Calling all HH Nurses, roll call

mebeafrn · Jul 11, 2005

hi all-I'm from a rural mid-about as mid as can be-west agency,non-profit, hospital based. We in the hinter regions do HH,Hospice and Home Infusion,travel is usually around 100 mi/day. My specialty is Mental Health,so I get the "challenging" pt.s ie less than ideal behaviors,enviornment etc.. suits me fine 'cause to me the peds are the challenge lol!

Best time I've had in 20+ yrs. of nsg.

bodhi101 · Jul 11, 2005

I'm a Private Duty Home Care LPN in NY. I work mainly with pediatric high tech cases, but have run the gambit over the past 13 years in the medical field. I work independently and am usually paid by medicaid to work shifts with one patient. I've cut back to part time since opening a Natural Health and Holistic Counciling office. I love the shift work in the home setting because it gives me an opportunity to introduce a variety of healing modalities and provide care for the whole person.

Anjo · Jul 20, 2005

I have been an LVN for 29 years, 26 in Long Term Care. I have switched to Home Health and also work with Peds. I have vast experience with trachs, vents, gbuttons so it really hasn't been hard to switch. I love the Home Health adult visits because I can see results practically immediately. And I absolutely LOVE the 6 month Pierre Robyn's Syndrome baby I relief for. I needed the change and it has indeed changed my life also. Not that long term care was bad, I enjoyed it too, but at this point in my life, I needed a change. I didn't know for sure at the time if I was doing the right thing, but now I know it was the right change.

Anjo

tweetsLPN · Aug 13, 2005

I am a LPN in MI for 27years, have worked in all areas, now do home care and love it! :)

mamabird2 · Sep 9, 2005

I work as Director of services for a Non -medical Home health Called Home care living I set up care and do the marketing indroduce the caregivers/ CNA's and meet with state, federal ,local ,Hospice and other home health and hospitails . To supplement there care. We do 1- 24 hr live-in care
Did someone here mentioned they wanted to set up an agency? My Boss teaches people how to set up there on care compaines.
I love my job I wouldn't change a thing.I am able to help people every day .

happthearts, I would be interested in hearing more about your non-medical home health agency. I am DON for an agency and the owner has expressed an interest in respite care. Please let me know more. Yes, home health is not for everyone but for those of us who fit, it is the absolute best form of nursing. The rappore that you develop with your pts/family more than makes up {almost} for the tons of paperwork. I don't get to see patients much anymore but love training new nurses on how to do home health. After 20 yrs in HH have lots of war stories and tips to share.

mattsmom81 · Sep 9, 2005

Hi all...I am brand new to Home Health and I am doing private duty shifts in the home as well. My very first case as a new nurse was private duty in the home, and 28 years later I am back at it...LOL!

I am enjoying the job immensely but my problem so far has been the passive aggressive primary nurse and her relationship with the family, which IMHO has crosed a professional boundary. She nitpicks, criticizes and badmouths the other nurses...appartently to keep in some standing with the family. Is this a common occurrence out there???

homehealthsup · Sep 26, 2005

hi i'm new to this just wanted to talk to some homehealth nurses, i've been a home health rn for 4.5 years and love homehealth, wondering if anyone knows of any traveling nursing just for homehealth

magic · Sep 28, 2005

Hi Angie!
I work in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, which is the Door County Peninsula, NE of Green Bay. We carry between 60-70 patients, mostly adults with an occasional peds pt. I have recently noticed an increase in the number of insurance pt's. Some of them are generous with their authorizations, but a few are very stingy- I have to plead my case for each visit! We have just begun having centralized inatke, and it has decreased the time I had to spend for the initial authorization.
The clinician will call the MD, with a message to call me back, and also call me with an update. The MD's appreciate having a contact in the office. The nurses schedule are on their laptops. They import the patiients in the AM and are expected to export no later than 8 AM the next day.
I work for a very progressive organization. Our field clinicians are paid hourly, the same rate as the local hospitals with travel pay at 42.5 cents per mile, and receive a minimum of 2 hours overtime pay when called out. They are expected to attend 6 visits per 8 hours. An admit counts as two visits. They work every 5th weekend. I am salaried and work M-F. Although I am not management, I am responsible for overseeing their OASIS data and that the required Sup visits are done.
One of our field clinicians has a time share on the River Walk in San Antonio. She loves going there! My nephew recently transferred to Ft Hood.
I am glad to hear from you! It seems like most agencies do not have in office CM's!
Donna

Hi Donna,

I think we work for the same company. I live and work in the beautiful northwoods. Still in the field and love it. I love the casemanagers too. You guys are terrific. Been doing home health for 14 years. Still love it!

Kathy

Trailblazer · Sep 29, 2005

Hi Kathy!

I think you are correct! It has been a transition, but there is increased satisfaction for the field clinicians, patients, and MD's. Sometimes I miss being out and about visiting these very special patients! I have lived in WI and have still not made it up to the Northwoods! My dh is from Green Bay, and for years he talked about Door County, but I didn't see it until 5 1/2 years ago, and fell in love with this area. Have an awesome day!

Donna

Hi Donna,
I think we work for the same company. I live and work in the beautiful northwoods. Still in the field and love it. I love the casemanagers too. You guys are terrific. Been doing home health for 14 years. Still love it!
Kathy

jumpit54 · Oct 6, 2005

Hi, as a newly appointed moderator, I want to live this forum up a bit. I just resigned my position as a HH supervisor, to go back to the field.
I have been a nurse 20 years, 17 in critical care, mostly cardiac critical care, and the last 2.5 years in HH, or asthma disease management , which I also had to leave because I hated to be in a cube farm all day.
I still love HH, even though PPS is the pits, even though the OASIS would make good kindling for a massive bonfire, and even with all the rest of the paperwork, it is the most rewarding nursing I have ever done!!
PS, I went back to my former VNA who is now paying $30/hr, yes, you read that right, to work 3 out of 4 weekends. Since weekends work well for me, it's a good deal.
Let's hear from all the HH nurses out there. Out of all those registered members, there's got to be plenty of us on this BB!! [/quote

jumpit54 · Oct 6, 2005

I too am a home health supervisor for the past 12 years. Our agency has been stagnant for many years without any changes in job description despite OASIS. Our new administrator is focused on productivity but at the same time does not want to scare the norses off. It will be one of my goals to increase productivity with my staff. We are a hospital based agency and everything is written. Our nurses are full time with benefits and are paid by the hour along with .40 mileage rate. Can anyone out there give me an idea of their productivity? We are in a fairly rural area of Florida and the goal is for 5-6 visits per day with admissions counting as 2 visits.

Brita01 · Oct 15, 2005

Hi all...I am brand new to Home Health and I am doing private duty shifts in the home as well. My very first case as a new nurse was private duty in the home, and 28 years later I am back at it...LOL!
I am enjoying the job immensely but my problem so far has been the passive aggressive primary nurse and her relationship with the family, which IMHO has crosed a professional boundary. She nitpicks, criticizes and badmouths the other nurses...appartently to keep in some standing with the family. Is this a common occurrence out there???

I think there's been one of those on just about every case I've worked on. There always seems to be one nurse who's been there the longest and feels like they're "in charge", so they tend to do things to make themselves feel important and be indispensable. I just go to work and do my job and try not to get too involved with the family, although it's harder to keep your distance the longer you work with them.