Career future for the home health nurse

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Specializes in Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy.

Hi, I'm a new nurse looking into home care opportunities, only because that's the only thing in my area that's rolling out the red carpet for new grads.

I never really thought of home care as an area I was interested in working in, but I believe in rollign with the punches and if a door opens, you take it. My question is career-wise, where can you go with home care experience. What does the future look like? What opportunities are there for a homecare nurse after a few years? My goal was to eventually go back for my masters/NP, although I'm not sure yet which specialty. Can anyone comment on how well home care prepares you for the independent practitioner role?

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I personally cannot recommendthe environment of intermitant home health nursing visits for a new grad unless your hiring agency is going to provide you with a very lengthy orientation and preceptorship. It is better to work in a more clinical environment, even LTC, subacute rehab, etc. for even just a year and sharpening your clinical and assessment skills before charged with the responsibility of working in an autonomous environment such as home health. Especially, if you are intent on persuing a masters degree as a ARNP. I have seen nurses leave home health and specialize in oncology, infusion clinics, home infusion services, wound and ostomy nursing, becoming very successful in these fields. As for your opportunities within the home health organization you can focus on admissions, become OASIS certified, do QA and chart review, case manager, clinical manager just to name a few. Best of luck and congratulations on becoming a RN!

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Specializes in Home Health- LTAC- Telemetry-.

I was just in the same position three weeks ago. I am a new grad in miami area and I have applied to at least 200 positions, even far from miami...not being picky at all, applied to LTCs, nursing homes, even flu clinics...EVERYTHING....no one even called (and I was veledictorian of my class)...I ended up being called for a home health agency and without even thinking it i accepted, it is not my dream job and I wanna go for my masters and NP as well but that experience everyone wants have to be obtained somehow, in my case and 4 other classmates(the only ones from my class able to start working) home health was the only option. Good Luck!!

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I can only pray that the HHAs you nurses have selected practice within the proper guidelines. Every line of Ruby's response is correct

My greatest concern is that the paperwork component of home health is where people get in trouble with the feds. A new grad can be told anything and it can sound so right. I wonder if that's the main reason that red carpet is ever sooo red especially if this is a smaller agency. The smaller agencies don't usually have the resources to properly orient you. They expect you to hit the ground running. Don't lose your license before you get it. Homecare is not taught in most nursing schools. You may ride around with a nurse but it's so much more than the visit itself.

Best of luck, but get into some organization to further develop assessment skills and to learn to assist people and their families who are experiencing health challenges.

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Specializes in Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy.

This agency is offering a 9-month internship with full salary and benefits in exchange for a 2-year commitment. It's well-established and I'm sure I'll get the training I need. As far as saying "You need to start out in med-surg/LTC" or whatever, that's just not what the job market will permit these days. It's not like there are thousands of openings waiting to snatch up new grads. Whoever will hire you, that's where you go, unless you want to look at being unemployed for a year or two.

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Saw an ad today for DOPCS of a home health agency, likely progression for someone remaining in home health, with starting pay of $96,000. Comparable to a similar position in LTC facilities. But most people I have ever met have absolutely no desire to go that far in management positions in either home health or LTC.

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Saw an ad today for DOPCS of a home health agency, likely progression for someone remaining in home health, with starting pay of $96,000. Comparable to a similar position in LTC facilities. But most people I have ever met have absolutely no desire to go that far in management positions in either home health or LTC.

In what geographical area?

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Los Angeles. Craigslist.

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Ah, LA. I thought for a minute I was really getting hosed, but the cost of living in my area doesn't compare. Guess I'm doing ok...

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Yeah. $96,000 doesn't go very far in LA.

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Specializes in Home Health- LTAC- Telemetry-.
This agency is offering a 9-month internship with full salary and benefits in exchange for a 2-year commitment. It's well-established and I'm sure I'll get the training I need. As far as saying "You need to start out in med-surg/LTC" or whatever, that's just not what the job market will permit these days. It's not like there are thousands of openings waiting to snatch up new grads. Whoever will hire you, that's where you go, unless you want to look at being unemployed for a year or two.

I totally agree with you. What happens sometimes is that nurses that graduated 5 to 10 yrs ago didnt go through the situation new grads are going through nowadays. The job market is really bad, we want to learn and feel like we have a lot to offer but no one will hire you if you dont have that 1 year experience...but how?? We just have to go into anything for at least one year. In my case I dont regret accepting the position in home health because at least here I am learning something and adding that experience to my resume. Eventually I wanna go to a hospital and get my masters degre but you gotta start from the bottom to get to the top ;-)

Good luck!!!

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Caryrey02, you wrote " Eventually I wanna go to a hospital and get my masters degre but you gotta start from the bottom to get to the top ;-)"

I hope that you weren't implying that working in home health "is starting at the bottom." I have worked with and mentored many newer nurses who did a year or two in med surg and their feedback indicated their stints on the floor didn't necessarily prepare them well for the situations they would be facing on their own in patient's homes where people are on their turf. What I hear the more experienced home health nurses saying on this forum is home health requires nurses not only to have well hoaned assessment skills and critical thinking, but also the ability to creatively problem solve independently, understand transcultural differences, not to mention the horrendous paperwork requirement. I am relieved to hear that employers are offering very lengthy orientation and residency programs to new grads to help them adjust better to the unpredictable environment of home health vs. giving them a couple weeks and letting them hit the ground running and floundering around out there on their own. I am curious, how much exposure you had to home health in nursing in your schooling? Like OB, ICU, ER, etc. home health is it's own specialty.

Congratulations to all of you and I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors.

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