I start home health Thursday!!!

Specialties Home Health

Published

Hey everyone!

Well, I finally did it, I put in my 2 weeks notice at my current job, and I start my new home health job this Thursday!! I'm terribly excited and nervous, but I don't think it can be any worse than my job now!!!!! Anyway, just wanted to let y'all know another home health nurse has joined the ranks! Wish me luck!!!!!!

-Colette

Specializes in ICU, SDU, OR, RR, Ortho, Hospice RN.

hi

i agree with edgeow's post.

never put anything on the floor sit your stuff in an area you can clean but put a blue pad down and then lay your things down.

in home health you are going to see a vast spectrum of living conditions etc

even those that live in areas that are not what we would consider homes need our love and care more than anything.

don't let the critters or bugs sway your judgemen of these people. sometimes their situation is not of their choosing.

do not let bugs put you off reaching out to these people. just don't take anything in to the home that these bugs etc can climb into.

i pray you step back a little before making a hasty decision about leaving. :)

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terrific! Welcome to home care. Once you learn the OASIS documentation you will be fine! Don't get discouraged even though it is lengthy. You'll learn it and then it will be a breeze!

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

NOTHING in this business is a breeze. We get told one thing in orientation and then a whole different thing happens back at the office.

I am technically a case manager...trouble is they gave me bunches of patients without teaching me diddly about being a case manager. Then I just start to get the hang of it they start loading up the patients. My boss told the scheduler to stop giving me new patients. That lasted 2 days.

Then, I fell in a patient's yard and wrenched my shoulder. I was told by occupational health that I couldn't go back to work for a while. OKAY so I'm in the office working on audits. I looked at my email and they keep assigning me patients! So that'd be not so bad, but these people are really sick and I am getting messages from the floats that I 'have to get right out there tomorrow' to deal with what ever is wrong. One nurse called me about a patient whom I saw ONCE then she got deassigned from me to someone else then 2 days later reassigned. The float wanted me to call the doctor because the meds the lady has in her house aren't matching up what's on the med sheet. Hello...I can't go to her house...I am so frustrated by all this. I sent my team leader an email..she says she hardly ever even looks at her email...and I am looking very hard for another job.

Sorry for the long vent, but I don't like being told one thing only to have the truth be something very different. AND my shoulder hurts and I'm getting cranky!:madface:

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Hi Paravell,

So how did your Thursday go?

I work in the Hospice field now after working in Home Care for 2 yrs.. I loved it and loved the fact that my 'office' is forever changing depending on where I am driving. Love love love it.. :)

Enjoy the change in your career. I bet you are smiling huh? :)

Wow, I really need to check back here more often! I missed out on 2 whole pages of messages!! So, I've been doing homehealth for about 2-3 months now, and I am liking it so far. I can tell the company I work for does have some problems, but as far as taking care of the patients, I'm loving that aspect of it! I love going into a pt's home, being able to help them in there day to day life, having them warm up to me (well, MOST of them. There is the guy who barely says a word for me and throws his word finder book across the room when I have to do his wound care) I love being out of the hospital and being back on a "normal" schedule. All that being said, I am finding myself working longer hours than I did at the hospital, and not being paid as much for my hours!!!! I'm slowly getting faster at the paperwork, but it seems that it just keeps piling up on my desk, with no end in sight! But, I guess everyone has to have SOMETHING to complain about :) I could almost see myself being in a management position at a home health agency, because I can see what I would do as opposed to some of the things I see now. But for now, I'm content, I still get to keep up my iv skills with lots of lab draws, and learning lots too! (so much teaching!!!) I am not sure if this is will be the niche I was looking for in nursing, but I've only been a nurse for 2 years (and only working as one for about a year) so I really don't know what I want!

That was a really long paragraph!

For everyone who has had interviews, good luck, and don't despair- job hunting is the worst, but it all is worth it when you find a job you are satisfied with!

For all those experienced hh nurses that have replied to this thread, thank you thank you thank you!

For all those considering home health, it is nursing at it's core. Have a great night everyone!!!

