Having a hard time getting fulltime RNs in Home Health

Most nurses know the intense stress and the load that is given to them, and me personally, I would rather have some of me left for my husband and kids and making my home a safe haven for them. I did that routine of working full time in a high stress job, and being totally spent when you come home, nothing left for me to give. It was very unhealthy for my marriage and for my kids, mentally and physically on them as well as for myself.

If I had it to do over again I would have worked part time when my first baby was born. No amount of money is worth the wellbeing of my kids and my marriage. Hey if we were in it for the money we sure wouldn't have gone into nursing!

rom an RN in Fort Worth....... on-call is what would scare me off. I want to be with my husband at night and on weekends. If the phone rings he never can get back to sleep....

After what happened with Nurse Joy (see Justice for Joy) that has scared me forever away from ever being a home health nurse.

I don't want that responsibility on me, and I don't want to work for a company that may only be looking out for #1.

Just my $.02.

This might be a silly question, but have you asked the job applicants themselves what they find off-putting? There may be more than one answer, so there may have to be more than one solution.

I know very few nurses who work a full 40 hours a week. We have a bunch that work 32-36 hours but almost as many who work 20-30 hours. Mind you, none of this is home health, but I think it demonstrates that nurses like to avail themselves of the flexibility of working part time. (As a side note, it is my firm belief that if other professions had this same option, folks would jump at the chance.)

Can you combine two part-time nurses and have them job share?

I think the biggest issue about going into home health is that some are afraid they will "lose valuable nursing skills" in the home health field of nursing. I was given a lot of discouraging input about going into a rehab/long term care facility as a new RN graduate. I was told I would have a hard time getting another job in the hospital setting if I ever wanted to because I dont have "hospital" experience as a licensed RN. I only have the 2 yrs of experience, while in school, in a variety of fields such as:med-surg, ICU, ER, OB, L & D, Peds, Oncology. I decided to go into the rehab facility F/T and Im super happy. They treat their employees wonderful! I get 3, 12-hr days a week, ALWAYS the same 3 days, and NO WEEKENDS! PLUS I got the added bonus of immediate benefits, paid time off and paid holidays! I couldnt ask for anything better! I hope I wont get the "I told you so" years from now if I end up having to look for another workplace for some reason or another!

Houston is one big area. How much driving in traffic is involved?

How about the neighborhoods? I would be scared off by certain neighborhoods.

I have worked Home Health on and off for the last 15 years. I learned the 1st year in this specialty that I'd rather take my chances on income as a per diem than take my chances as a full timer. The chances you take as a full timer? That you will be required to travel vast distances in a day because your agency "just doesn't have enough work in your territory". That you'll be sent out on a visit with an 19 year old gang member with a gun shot wound in a drug and crime infested urban neighborhood. That you'll spend 7 hours on the road, 3 hours on the phone, and 5 hours on paperwork and get paid for an 8 hour day. That you'll be dumped all over by your agency non-stop because "you're the case manager".