Actually missing hospital nursing now

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I can't believe it. I thought I never would, but this past week, I have really been missing working back at the hospital. I worked in hospitals for 10 years (5 of them as a nurse), and it's still in my blood, I guess! I'm pretty new to home health, only been in it for about 5 months now, and the paperwork and phone calls are REALLY getting to me now.

I do really like certain aspects of home health, like being able to really talk with my patients and time flexibiity, but I don't like that there's no closure to work... and I HATE Oasis, having to be knowledgeable about insurance and reimbursements and things I never had to worry about in the hospital.

There's also a part of me that is sad that I never did ICU. That was my big goal when I graduated nrsg school. I worked tele and stepdown but could never find that open ICU training spot. I did travel, too.

I know I am glorifying the hospital because I'm not in it now. I do remember the poop, anxiety, codes, being micro managed by managers and patients' families, and dealing with horribly arrogant MDs, but when I was done, I was done.. and had 4 days off.

Anyone else feel like this or even gone back to the hospital?

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You don't miss what you never knew. Worked in sub-acute long term care, close enough to the hospital, and don't miss the majority of that situation. Can't beat home health.

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I'm going down to 4 days a week soon, and I think this will really help with feeling like work's taking over my life. Home health really is great in so many ways. I just lately have been missing that adrenaline rush you get at times in the hospital (i.e., the collaboration during a code). I know I am NUTS.

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It will take some time for that to wane a little. It will never go away.

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Specializes in Med Surg, Hospice, Home Health.

Its like missing the ex-husband........remembering only the good parts.....

autonomy, you never had that in the hospital setting......

linda

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Its like missing the ex-husband........remembering only the good parts.....

autonomy, you never had that in the hospital setting......

linda

LOL! Linda, that's so funny! I was just thinking last night, It's kind of like the end of an emotionally unstable and chaotic relationship. You miss the comfort and familiarity of it, even if it was detrimental to your health, and you may even miss the drama that went along with it just because that's what you knew and lived with for so long. Such a good analogy. :)

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Specializes in ER.
I'm pretty new to home health, only been in it for about 5 months now, and the paperwork and phone calls are REALLY getting to me now.

I do really like certain aspects of home health, like being able to really talk with my patients and time flexibiity, but I don't like that there's no closure to work... and I HATE Oasis, having to be knowledgeable about insurance and reimbursements and things I never had to worry about in the hospital.

Anyone else feel like this or even gone back to the hospital?

Feel it everyday!! And yes the autonomy is great....Nursing directed care, love that!! Left the hospital to have a more balanced life. Just not finding that with home health. I guess you have the weigh the good with the bad, the bearable with the unbearable. I do miss the challenge and growth with hospital nursing. I just want to have it ALL. I have been seriously considering going back to hospital nursing for 3 12's and then working HH PRN. With my current home health job I case manage and that seems to take a lot of time, not to mention paperwork. I would love to just show up a day or two a week to do visits.

I am curious to know about the proposed legislative changes I read about in another post and how that is going to impact HH. I just hope its not another new form to fill out..lol.

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Feel it everyday!! And yes the autonomy is great....Nursing directed care, love that!! Left the hospital to have a more balanced life. Just not finding that with home health. I guess you have the weigh the good with the bad, the bearable with the unbearable. I do miss the challenge and growth with hospital nursing. I just want to have it ALL. I have been seriously considering going back to hospital nursing for 3 12's and then working HH PRN. With my current home health job I case manage and that seems to take a lot of time, not to mention paperwork. I would love to just show up a day or two a week to do visits.

I am curious to know about the proposed legislative changes I read about in another post and how that is going to impact HH. I just hope its not another new form to fill out..lol.

Yep, I am seriously considering going back to hospital nursing, as well. I am sick of bringing work home with me, and I definitely feel like I work more now than I did in the hospital, although the intensity of the work was harder in the hospital. I feel like I put in more hours, for sure. I do miss the more technical aspects of hospital nursing, too. I can't believe I am saying all this!! :p

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Oh, and I realized something this past week: I really dislike case managing. I wish I could just do visits without the case management part of it. ugh.

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Hi!

I am also fairly new to HH, about 5 mths in and work feels continuous! I want the work day to end and to be able to relax the way I used too when I worked in the hospital. I worked 10 years in the hospital (ICU) and keep wondering if the feeling of continuous work will ever go away.Does anyone know if it ever does or you just somehow get used to it? Right now it doesn't feel like it will go away anytime soon and I don't want to spend another 6 mths feeling this way, just to run back to the hospital (an evil I know all to well!)! I have a vacation coming up and know I will have work on my mind and this wrong.....

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I am a new nurse graduated 2008. I worked nights for a big hospital on a medical surgical floor, decided that was not for me. Then went into a VA that is 5 min from home BUT worked 5 nights a week and rarely had 2 nights off in a row so I was soooo exhausted and was becoming hard to live with at home. Now 2 weeks in homehealth. I work M-F no nights and NO WEEKENDS. Yes I have some paperwork but I have 2 days to do it in and I can do it at home. I really want this to work out, I just wish I had more support and hope I figure out the paperwork soon. I am trying my best have not heard any complaints from the nurse manager yet. I keep plugging along day to day and learning all the time.

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Specializes in ER.
Oh, and I realized something this past week: I really dislike case managing. I wish I could just do visits without the case management part of it. ugh.

Yup case managing stinks!! Took a day off yesterday, or rather tried to. 2 coumadin clinics called and 1 MD's office called...so I wrote orders, etc. Had to call the office to schedule the rechecks for the pt/inr's that the coumadin clinics called about. Clinical Sup took the call and said "thought this was your day off"...yah, me too. It never seems to end. Love the patients, hate having to be on 24/7.

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