Home health oncology

[timsalive]

Has anyone heard of home health oncology nursing? I have recently gotten certified in oncology and have floated many times to our adult oncology floor. I keep thinking that there should be the opportunity to be in people's homes somehow setting them up for chemo there instead of at the hospital. I thought this would be a cost saving for insurance but I could be wrong. Any and all thoughts are welcomed!

[paradiseboundRN]

Every agency takes oncology cases. However, the hospital affiliated agencies probably get the most because the patients have been recently hospitalized and its easy to refer them to their own agency. I don't know that an agency would limit itself to oncology because they usually want all the cases they can get. Many of the patients that need home care are oncology patients of one type or another. Agencies love to hire oncology nurses because you are familiar with accessing/deaccessing ports, PleurX and a number of other related clinical skills. But , if you started at a home care agency you wouldn't get exclusively oncology patients, unless you are contingent and that is the agreement.

[paradiseboundRN]

After re-reading my first post, I don't think I answered your question. I want to add that in order to qualify for home care the patient needs to be home bound. Often times oncology patients are not homebound and don't need home care until later in their illness. When they start chemo, they are able to go to the chemo clinic and be educated by the oncology nurses there. Also, they should have their first doses of chemo at the chemo clinic or hospital where they are more prepared for serious reactions.