would be sufficient for someone new to HH?

Anything that I'm not aware of that I should consider?>>>

I'm an LPN and I did hospital med-surg nursing for 40 years. After I retired I started doing home health and I'm so much happier. Having one pt at a time is heaven. I do both private duty shifts and visits.

The pros are that you can work when you want to and choose your cases. I enjoy the autonomy but I have 40 years experience so I'm comfortable in most situations. My orientation was following a nurse on several visits then going out on my own. You always have support by calling the office if you have a problem.

The cons are that you may not always get full-time work. I did three eight-hour shifts a week for seven months with one pt and did other visits as they were available, but when he went into the hospital I didn't always get a pt to replace him, so you can't always count on a full weeks pay. I'm in a seasonal area and summers are usually slow. Luckily, I don't have to depend on the income because it's supplemental to my social security. I DO know that I'll never go back to hospital nursing. It about killed me!