Insight into home health

Specialties Home Health

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Hello everyone, I have been an RN for 15 years in a hospital setting in various specialties. I am getting burnt out with the hospital and am thinking about going into home health. I would like some feed back from those of you that are already working in HH. Pros and Cons. I don't mind driving in fact I drive 80 miles round trip now, I am tired of not having time with my patients and thought with this field I could spend time and give good nursing care. Also any questions I should ask when applying for a position, in the event I go this route.

Thanks,

Char

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

i agree with you, that in new york, lpns get paid better in home care than in hospitals. i have a private case on saturdays that pays $250 for 10 hours, and if i had taken both days of the weekend, it would only be $100 less than what i bring home from the hospital in two weeks. in the hospital that i work for, i do have many deductions such as ira, credit union, union dues and insurance, however, i am less stressed and can put more time into my one client and really feel that i contributed to their holistic care.

hi all.

i just wanted to perhaps clear up a few things for people reading this that may are thinking about home health. even i was getting confused reading some threads as it seems some of us have very different roles/jobs and different experiences as far as pay, mileage also.

1. in home care there is shift work where you are caring for 1 pt. in home for 8-12 hrs. there is also what i do, visiting nurse and thats going from pt. to pt. depending on where you live the amt. of pt's you see in a day varies. that job can also be different depending on where you live and what type of program your patients are on. most pt's are on an acute type program and require things like dsg. changes, lab draws, iv meds, foley changes, etc. i work for a chronic program and we see little of this although it does happen once in a while. our pt's stay on our program for years until they die or transfer to facility.

2. in rural areas it seems that the mileage can run quite high over 100-150 per day? i put about 10-30 miles on my car per day. i live right outside a major city

3. pay. i have read that people say its low in home health. mayve true in some areas. in ny they actually pay higher in home health than they do in the hospital. i work for a hospital based home health agency. i f right this minute i decided to transfer to a hosp. position, i would lose about 10-14,000 per year!

anyway, most of this info i got from reading theses boards, from all of you, please correct me if i am wrong.

i just thought this might help anyone looking to change.:smiletea2:

beez

0 Votes
Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

I am trying to make the leap from the world of LTC to Home Health Nursing...I used to work for a home health agency 20 years ago. Back then, one nurse would stay with one patient for a 4 or 8 hour shift. These days, at least where I live, those cases are few and far between. Now it's seeing 5-6 different patients a day.

I'm hoping I can take my years of experience in LTC and be successful in HH.

The sad thing is....go to any one of the forums here....seems mostly no one is happy with their nursing job...still underpaid, overworked, over regulated.....will it ever change?

0 Votes
Specializes in Lie detection.
i am trying to make the leap from the world of ltc to home health nursing...i used to work for a home health agency 20 years ago. back then, one nurse would stay with one patient for a 4 or 8 hour shift. these days, at least where i live, those cases are few and far between. now it's seeing 5-6 different patients a day.

i'm hoping i can take my years of experience in ltc and be successful in hh.

the sad thing is....go to any one of the forums here....seems mostly no one is happy with their nursing job...still underpaid, overworked, over regulated.....will it ever change?

i,m not unhappy with my job, i just don't love it. i like it and there are times when i really enjoy what i do but i don't love it... i guess i just feel that way about working right now in general:lol2:

the charting sucks but other than that i'm not too overworked and i make decent money. i am an rn in ny area with salary in the 80's. i can deal with that.

but yes it is sad to see so many unhappy nurses, you think those in charge would get a clue and try and make us happy/content and keep us!!!

beez

0 Votes

I absolutely love my home health job!!! I have worked in a hospital, ltc facility, and in a surgeon's office. I am fortunate enough to have long shifts, I stay in one home for the day. The one on one is the most rewarding part. I have had a few 1 hour visits here and there, they look so forward to you coming. We shared books, movies , gossip. One Saturday morning I had to do a visit, so I made the family pancakes and eggs and brought it for breakfast, you would have thought I gave them a million dollars!! So appreciative of everything you do. I do not ever plan to work in a hospital again!!!!

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