considering home health extremely scared

live4today, RN · Jan 10, 2004

jen....you have 18 months med/surg experience, so go sign up at your nearest nursing agency and they will be happy to put you to work. Taking care of one patient at a time is a lot safer than taking care of six plus. Nothing to fear but fear itself. The agency will assess your skills and let you know what you can do or not do, so go for it. I wish you well. :kiss

soomach · Jan 10, 2004

thank you..I am always told that I know more than I think..its hard to evaluate when all you do is run from fire to fire..its funny on a 'slow day' i will 4 patients and can actually read some charts get to see their history talk with the patients and oh ya go pee and eat lunch uninterupted..on a bad day i will 6 with a tech that is no where to be found and doesnt like taking 'orders' such as lets see whats in her job description...two of those sic will be completes on isolation with huge dressing changes another will be on restraints and screaming 'nurse' all day...another will be a tsl 3 on watch and my praying all day its not until after 330 ugh..i am bitter...I am just overwhelmed. and like patient care i like to hold hands of an elderly patient and make a difference i think my problem is i work so hard making sure they are bathed and fresh and out of bed and given enough attention that i am just exhuasted and then you see some nurses sit on their butts all day with out a care in the world ..drives me nuts anyway i've crossed the line into a mini novel here i will shut up

live4today, RN · Jan 10, 2004

jen......you've nothing to apologize for because the problems you speak of are more common in today's nursing realm than you can possibly imagine. Just go for what you want, and give it all you can. :balloons:

LGW, RN · Jan 15, 2004

jentlrn, been there and done that med/surg thing. Loved it but strung out was my middle name too. Always felt inadequate in providing patient care because always had too many patients and all with high acquity levels. Did med/surg for several years then decided to tone it down a little and went into geriatrics as a PPS/MDS COORDINAtor. Loved it but didn't have much patient contact. All paperwork. Got very stressful towards the end and then I made a big decision to do something I have always said I would never do...HOME HEALTH. Totally different world: pretty much stress free, laid back, I have time to actually spend with the patient. I do mainly admissions, recerts but I do pick up occasional visits. my patients are so grateful and appreciative of the time I spend with them. Very rewarding. Bottom line is I LUV IT. If you do decide to do home health, I don't think you'll regret it. I didn't. LGW,RN

renerian, BSN, RN · Jan 15, 2004

Home health if you do it full time is not always easy. I am in home health managment and work between 60 to 70 hours per week to cover shortages of nurses. The field nurses work very hard. I love home health though.

Investigate before you jump being aware nursing is stressful, everywhere,

renerian

nursesearl, BSN, RN · Jan 15, 2004

I agree with Ren. If you do home health full time, 80% of work is paper (computer) work. Alot of regulations. Many changes. Home health is complicated.

cherricka · Jan 13, 2005

I too did the me/surg thing, which is required before you can work home care around here. I prob. cried three times a month, because I felt so overwelmed at the hospital. I could never be the kind of nurse I wanted to be, without coming home utterly exhausted. Home care is a different kind of stress, but a stress that won't make or break you. We are lucky to be on computers, which makes paperwork (I should say documentation) so much easier. I usually finish re-visits while I am in the home, and do the oasis and admits at home. I charge my agency for every minute I am on it, so I don't feel "cheated". At first I didn't because I felt guilty for being so slow, but my supervisor says you use it , get paid for it.

My biggest stress now, is if I get a call at 8 am with a bunch of changes to the daily schedule. I have to take a deep breath, and say to myself,"On the worst day of home care, it is still better than my best day at the hospital!"

It sounds like, after reading many things on this board, you have to shop around for a good agency. I believe I work at the best, so I consider myself very lucky! If anybody lives in Upstate NY, I have a job for you!

renerian, BSN, RN · Jan 13, 2005

I was wondering how do you do OASIS at your home when you have to see them do the tasks you are assessing? Just curious......

renerian

nursesearl, BSN, RN · Jan 13, 2005

I too did the me/surg thing, which is required before you can work home care around here. I prob. cried three times a month, because I felt so overwelmed at the hospital. I could never be the kind of nurse I wanted to be, without coming home utterly exhausted. Home care is a different kind of stress, but a stress that won't make or break you. We are lucky to be on computers, which makes paperwork (I should say documentation) so much easier. I usually finish re-visits while I am in the home, and do the oasis and admits at home. I charge my agency for every minute I am on it, so I don't feel "cheated". At first I didn't because I felt guilty for being so slow, but my supervisor says you use it , get paid for it.
My biggest stress now, is if I get a call at 8 am with a bunch of changes to the daily schedule. I have to take a deep breath, and say to myself,"On the worst day of home care, it is still better than my best day at the hospital!"
It sounds like, after reading many things on this board, you have to shop around for a good agency. I believe I work at the best, so I consider myself very lucky! If anybody lives in Upstate NY, I have a job for you!

Tell me WHERE in upstate NY you are. I am presently in the South and miss NY very much. I have extensive home health experience.

cherricka · Jan 14, 2005

I was wondering how do you do OASIS at your home when you have to see them do the tasks you are assessing? Just curious......
renerian

Our agency made up a "short" paper form for admissions, so while your in the house doing the assessment, you just check it off. I convert that to computer when I get home, along with care plan, send out md orders, check the 485 etc. That way I can take my time, and refer to other resources if I have to (such as ICD-9, my least favorite book of all time).

We also have a Long Term Home Health Program, or "nursing home without walls." I know these peple better than my own parents, and basically can recite their 485 by heart. I do a regular assessment, ask questions as I am going. Our agency really frowns on "interviewing" the client. They would like us to do it in conversation form, so they feel more comfortable. You know, like instead of "Do you ever experience urinary incontinence" you say, "boy, it must be hard to get out of the chair, grab the walker, and get to the toilet quick enough, what do you think?" Or," Boy that bathroom in the Walmarts is getting filthy, how do you ever hold it until you get home?" I know, your thinking not real professional, but I find if I ask it this way, they are more likely to tell you the truth.

When I do my revisits, I always finish in the home.

By the way, I am in Columbia/Greene county.

cherricka · Jan 14, 2005

Tell me WHERE in upstate NY you are. I am presently in the South and miss NY very much. I have extensive home health experience.

Like I said in the last post, I am in Columbia/Greene County. Lots of driving, which I don't mind. I am contracted to work 20 hours a week, which usually means 34 hours on average. Benefits are good, our health insurance just went down, we just got cost of living raise, and our mileage is up to 39 cents a mile. I do CHHA and LTHHCP. Let me know if your seriously looking for a job, I will help you!