Hate Home health job

Farawyn · May 18, 2015

I did interview for that FFS job, and it sounds like I may get it. I would be working 1 weekend a month and on vacations while also being a school nurse. I am also taking online RN-BSN bridge classes.

I like nutella's post. Years ago when I did home care I tried to do it like that.

I hope I don't hate it, and I hope I am not biting off too much.

OP, has it gotten any better for you?

RN94 · May 23, 2015

Libby 1987 RN, BSN -What state do you live in that you can make that much at home care? Are you working more than 40 hours per week?

Libby1987 · May 23, 2015

Libby 1987 RN, BSN -What state do you live in that you can make that much at home care? Are you working more than 40 hours per week?

Affordable part of Northern California. Standard wage for the area/level of experience.

The hours vary but average out to 40-45/week.

RN94 · May 25, 2015

Wow, that's great! So, you are making a decent living there? a little ahead of the game?

Libby1987 · May 25, 2015

Wow, that's great! So, you are making a decent living there? a little ahead of the game?

i believe so. I live and work in an area with a very good wage to COL ratio (a safe and pretty semi rural area)

You can buy a nice home for 200-300K. You can rent a nice 3 BD for =/

Everyone seems to believe that California is over priced, the Bay Area certainly is expensive but Sacramento, the Central Valley and a significant part of the Sierra Foothills are relatively affordable with a professional wage.

outside_child · May 26, 2015

I agree the hospital chaos is ridiculous and I am tired of it. On my first weekend oncall and it wasn't so ba, but I was up until 4am finishing my documentation though. I am usually up that late working night shift anyway. I am really trying to do more HH and less and less hospital. I have a lot to learn and plan on starting an extra HH agency PRN too. Love the detailed advise above.

Shuggahs · May 26, 2015

I work home health. I prefer it over the nursing home. I get paid weekly and can pick and choose if I feel like working.

CarolonBass · Jun 3, 2015

Well said! Home health is not for everyone.

It's hard work, requires a great deal of independence, solid judgement, good organizational skills and a high level of flexibility, and there are no short cuts. The perks also include flexibility, independence, and the ability to be fully focused on and present with your patient without infinite interruptions from every healthcare team member swarming around the inpatient setting.

I agree that it takes 6 months to a year to fully "get it." Learn what works from other home health nurses; each one will have her own method for keeping supplies and paperwork organized. Each one has her own way of scheduling her day and keeping the job from encroaching on family/personal time.

If you want to make it work for you, you will do so.

gibsongirl · Aug 9, 2015

You will get more organized and that will help but it sounds like my workplace. I have had it after 3 years. Still doing "homework". I only have remote experience in hospital nursing. Keep hospital nursing as an option. Best earning potential, variety, matketability.

anh06005, MSN, APRN, NP · Aug 9, 2015

I worked home health for a little over 3 years. For the first 2-2.5 years I was primary nurse for a group of patients and we had other nurses who did evals. We had paper charts. When I did an eval I hated it because I wasn't used to it.

My last 9 months or so I went to weekend option and did evals 75% of the time. I got it DOWN because I did it so much despite the fact that I was there for a while before.

What in getting at is it takes time. The OASIS is a crazy beast that takes a bit of time to get used to. You may go through a few changes on how you do your paperwork so you get done sooner. You'll know the questions forwards and backwards. It takes time.

Also as PP's have mentioned the agency you work for can have a DRAMATIC effect on your workload. I worked for a hospital based agency and really enjoyed it for the most part except for some of the politics in my office. I loved (most) of the patients and autonomy though.

Hope it gets better!

danarooo, BSN, RN · Aug 12, 2015

I am a soc nurse and at my 2 mo'ish mark. I am coming home stressed and livid. On days their aren't SOC's (which I'm told isn't often but lately it has been) I get loaded up w/patient visits but I'm the last to know and the visits aren't given until mid morning, then they are across several different close but rural towns. I'll arrive at a patients home and be told their regular was already there hours ago. I'll call to confirm a visit I've been given on a non-soc day and the visit falls through, but then I get stuck on the phone b/c patient family has questions and their 485 isn't locked, I have no answers and no info and managers in the office aren't helpful. Or it's a possible duplication of services and I don't do insurance I'm a nurse but when I'm asking for help I'm told it's my job to figure it out -- meanwhile the patient is calling me over and over while I'm trying to get into see my next soc and I can't count on help from managers in the office. Then if I say I'm in slammed don't give me more until I catch up I get a call from the head honcho and get a talking to and get to come in to a meeting w/the office managers and head honcho...I'm sent of evals which I've never done or seen or been trained on and then called the next day to tell me I should have admitted that eval and made the company look negligent by not doing so and should have FOUND a reason to admit. I like the autonomy when I actually have it, what I don't like is being thrown out to sink or swim and those who are supposed to be my managers will not pick up visits, will get angry when your asking for help that requires them to do something that they think is your job...meanwhile they can eat lunch, pee, go home at 5 and eat w/family etc...and I'm working all evening. I was told I was off orientation pay...5 days after the fact so guess who didn't transmit any tracking hours because I've been busy trying to visit patients give to other nurses or going to a start that another nurse from our company did the day before...but no matter what I say things are turned around on me and it's my fault. I'm on the radar now so I'm going to either have to "conform" and take it or look elsewhere. I was lectured about critically thinking through my job (about the eval patient I didn't admit) and in the same sentence told I should have called the managers in the office to ask if I should admit or not. I hope I find a company that treats their nurses better and doesn't play games. I feel like I can't be a nurse, make good money AND have a life and free time like a normal freaken person. I am apparently like the 6th person in this position, the clue hasn't been caught yet though that maybe it's not the people in the position but the position and managers/process...

Bottom line, I HATE my job right now and if this is how it's going to be most days then to hell with this.

gibsongirl · Aug 23, 2015

Our work places are not healthy or good for our health! The red flag is all the accountability is on you. The manager is all about covering herself and doing what she's told to do. Daily lectures regarding productivity and then endless time sucking things you have to do now, today. The "just do it" culture. If you can't or goodness forbid, you make a mistake, it's because you are doing something wrong. I am looking for something better. I really like the patients and my day but the endless charting, deragatory emails, added tasks and responsibility are for the birds. I've worked for 2 agencies. Same song, different verse.