Home Health Care vs. Hospital/ Dr. Offices

[vtuck9]

i have only worked in home health care, never in a hospital or dr. office. i am an lpn student and i already dread clinicals because i cannot stand the tought of working in a hospital. i know clinicals will only be 1x a week for about 9 hours, but that is 9 hours of mean nurses, bossy family members, and so on and so on... i love working in home health care. i have really only had a few difficult clients but it's pretty easy to say "hey! i am here in your home to help you. i do as you say and i do everything by the books. no need to get rude with me." i plan on staying with this company since they will hire me on as an lpn (home health) as soon as i graduate. i was just wanting to know from home health nurses:

• how is it?
  
• do you like it?
  
• what's the best part about working in someones home and not in a hospital?
  
• how was clinicals for you?
  

i live in eastern illinois and i was also wandering what to expect for pay rate as an in home health lpn...

thanks!! (i know, i have a lot of questions... but, i'm sure you all did too!!! :confused:)

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

1) being a nurse with a license means having completely different responsibilities from being a hha. do not confuse professional responsibilities with the mere hands-on skills. as an lpn you won't have the responsibility of an rn, but you will have more than an aide.

2) who says your clinicals will be so bad as you describe? "mean nurses, bossy family members..." hey, family is part of care-- you don't think that it's just the person in the bed, did you? don't set yourself up for something that isn't real.

[bloodlikefire]

as far as clinicals go always keep an open mind. more than once i was told by fellow nursing students that such-and-such a nurse was a meany or was really hard on them. every time i got that nurse assigned to me i had no problems with them. you are there to learn, so learn everything your ci and the nurses at your clinical site will teach you. always ask your clinical site nurses what you can do to help. you need to fit as much experience as you can in your short time at clinical sites.