Calling all HH Nurses, roll call

Specialties Home Health

Published

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!! :D

Specializes in Home Health.

Welcome sasjp. Holy Smokes!! What an experience!! How scary!!! Sounds like the man needs inpt facility!!

I don't know if you guys have heard yet, 2 days ago a home health aide was murdered in the home of her elderly client. The client was upstairs in the 2-story home, and very HOH, so she heard nothing. The poor woman wasn't discovered until the client's dtr came over b/c no one was answering the phone,and discovered the body. No word yet as to any suspects or how this happened. In NY.

As far as getting referrals like that, our agency does takes any referral, and puts us at risk regularly, all b/c we have an escort, who many times has been know to escort us to the door and leave to get coffee, one nurse had to page the sup from her cell phone to find him, was stranded in a BAD neighborhood while he was getting his freaking coffee. Numerous c/o, no change. Sigh!

What I hate the most is when they instruct me to enter a home from the back, and I have to walk between an alley, or in multi-apt homes, going in the fornt door, close it, and there is absolutely no night,try the switch, nothing. Very scary. No street signs, I have to count the streets on the map and hope a little alley didn't count. Broken glass all over the streets. Having to park far from a home in a bad neighborhood.

On the plus side, the elderly are usually well-connected in their areas. I drove up to one bad neighborhood, and I mean BAD, and on the corner, guess I stuck out like a sore thumb, a man said, "You the nurse for Mr J?" Yes, "He's down there, just go straight until you get to the next guy." Next guy point to where they saved a place for me to park, and escorts me to the door. This was a good thing, b/c not one house on the street had numbers on it!!!! Home Health is always interesting!!!!!

Specializes in MS Home Health.

Hoolahan I have not heard about the aide.....how horrible. I did have a patient pull a loaded gun on me and pull the trigger. Said it was a joke, he was off his rocker at the time, ended up having one bullet in the chamber.

HOme health is scarey,

renerian

Well, guys- long time ago when doing private duty for inner city folks, I was subjected to rock throwing, gun waving, various hollered threats and had my car graffitied. (The graffiti wasn't too bad--nice colors and only one bad word, so I left the art work and painted over the word). I made a sign to fit in the back window of my car: "I am a Nurse. I do not carry drugs, needles or money. If you want to hurt or kill me, go ahead--but please wait until I've seen to my patient." I never carried a purse; I stuffed a bit of pocket cash, my drivers license and my nursing license in a front pocket; I always wore blue jeans and a white smock top with large pockets. I kept my steth around my neck and put cuff and thermometer in smock pocket. I carried a clip board with my noting material. I tried to keep everything in sight as much as possible. I walked straight and steady-I put a look on my face like I knew exactly where I was and what I was about (:eek:). I was able to carry through with my work for another 6 months until moving up north when I remarried. Now, mind you, my work was free lance. No employer was telling me to go into those places-so, I was the only one responsible for the decision to do that...but then, I also made the decision not to go after sundown when the werewolves and vampires come out.

I know what can happen to us when we venture in those areas--I have several acquaintances who have been raped, beaten-you get the picture. I personally don't think any nurse is obligated to enter those areas without a well thought out plan for survival. Because all of you are sent out by your agencies, then those agencies are responsible for you. It is their absolute responsibility to see to it that you have safe passage. No escort has the right to leave you at the door. That person ought to be stuck to you like glue.

Wish I could come up with a magic wand to wave over all of you to keep you protected. Let me say that nurses like you are my heros! :kiss Some of the neediest people are the ones living in the inner cities....elderly, disabled, mentally ill, homeless and the hopeless. From time to time I still go to the inner cities alone to provide free foot care at missions and free clinics.

Peace and Safe Passage for all of us

Lois Jean

Specializes in MS Home Health.

Yes we home health/hospice nurses deal with some scarey stuff. I started my new job as a hospice clinical director today and I am going to love it.....

renerian

Specializes in ambulatory, home care, telem, med/surg.

Whoa- what experiences you all have to share! I got goosebumps reading about the home health aide- may she rest in peace. My boss was not clued in to what this man's psyche risk really was and was horrified when she heard my tale- I stopped the OASIS right where I was when the police came in and wrote "interview terminated due to police activity" across the page I stopped at. I told the agency manager that the man did need some sort of home services but it was not going to be me providing them! I called his mental health team and told them what had happened so they could follow up, but I still feel like I have been in Jeffrey Dahmer's living room! What I do try to do is similar to what Lois Jean said she does- walk straight and steady- and I am 5'10 inches in bare feet and have been told by a few of my patients that I "cut a rather imposing figure". To which I tell them "and never forget it!" Best of luck in your new position, renerian! Godspeed! Joanne.

Specializes in MS Home Health.

Hehe I wish I was nice and tall! I am only 5'5" and weigh 113......boney arms........my Dr. calls me scrawny....I would not scare anyone.......HEHEHEH except my kids..............LOL\

renerian

I think a self-defense course in karate would be mandatory

for new Home Health/Hospice workers. Just call me "Ninja Nurse"

Have worked in home health now about 1 1/2 years and love it!!! Work for three agencies as CWOCN. Luckily all the local agencies use wound specialists to provide effective and efficient care. Only thing I would love to do without is the paperwork AHHHHHH..... Am in a Masters program, but it is more just for me... won't make much of a difference in what I will be doing.

Cory

Specializes in ambulatory, home care, telem, med/surg.

Hello woundnurse- I am hoping to hear some good tips for would care- can you let me know what is usually done for diabetic foot (heel) ulcers? Thank you! The md on one of my home care clients is kind of vague about what to use.

Welcome, wound nurse and sjsap;

I would also be interested in your suggestions for the care of diabetic ulcers, too, wound nurse.

I do foot care as a in-home nursing service and I often see stage two and three ulcerations under corns and calouses.

Also...need some feed back on the care of cellulitis...(lower extremity with weeping and open areas present).

Peace,

Lois Jean

Did you ever notice that OASIS is part of the Government's Paper Reduction Act? HEEEHEEEHEEE!

Hi... my name is Ruth Abreu, but my nickname is Ro and that is what everyone calls me. I am dually licensed in MA and NH and work the Merrimack Valley area, which includes some of both states.

I'm new to home health; I have been a nurse since 1983, an LPN for seven years and then an RN starting in 1990. I've done long term care, skilled care, acute care (I was a night charge on a med surg unit for around six years) and holistic nursing, including bodywork and energy work. I'm a Reiki Master, certified in Healing Touch and Chios, and a Clinical Hypnotherapist; I have also done Medical Intuitive work.

I just started in Home Health in August and so far I am enjoying it, I am challenged and learning a lot. I work M-F with every eighth weekend, and Case Manage, though our agency has nurses that handle UR and scheduling for us. We work using a remote record managing system on a PALM called HealthWyse.

Well, enough for now, I'm glad to have found the forum and to see that it is active!

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