Home Health!! Need Advice!!!!

Published

Hello everyone. I'm a new RN and is interested in doing Home Health but I'm wondering will my lack of experience hinder the care for my patients. I'm a fast learner and is willing to learn any and everything to be a great nurse. Do you all think I can do this with some good training?? Are there any new grads working home health that could give me an insight?! Thanks!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hi!

Glad to see you are interested in Home Health and congrats on passing your NCLEX!

Can I be really honest with you? As a new grad, do NOT jump into Home Health or any specialty field you are not 100% familiar with right away (This includes ER, ICU, Home Health, etc.).

I speak from experience on this!

These units expect the nurses they hire to come in with a certain degree of competence and clinical skills already under their belt and mastered. This includes blood draws, wound vacs, triage skills, assessment skills, troubleshooting, ortho skills, diabetic knowledge, COPD knowledge, wound care knowledge, oncology knowledge, psych knowledge just to name a few.

Not only do you have to have a solid competence in these areas, but you also have to be knowledgeable enough about it to be able to teach it to patients and their caregivers when you go out for visits, and be able to answer all questions they might come up with and look somewhat knowledgable in your craft.

That is a tall order for a new nurse! Even one who learns fast! And remember, as a Home Health nurse, you are going to pretty much be out on your own.

I didn't appreciate this advice when I got it as a new grad, and it is advice that I think could have prevented some career pitfalls -

"Take advantage of your new grad status."

Take your time and master the mundane stuff. Those Med-Surg night shifts are not sexy or fun, but they are the basics that all nurses need to know at a pace that will not kill you or your patient.

Once you have those skills in place and the MedSurg job has no more suprizes for you, then look at branching out on your own in Home Health.

You will be glad you did!

Hope this makes sense! Good luck!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks for the good advice!!!! I will take this into consideration. Thank you so much!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg, Perioperative, Home Health.

I'd have to agree. I can't believe how much I learned in my first 6 months on med surg. It was amazing. The time I spent on med surge gave me a good foundation. I'm so glad bc now I'm alone in homes and can't ask a colleague to 'come take a look at this!'

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in psychiatric home care.

I also agree with burlshoe114

I had 2 years med surg experience right out of school and learned more than the 4 years of nursing school in the first 6 months.

I work full time as a home care nurse and would NEVER recommend a new grad doing home care. If I were the person making hiring decisions, I would also not hire a new grad for home care. There is just too much to know and no one to ask because you are ALONE on visits and the s--- does hit the fan occasionally and a home care nurse has to be able to draw on experience and a new grad does not have the experience to draw on.

Hope this is not too harsh but is reality

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks alot!! I totally agree with you all!!! Thanks

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psych, LTC, Home Health.

My situation was a little different. As a new grad, I did about 3 months of med surg nights and then I worked in a long term care facility for the developmentally disabled, the same facility I had worked at as an aide and an LPN. With about one year under my belt total, I applied for a HH job and was hired. I have been there for 2 years now and I have never felt like I was not capable of taking good care of my patients.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Would this advice also apply to a nurse that has been out of the work force for a while? Thanks.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I started in Home Health as a new grad 1 1/2 years ago. At that time hospitals were not keen on hiring new grads - hopefully things have changed. In the perfect world, I would have started off on a med surg floor and moved on from there, but these economic times changed my path. With all due respect to my far more experienced colleagues, I love Home Health and at this time in my life, can't ever imagine working in a hospital. Yes, there are times when I reach out to a trusted, more experienced nurse(s) for advice - but that's the key - know when (and who) to ask for advice. Know when a case is over your head and make sure management knows what your limitations are. Ask to do joint visits with nurses to learn new skills. Don't ever do anything unless you are absolutely confident about it. Ask for a mentor that you can contact in a pinch. Advocate for yourself as a new nurse.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, Agency, HHC.

All this is even great advice for me, a not-so-new grad! I just got a job with HHC after 6 years in LTC. Part time for now. Any advice on how to prioritize/plan my day? Anything specific I should ask in orientation?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I also agree with Burlshoe. I have had 15 years hospital experience-10+ in critical care. I can honestly say that I have learned more in my last 4 years in home care. You develop strong assessment, planning, and problem solving skills in this line of work. You have to because you are on your own out there.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion