Calling all HH Nurses, roll call

[hoolahan]

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!!

[AnnemRN]

Hi Ladies;

I'm starting back into HH Monday Sept 8 and I'm nervous but feel like I'm going home. I have a wide background in nursing from med-surg to hospice, nephrology, nursing home, mds, prison, and even 2 yrs in HH. I moved and had to quit. I'm told my company uses very little paper, just a lap top and we are paid per visit. Is the paid per visit common? They want 5 visits a day to maintain "production". I've heard this is a good company, I sure hope so. I'm doing everything I can think of to get ready. Any advice? I'm not a kid anymore and I want to stop and stay.

Personally, I like being paid per hour vs per visit. If the visit is unusually long then, the compensation isn't very good if you're paid per visit. I think 5 visits per day is pretty standard. Hopefully, your company uses a good laptop program that is user friendly. I'm sure you'll do great - good luck!

[Meems]

Hi Ladies;

I'm starting back into HH Monday Sept 8 and I'm nervous but feel like I'm going home. I have a wide background in nursing from med-surg to hospice, nephrology, nursing home, mds, prison, and even 2 yrs in HH. I moved and had to quit. I'm told my company uses very little paper, just a lap top and we are paid per visit. Is the paid per visit common? They want 5 visits a day to maintain "production". I've heard this is a good company, I sure hope so. I'm doing everything I can think of to get ready. Any advice? I'm not a kid anymore and I want to stop and stay.

I know the RNs @ the HH agency I work for are expected to have 25 visits or more per week if they work full time. Admits count for 2 visits, recerts are 1.5 visits. We have not done PPV for nursing due to a RN union, but are anticipating moving to that after the contract is up. PT,OT,ST,(and their assistants) went PPV about 3 months ago. Our company touts a"paperless system" but the software does not let us view the last notes so paper is needed. Advice: Give yourself time to adjust, and stay ORGANIZED.

I am a LPN, and see about 6 patients on an avg day, but have seen as many as 8(our productivity is to be between 25-30 visits per week). All said, I love my job, and the company I work for is pretty good. But I am going back for my RN after 13 years:rolleyes:

Gotta have that RN, and probably go on for my BSN as well. Good Luck to you in your new job!

[lamazeteacher]

Hi Ladies;

I'm starting back into HH Monday Sept 8 and I'm nervous but feel like I'm going home. I have a wide background in nursing from med-surg to hospice, nephrology, nursing home, mds, prison, and even 2 yrs in HH. I moved and had to quit. I'm told my company uses very little paper, just a lap top and we are paid per visit. Is the paid per visit common? They want 5 visits a day to maintain "production". I've heard this is a good company, I sure hope so. I'm doing everything I can think of to get ready. Any advice? I'm not a kid anymore and I want to stop and stay.

Congratulations on your new job! It sounds like the agency for which you'll work is progressing well with their "green" policy of using computers, rather than wasting paper for "nursing notes" that are read only by those evaluating the writer (or, heaven forbid, in court). If action needs to be taken for a patient, you'll call in to your supervisor and she may check the note for accuracy....

Many agencies pay nurses per visit to avoid having to give benefits. If you have health insurance through your spouse that's OK, I guess, but vacations and holidays won't be compensated. If they paid /hour, you'd get time and a half on holidays and when you work over 40 hours/week....

5 visits daily sounds doable to me, but my experience has been that they tell you that, and shortly before, or just after your orientation is finished, you're getting 2-4 more/day. When you add the time it takes to complete paper/computer work for admissions, discharges, re evals, etc. the amount paid/visit makes your timed pay somewhat diminished. I hope the agency has software for Medicare forms, so any repetition is already input....

Enjoy the work, and let us know how it goes. :)

[Nannieme]

Thank you for all your support. I'm working and loving HH. It's like an old comfortable shoe. I have dreamed of 8 hour days for years. The team I work with in Commerce, Ga. are wonderful. Thank you again.

Nannieme.:heartbeat

[HappyHHNurse]

I am a LPN and really like HH nursing a lot. I work with peds pts and it's very low stress nursing and the pay is good. It is also nice to be able to give great care to my patients. I even got my sister to do HH and she also likes it a lot, and we split the bonus I received for referring her to the agency I work for.

Have a blessed day!

[Jillybean13]

Hello all! I'm new to this website and new to Home Care. For role call here, I'd like to say that I fell in love with home care during school. I knew the personal care of being in someone's home and being able to be "present" with a patient was right up my alley. I started in Telemetry. It was hard, but I learned a lot. Then, after a year, I went to the place I had fallen in love with back in school. I am so happy I did! I've been there about a month now. I LOVE IT!!!:redpinkhe The paperwork does kind of suck, but it does anywhere. I'm learning something new everyday (a trait I take great pride in), and I'm case manageing 7 patients. I feel like this is definately where I belong! I'll be checking in with the website often as I like to be able to teach, and the more info I can get my hands on the better. I wish I had known about this site before...maybe I wouldn't have come home pulling my hair out for those first 6 months of nursing right out of school.

[PromoteHealth4U]

I am new nursing - graduated in May. Nursing is a career change for me. Thought I would start in the hospital, but the opportunity for HH presented itself and that was where I ultimately wanted to be. I love the fact that we can actually spend quality time with patients without being interrupted and there are so many opportunities for teaching. I live in a rural area and most of my patients are IV antibiotics, PICC line care, lots of wound care. I am learning a lot and the nurses in my office are very supportive and helpful. There are two nurses who have 50 years experience - they know all the tricks - what to do in sticky situations, and they love to help. Sometimes the paperwork gets overwhelming, but after a rest of two days off a week, I am ready to hit the HH trail again.

[Nannieme]

Back in HH and loving it

I recently went back to HH nursing and today is my second day on my own. I find it's pressure to produce, but at a lovley pace. I can pick up and get done or spend time talking if time is available. I get to do the little extras for my patients that make a difference for them and myself. Yes, the paperwork is awful, but there isn't anywhere in nursing today that you aren't swamped with notes, orders, admissions, ect.. There are wonderful trees to pull my car up under and finish in the peace and quiet-a cool drink at my side and my work flies. I've done HH before, years ago. I remember now what it was that I liked. I am lucky enough to have a great manager. I don't really case manage as we need more RN's. I do admissions, supervisory visits, discharges and recerts..,.I better go, gotta get dressed. Oh yea, I wear what I want as long as I look professional. Bye:heartbeat

[AnnemRN]

Back in HH and loving it

I recently went back to HH nursing and today is my second day on my own. I find it's pressure to produce, but at a lovley pace. I can pick up and get done or spend time talking if time is available. I get to do the little extras for my patients that make a difference for them and myself. Yes, the paperwork is awful, but there isn't anywhere in nursing today that you aren't swamped with notes, orders, admissions, ect.. There are wonderful trees to pull my car up under and finish in the peace and quiet-a cool drink at my side and my work flies. I've done HH before, years ago. I remember now what it was that I liked. I am lucky enough to have a great manager. I don't really case manage as we need more RN's. I do admissions, supervisory visits, discharges and recerts..,.I better go, gotta get dressed. Oh yea, I wear what I want as long as I look professional. Bye:heartbeat

I want to work where you are. The pace where I am working is at a much faster pace than that. I have to keep driving past all the great trees as I'm drinking my cool drink trying to keep hydrated.

[morgannacriss]

Hi everyone. I just joined allnurses.com just to find out what other nurses out there in the world are doing and to say hello. I'm glad to be here.

I've been an RN for 16 1/2 years, worked 3 years in our hospital and then went to Home Health and will probably die there (somedays I think 'this is the day'). I was about 28 years old when I went back to school, with 2 little kids at the time, 1 and 4 and who are now 24 and 21. I had a different outlook on school and career choices since I was older than if I had just been out of high school. You've already lived some of your life, been married, had kids and school was easier. Anyway, I am full time hospital based Home Health, and like everyone else dealing with the OASIS stuff, which is SO redundant sometimes. But, it's gotta be done. I love Home Health though, overall. My patients love us, we love them, but it certainly has it's days. We've all decided we could have a best seller if we all got together and told our stories. Not a bad idea, I say.

[lamazeteacher]

Hi everyone. I just joined allnurses.com just to find out what other nurses out there in the world are doing and to say hello. I'm glad to be here.

I've been an RN for 16 1/2 years, worked 3 years in our hospital and then went to Home Health and will probably die there (somedays I think 'this is the day'). I was about 28 years old when I went back to school, with 2 little kids at the time, 1 and 4 and who are now 24 and 21. I had a different outlook on school and career choices since I was older than if I had just been out of high school. You've already lived some of your life, been married, had kids and school was easier. Anyway, I am full time hospital based Home Health, and like everyone else dealing with the OASIS stuff, which is SO redundant sometimes. But, it's gotta be done. I love Home Health though, overall. My patients love us, we love them, but it certainly has it's days. We've all decided we could have a best seller if we all got together and told our stories. Not a bad idea, I say.

_______________________________________________________________

Welcome to our "neck of the woods". I've been in Home Health off and on during the 47 years since I became a Public Health Nurse. Government agencies just seemed too politically loaded, and in the USA's "official" agencies the priorities have little to do with patiernt care (my first love).

It's too bad doctors still lag in referring their patients to us - before they're admitted.

I believe that Home Health will be the backbone of any health care plan the new President sets up. It will save a lot of money for it!

Our patients can have complications prevented and optimum health achieved because of us (as well as IVs started and monitored, dressings changed, blood drawn, reports to their MDs accomplished - in a timely manner.....). This is "cutting edge" nursing.

the main concern I have, is that most HH agencies hire non administative nurses part time, without "benefits". Not only does that mean we don't get paid for holidays, vacations and sick days, but an adequate orientation program is sometimes deferred and we "hit the ground running". Not good for patients or us.

In one outrageous multi-location agency where I worked, I was offered Health insurance for $325/month. I thought that wasn't too bad, but thought I shouldn't take it on pure trust, since none of the other nurses had taken it (they said they had coverage through their spouses). So I

asked what was covered for the premium. It was shocking to hear, "$1750. cap for all medical services/year! The medications I need,to keep working cost $1,000/month in the USA, and $400/month in Canada. Currently health insurance companies are as bad or worse than bank mortgages, ethically,and I hope that it will better when President-elect Obama gets his program running.

Please let me know what experience others of you in HH have had regarding your own health care costs, and if those of you over 55 years of age have had trouble staying employed. Health insurance companies have very high premiums for those over that age, and once someone has Medicare they won't allow that to be the primary health care coverage, charging much more!

[rgeselle]

Sticky,

My name is rgeselle and I am a BSN student currently taking home health course. I have an upcoming assignment in which I have to ionterview an HHN. Could you allow me to do an interview on line with you?

:icon_roll:D

rgeselle