Home Health- Pay per Hour or Pay Per Visit?

[Claire1398]

Hi all! I am a nurse who's dipping her toes in home care and need some advice on the two different salary types: Pay hourly vs. pay per visit. Just as an FYI I live in a rural area of Florida wherein I will most likely be traveling long distance from patient to patient. I got an offer for a job that pays hourly M-F 8 hour days, 5-6 patients per day. However I am also entertaining another home care agency that pays per visit. What are the pros and cons of each considering my location/travel time? Which would be better financially? Please help, I need advice!

[Ludwig Pan Needhoven]

Hello,

I'm an LPN with 10+ years in HH with different agencies and different pay structures. I have practiced exclusively in the mid west including rural areas.  I have been on pay per visit once for just a few months and for me, it wasn't a good option at all. While on pay per visit, I received $6 more per visit than my hourly pay. That extra $6 never payed for the drive time, making phone calls, communicating with office and other disciplines, etc. Furthermore, I always had to fight to get an extra visit pay for patients that would take over 1.5 hours such as patients with wound vacs with multiple wounds and Picc lines. I would be there for at least 1.5 hours and then I'd have to drop of a specimen at the lab. Last not least, pay per visit did not pay me for missed visits, so you can easily spend 30-45 minutes without reimbursement.  I cannot tell you what is best for you, but I encourage you to gather as much info as possible and talk to some local HH nurses.