How long would it take you if you had to:

Specialties Home Health

Published

See 4 clients which may include blood, f/c, faxes to MD's, etc. PLUS a new admit taking 1.5 hours in the home and driving 50-70 miles. Would you have overtime on this type of day (over 8 hours)?

Specializes in Community Health Nurse.

When I worked Home Health out in California, I worked by the hour as the agency I was signed up with hired me out to the home health agency that called for nurses to help them out. No way would I have worked home health for what those nurses were being paid. They may have been paid $38.00 a visit, regardless of how long the visit took which led to "errors" since they would rush in and rush out without doing a thorough enough assesment and documentation on the patient being visited.

Since I received an hourly wage, if it took one or two hours to see a patient (which was sometimes the case when admitting a patient to the homehealth care services), then I was paid MORE than the nurse being paid a flat rate for being there the same amount of time.

Four patients a day is ENOUGH to see in my opinion. I would NOT do Home Health again unless I were paid on the hour...minimum of 35.00/hour. If paid per visit, I would not accept LESS than $50.00/visit.

Wow...35/hr would be awesome. I've been at this company over 4 years and now only making 20/hr.

Each day in home health is so different it's hard to tell how long it should take. Yesterday I had 2 admissions and 2 visits, had to get new orders with 2 different docs, drove 60 miles and it was about an 8 hour day.

However, I've had much less than this before and it has ended up being a longer day.

$50/visit is an awful lot of money. I get $20 per visit and $65 per admission. I spend as much time as I need to in the home with the patient. Some days I end up doing much better than others.

Ann

Wow Ann 2 admits in one day plus 2 visits and you were done in 8 hours? How long does the paper work take for one admit? Do you have a laptop?

Wendy

Like I said, that day went very smoothly. One admission was pretty cut and dry. The other was a pretty complicated wound and I was in the home for about 1.5 hours.

We do all of our admissions on paper, no laptops. When I do admits, I take in the chart and make all of my notes on a sheet of paper, assess, perform the skill, etc. I am paid per visit so I usually try to stay out of the office because I end up answering the phone, taking orders, talking to others, etc. I usually do all of my paperwork at home in the middle of the living room floor. The paperwork for an admission usually takes me about an hour per.

They all think I'm crazy at the office, but I actually prefer admissions. And, as I said, some days I may just see 4 patients and it's an all day and then some affair. Even though I'm paid per visit, I spend as much time as I need to. I always think "If this patient were a family member of mine, how would I want him treated?". Some days I don't make much and others I do very well so I figure it works out.

Ann

You sound like a great nurse. I too treat all people the same and give all that I can.

Thanks wenron, that was nice. It is hard to give sometimes though. We all have things that get to us with patients and try to grin and bear it. I guess it's when I come home that I take it out on my husband. LOL Poor guy, he's a saint. He once told me he never realized how crazy nurses were until he married me and started meeting my co-workers. I tell him you have to be a whole lot crazy to be able to do what we do!

Ann

LOL I agree....we are unique to be able to be nurses. Today I saw psych after psych after psych and was so zapped. My husband says he'd rather fight in a war then be a nurse.....and he is dead serious. :kiss

I've had days like that...on the road all day, and only seen 3 or 4 patients. And we only get paid by the visit. Admissions are 1.5 hours, IV's, central line care, ostomy care, G-tube feeds/teaching, major wound care usually 1 hour. Injections are coded for 30 min. unless we're teaching the patient (OF COURSE we're always teaching!! :D )

The office usually schedules us for about 8 hours a day. Of course, 8 hours of visits USUALLY takes a lot longer, but on a good day, it can get done in time that you make it home for supper. Mind, I'm USUALLY late for supper...we eat out, do takeout a lot!

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