Help! Interview tomorrow for 1st HH job

[Emma123]

Hello everyone.

I wanted to "prethank" you for answering a couple of questions for me. Ok, maybe more than a couple.

First off, I am an LPN. What role does an LPN have in HH? Are we quite limited? I have read the "typical day" of a nurse in home health, but was wondering if an LPN would gain as much satisfaction from their job as an RN in the HH venue. I am currently working in a long term care/subacute facility....and mgmt has made my job miserable. All nurses I have spoken with tell me that they either experience panic attacks on their way to work, have diarrhea, cry...you name it. This place is a beast d/t mgmt.

So...I need a change. Badly. And I thought that HH would afford me the opportunity for more one on one care w/o the continuous disruption of sensor alarms going off, patients/pt's/speech/dr's/etc, etc. I have found the stress to be hugely taking a toll on me.

I am really looking forward to HH.

What things may they ask me? The interviewer mentioned a med test? Should I review anything in particular? What things should I ask the interviewer?

I need stable work, and it sounds as if this would be stable, as they work with primarily brain/spinal chord injuries; she said these will be pt's with ongoing cases.

I can't tell you how excited I am to step out into the world of nursing in the area of HH. I'm just nervous...the change. I guess that's normal, though.

Thank you for any input you may have to offer!!

Emma

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

Emma-

I only recently left the world of Long Term Care for Home Health. I WAS management so the stress is everywhere.

The med test I had to take was very basic. If you can pass meds on a LTC floor you should have no trouble with the test. Brush up on your IV calculations...don't know why they still have those questions..everyone runs off a pump...

We only have a few LPNs at the agency I'm with and from what I see, they do the same things the RNs do....assessments, teaching, wound care...IV's if they've taken the IV class.

Good luck. It certainly is different from the SNF world. I'm not sure if I'm cut out for it but so far it hasn't been horrible (not exactly a rousing endorsement!)