Beginning to hate home health

[lyv33]

I have been working in home health for almost 8 years and beginning to hate it. I guess I have major burn out. Our agency has laid off nurses and the few of that are left just can't keep caught up. I feel like I am doing the bare minimum to keep up with what I have to. This is a disservice to the pt's and to the agency. I feel that if I had enough time to do my job the agency would make more money and the pt's would have better care. I am thinking of quitting. I would really like to get out of traditional nursing altogether , at least for a while to regroup. The '97 Balanced Budget Act has really done a number on home health.

[renerian, BSN, RN]

I left home health after 11 years. I liked it but do not like what it has become. Tons of hours and low money.

renerian

[ainz]

Balanced Buget Act has done a number on healthcare period. Feds are spending too much money on healthcare and are forcing reimbursement reductions to hospitals and other providers like home health. So these businesses are complaining about shrinking profits.

Funny thing is that many hospitals are enjoying reocrd profits. How? Because they are cutting back on costs. In ths scenario we have seen nearly all allied health wages increase, pharmacists, PT, dieticians, radiology, and so on, but what about nursing? Nursing salaries have not necessarily increased in proportion. Why? Because we still have the blue collar, hourly wage, victim and helpless mentality.

The ultimate solution is to professionalize nursing (this includes the education for entry debate) and remove ourselves from the hospital payroll and in effect become independent practitioners that are paid directly by the payor. This removes us as employees and removes the power that hospitals have over nurses.

To do this we have to think rationally, not emotionally, form a strong and unified assiciation that can lobby effectively for us, and formulate a solid strategy to get it done.

It is unfortunate but I don't think nursing is ready to do this for numerous reasons.

[cannoli]

Are you going to form this strong and unified association? Let me know when you've done it and I'll be one of the first to join.

[ainz]

As a matter of fact we already have an association in place but no one is a member. It is the ANA. Of the 2 + million nurses in the USA only 6% are members. They have been very ineffective in successfully addressing the issues facing us today but how can they with no support?

It may be better to just start over, not sure. You can bet I will start an association designed to advance the profession of nusing. I have already begun to write the description of what an association like this is all about.

Are you really interested?