:smiley_aa :smiley_aa :smiley_aa

And yay for today, it's my little boy's first bday!!! :)

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Specializes in Tele, Resp, CCU.

Hello, I have read all of these messages and am very inspired. I go for an interview tomorrow at a local vna. The woman who called briefly mentioned a 'job in case management'. So I'm not sure what exactly that means--if that is different than a hh nurse. Any thoughts? I'll find out tomorrow but if anyone has any hints. tips, or other words of wisdom before I go would be MOST appreciated.

PS I have been a hospital/travel nurse for 11 years in med/surg/tele/ccu and am soooooo.... tired of the politics and bs that puts me and my license at risk. I actually thought about quitting nursing a few months ago but decided not to let the turkeys get me down! Looking for a GOOD change. :yeah: Thanks all, ....justwannacraft,CathyM

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

Case Management with the VNA means you have your case load of patients and you manage their care...you oversee most everything and are the 'go to' person if there is a problem.

It differs from being a 'float' nurse who sees patients today and 5 different ones tomorrow.

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Specializes in Tele, Resp, CCU.

Thanks 'Capecod' (Love it there by the way!).

I'm not sure if that's good or not. I like being with the pts but I' thinking that would be good too. I'm a good problem solver and I like working independantly. Oh well we'll see tomorrow. I will post with the results of the interview. I need this job! I will get this job and it will be a good one.

cathy

ps How is your job going? I thought I read that you had a few 'bumps' in your change to HH or are you in case mngt too?

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

I had a huge 'bump'. I fell in a patient's yard, wrenched my shoulder and have been on modified (read sitting in the office) duty. After 5 weeks they finally assigned my patients to another case manager. I have at least 2 more weeks of modified before the doc will let me go back in the field.

I am going to switch to being a float...go see 5 or 6 patients a day and be done with it till the next day. Case managers don't make any more money than floats and have much more responsibilities.

Good luck with your interview.

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Specializes in Tele, Resp, CCU.

hello

had interview today--almost 2 hours. the job was for a 'case manager', who at this vna is also the 'hh nurse'. they have a case load of about 35 that they manage (ie: admit, insurance issues, arrange therapies,etc) and visit (5-6 pts daily) monday-friday and q3-4th weekend, to do ? what have you--dsgs, iv,txs, etc.

it all sounded good. almost everyone that worked there she said had been working there 5,10,15 years and more. that counts for something. and the orientation (oasis included) is about 3 months. (i know nothing about insurance,medi-care/caid-so i would need that aspect esp.) my ins is 75/25%, typical accrued time for vacations, etc.

then she asked me about pay--what i was used to, etc. my last floor nurse job--reg staff, i got close to 29/hr (11 year/night shift/weekend included). she said,"well you know home care gets notoriously less than the hospital--but we try to be competitive" she said they start at 'around' $20/hr. (i'm thinking 'i hope my jaw didn't just hit the floor'.)

but that could be increased 'a little' for experience and 'elevated' by gas allowance (47 cts/mi) and on call pay (which i would have to do on rotating basis). i would have made more at the dr's office i applied for. (my son would make more at the toll booth job he applied for!)

in the mean time my traveler recruiter calls with a job for 32/hr!!! (free ins from day one/free housing)

oh boy. i do want to be home but i need the money. the only thing is that if i travel i am back here in this spot in 13 wks again. i can't do the whole job hunting thing again! and i haven't completely resigned myself to being a life-traveler.

i'm in new england! shouldn't the pay be higher? i saw on a job pay site that it was much higher. any thoughts?? she said she'd call me later in the week. and if they called me back i would have another interview with the super that had to be out in the field today d/t a call out.

thanks for letting me rant.

i know being home and not dealing with hospital politics is worth it's weight in gold--but does it have to be from my pay check? cathym

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Specializes in Tele, Resp, CCU.

ps capecod, i hope your shoulder is getting better. and that all works out well for your job.

[color=#a0522d] cathym

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

CatJMosesRN

$20/hr for a case manager sounds mighty low to me. I know that the nurses where I work were started at more than that. The nursing homes around here are paying more than that for an RN. Good luck and thanks, I am on the mend.

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