Home Health Nursing As A RN

annaedRN, RN · Aug 8, 2008

In HH, you are a nurse as well as a social worker, case manager, and various other things. You are responsible for assessment as well as whatever skills needs performed (wounds, IVs, catheters,). A big role is educator..on diseases, medications and how to manage their problems (like teaching how to pack a wound, irrigate foleys, or administer IV antibiotics) Our goal is to have the patient be as independent at home as possible. We coordinate HHA visits/necessity, work with the PT/OT/SLT and make referrals for social work.

Since our patients are to be able to live at home safely and independently (with or without caregiver assistance), I routinely don't need to do the "dirty" work...but I do have to care for ostomies and disempact people. You see a lot of wounds..some big enough to make you gasp. You have to learn how to perform all skills with only your 2 hands...noone else is usually there to help. And...sometimes being in the patient's homes alone could be considered "dirty" work

You really need to have practiced/sharp assessment skills because you are the only eyes available for the patient. That is why atleast a year of experience is usually required. About 4-5 hours a day is spent with the patients...the other 3-4 is spent driving,charting, office duties and phone calls. Hope that answers some of your questions

pocovan, MSN, RN, NP · Aug 9, 2008

That was a good summary of what visiting RNs do. We also draw all blood labs. (Which I enjoy the most). Our agency does IV therapy in the home. I do pediatric nursing for babies that come home after open heart or maybe with an NG tube or a new G tube.

We use KCI wound vacs a lot. There is a lot of patient teaching too. We have call over night a few times a month. Which means if someone's foley catheter is blocked you have to go insert a new one, or you have to adust a wound vac etc. We also have to work one to two weekends a month. :nurse:

annaedRN, RN · Aug 10, 2008

We too draw labs and have alot of wound vacs ( currently one on an infected tummy tuck that is 41cm x 12cm x 3.5cm with undermining under umbilicus to 8cm!!!) :eek:

I don't work weekends - have oncall Fri and Sat nights every 5-6 weekends.