Considering Home Health

[Eddygirl]

I have been a Hospital Nurse for 10 years with not alot of Med surg experience.

Recently I have been considering a job that would allow me to work a flexible weekday schedule so that my children would have reliable weekday daycare.

Home health and Office Nursing seem to be the two strongest options for that (because no day jobs without weekend/holiday are available at near by hospitals). I appreciated several postings I have read regarding home health. The impression I am getting on some of the things that I need to consider are:

1. The hours could run late into the day and are unpredictable (Pay may vary according to community need)

2. How much you get paid is alot of work to keep track of

3. Without serious Med-Surg experience this field could be risky

4. You will be required to work at least some weekends and holidays

Office Nursing (even at 18 dollars an hour) sounds like a more family friendly way to make money? Am I way off base , should I still be looking further into the Home Health option?

Thanks

[SWRN84]

I have been in home care for 19 years. I started in home care just before I got married, and continued working home care through 3 pregnancies, raising little ones, daycare, school, etc, etc. My kids are now 15, 12, and 9. Home care has been very family friendly for me as far as being flexible, mostly day hours, minimal weekends and holidays. Depending on the agency you work for, you may be required to take call which could involve some later hour visits, like if an IV infusion came in, or something like that. Weekends are less than what's required in the hospital environment, as well as holiday rotations. It all depends on the agency you work for. I currently work prn, working 3-4 days per week. I can pick the days I want to work and am not required to do the weekends or on call. I have to work 2 holidays per year, which isn't bad at all. The case managers rotate weekends which is now every 6-7 weekends, and they rotate on call during the week, usually one night per week. When my kids were little I was primarily a case manager and supervisor, and it was still family friendly as far as I was concerned. My family has always come first, and this job fit very well. Hope that helps.

[Eddygirl]

Thanks for your encouraging reply. I was ready to write this off as an option. I am encouraged to continue with my plan on talking with the manager of an agency in our area and seeing how and if this could fit. Thanks also for the encouragement regarding family first, it is difficult sometimes to find a balance without offending the career world.