Home care supplemental staffing in MN

[MN Home Care RN]

I have been in home care for over 22 years as a RN case manager. I am looking into starting a supplemental home care staffing agency and am interested in like minded RNs' opinions on this venture. At the agency I work at (medicare certified) we have had to use a staffing agency and have found the nurses they send do not really understand home care (oasis, ROC, regulations) and we (the other RNs) end up working harder training them while the staffing RN makes more $$...So I have looked into starting my own nurse run company but the responses I've received have been from RNs with no or little home care experience...so what does that say? I'm not reaching the right audience? All the experienced RNs are happy at their jobs and do not want to leave? It's not a good solid buiness plan?

Looking for the opionions of experienced home care RN case managers/visiting staff...thanks

[caliotter3]

I work in home care too, except not in the capacity that you have been in. My idea is that you might have difficulty reaching an audience because of the generalized competition for experienced nurses. All of the home health agencies that I have worked for have fought tooth and nail to get employees to staff their cases. Most nurses that I have met on the job only do home health to supplement their full time or part time regular jobs. It is sometimes difficult to stay regularly employed in home health (unless one has a salaried position), so people only do it on the side. At least those who do patient care tell me this. Another factor is that many nurses do not feel that they are paid enough in home health. They do not think that it should be their problem that their agency only gets so much funding from the insurance companies and that other business expenses and a profit must also come out of the same pot.

[MN Home Care RN]

Thanks for your response. Here in Mn the majority of home care RNs work full time in home care and our part time nurses do not have other jobs. This is their main source of income...that could be the problem. They are not willing to leave a "for sure thing" for an unproven.

I will have to rethink this. I would love to see RNs contract out our services (like docs) to hospitals, home cares, etc. We could be in much more control of our profession...but I'm sure I will never see that in my life time...maybe the younger nurses will see the great possibilities in this and give it a try...All the admins across this nation would have a stroke if this happened...nurses in charge of their own time, money, lives!! What a concept...

Thanks anyway...

[HHEDPI]

Not sure if you are still monitoring this question but I would love to resurrect the conversation....HHEDPI