Home Care in NY

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I am a new grad with an ADN. After a long hard search for a job, I was offered a position in homecare as a field RN. The salary is $65,000/ yr with $2,000 gas reimbursement. They are giving me 3 months paid training. The average workload is 6 pts/day.

Is this a good offer? should i take it or wait a little more for something else to come along?:uhoh3:

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Specializes in med-surg.

I have done home care for the past 15 years 13 in the same agency. I would never go back to hospital nursing. Salary shouldn't be the only consideration.

Look at the other benefits :up:

autonomy

one on one with patients,

flexibility,

autonomy,

time off, (vacation,personal,sick)

health benefits,

weekend coverage (hosp qoweek, home care 1xm) at least my agency

holiday (1 major 1 minor) my agency

OT?

Look at the down side :down:

paperwork,

winter,

OT?

I have found home care to be more accommodating than any hosp.

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Specializes in Telemetry.

I'm a new nurse (come off of orientation next week) too. I had never really thought about doing home care until i started bedside nursing.. After my 2nd week on the floor, i started researching it like crazy :lol2:

I agree with the PP about all of the pros, but i think that the biggest pro is also one of the biggest cons for a new nurse- the autonomy. I didn't want to do med surg at all, but as stressful as it can be, i really am glad that i'm doing it (i'm on a tele floor- basically just m/s with heart monitors). Honestly, i've learned more in the last 3 months than i did in all of nursing school- and then some. I really do think that it's experience that can't be beat.

I think homecare would be great, and that salary sounds pretty on par with what it should be- i would just be concerned about going into it as a new grad without any experience. I think even just 1 year of bedside gives you such a strong foundation- the autonomy would scare me if i didn't have that.

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Specializes in Telemetry.

i also wanted to add though- if you check out the homecare forum on here, its amazing to see how there's a real sense of satisfaction with their position in that area. It seems like a much better quality of life, to be honest.

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Specializes in med-surg.

You should always have some kind of med surg back ground to start with just gives you the foundation needed for the autonomy needed for home care.

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Congratulations! What agency is that?

Thanx.

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WHEN I FIRST STARTED HOME CARE, 1 YEAR OF MED-SURG WAS REQUIRED:twocents:

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I would take this. As a new grad this is great money and you will have great satisfaction. I started home care 16 yrs. ago and I had to have 1 yr med. surg. experience. I hope you took it.

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Hey everyone...thanks for the feedback.

I took the offer. I started Nov 3 and now I'm in my 4th week and i LOVE it! We had orientation in class for 2 weeks and on the third week we went out on the field with a preceptor 2x/wk. We will be having class 2x/wk and be with the preceptor for 2 days/wk until Jan.

I love tha agency...they have a great orientation program where they taught us all the paper work and the Moo's and oasis and stuff.

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Hey everyone...thanks for the feedback.

I took the offer. I started Nov 3 and now I'm in my 4th week and i LOVE it! We had orientation in class for 2 weeks and on the third week we went out on the field with a preceptor 2x/wk. We will be having class 2x/wk and be with the preceptor for 2 days/wk until Jan.

I love tha agency...they have a great orientation program where they taught us all the paper work and the Moo's and oasis and stuff.

Just curious, which agency do you work for?

I'm considering doing per diem after one year of med/surg in the hospital.

Thanx so much and good luck with your new career!

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Specializes in TB nursing/ research.

yes, please which agency do you work for?

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Specializes in Home health, Ortho.

I started in Home Health as essentially a new Grad, I had graduated from nursing school and passed Boards and there were no jobs to be found. Finally after a year I took a job as a HHA and did that for 8 months, they gradually worked me in doing private duty assessments during that time and I started working as an RN in June, 9 months after I started. My salary was half that then and I still don't make that 12+ years later (different agency/State). As other posters have asked, I m curious, which agency is this? (and do they still need help?? LOL)

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