Bottom Line Pay

That depends on what agency you work for; if they pay per visit, per hour, or salary; how much driving you have to do; how well you are organized; if you're using computer or paper documentation; if you have reliable office staff; the acuity of your patients; how well you can document to OASIS guideance and skillable, billable services; the weather; and a whole host of other factors that you can't foresee. If you're simply in it for the money, you may find yourself very surprised.

"as many visits as I can squeeze in an 8 hour day."

gee i agree with KateRN1.....to me it sounds like it is about the money,,,don't get me wrong we all work for money,,,but you cant go into something thinking you can "squeeze" alot of visits into a day....just not the way to do it.

Whoa whoa, please don't question my integrity as an RN. If it was just about the money, I wouldn't still be in this profession after 3 years. All I'm doing is trying to make sure that after I make the jump to home health I don't find myself in a tight situation financially and have to go back to my old employer asking for my job back.

Really, these are questions to ask your would-be employer. Ask if there are current employees you can talk with or if you can do a ride-along to shadow a HH nurse and then quiz the nurse about the financial aspect during the ride-along.

Some agencies would limit the number of visits that you do in one day. You have to have a down and dirty talk with the potential employer to find out what they are going to expect from you. However, I do know a nurse who does 13 or 14 visits a day but she works for several agencies, four or five. I really think she is cutting corners somewhere but I would not want to know the details.

I am quite sure you are correct that there are "shortcuts" taken, especially as we consider the importance of point of service documentaion. Home care is distinctly different from floor nursing and I think that 13-14 visit/day is VERY ambitious. I would be concerned that the nurse attempting this schedule would be spending far too much personal and potentiall unpaid time at home completing the other tasks associated with the visit.

I have been offered a position that is weekends plus one in hh - salaried at about what you are making in the hospital not including the mileage. This is in a southeastern state