I have failed as an HH nurse

nursebailey · Apr 25, 2003

Today, i did the unthinkable. I had to take a job at a nursing home for a whopping $15hr. I was amking about $1200 a week. My so called wonderful independent nursing buisness is about dead. I had 2 clients that i bragged about earlier, 1 was a 29 year old that been in a comma for the past 13 years, he was my main income. He died last week. Now, with the 8 year old I care for, she is only left with 8 hrs a week. I can't live on $312 a week. Can you believe a HH agency pays this girl's mother to look after her, doing so, eats up all the available hrs.. Must be nice to get paid for sleeping..

I am on my 5 th day of no gainful employment. I have done everything everybody advised me to do and still..nothing, no bites. With all the new privacy laws, the patients now have to contact me

I have sent out flyers, biz cards, called about everybody in the phonebook, talked with doc pals, with no success. Everybody just tells me they will give out my information. They can't give me the patients names or phone numbers but can tell the patients to call me. There are hundreds of patients, but they have to call me. Most think they can't fire their worthless Pool agency..

Carestar, who is the "overlooker" of all the people that needs HH, says the same thing, add me to the data base or forward my info.. I can't live on maybe.. Im glad and sorry that I only did this for 2 months...I loved it, I will continue to fight, but Im about beat.. Thank You all for the advise..I will survive..hopefully..Brenda

katscan · Apr 25, 2003

You said you have sent out flyers etc to people you kow-how about people you do not know? You are startng a small business, and you must think as a businesswoman, not as a nurse for the time being . You must get your name in front of everyone in your town. Leave cards in restaurant jars, and on bulletin boards at the supermarket. When my husband and I were starting out and building a veterinary clinic, we put flyers on cars. How about advertizing in your towns paper and the little "local" papers for the surrounding towns. There are books on this subject and you are not wasting time reading them. You may have to take out a small business loan to cover expenses, but heck, you are a small business. You will pay it back and it is a good investment.Use your time off wisely to invest in and learn about advertizing plans. You have to get the word out!! How about your women's business associations and professional associations. The service orgs in your community-Elks, Masons etc?. Many of them are older and may actually need your services or know of someone who does. You have to be creative here-how about your school nurses and the head of the PTO? I am a school nurse with access to many parents. If someone askd me about home health, I would not hesitate to give out your name... One never knows from where or whom a referral may originate. You said they have to call you-fine-but they have to know who to call in the first place. Some of the professions are now using cupons and there are little newsletters that you can be in for a fee. How about calling the papers and having the current events editor do a feature? You are a small business opening and it is news.Most of all roll up your sleeves and give it a good fight. do not give up.!! Maybe relatives and friends can help also. Best of luck!

katscan · Apr 25, 2003

You said you have sent out flyers etc to people you kow-how about people you do not know? You are startng a small business, and you must think as a businesswoman, not as a nurse for the time being . You must get your name in front of everyone in your town. Leave cards in restaurant jars, and on bulletin boards at the supermarket. When my husband and I were starting out and building a veterinary clinic, we put flyers on cars. How about advertizing in your towns paper and the little "local" papers for the surrounding towns. There are books on this subject and you are not wasting time reading them. You may have to take out a small business loan to cover expenses, but heck, you are a small business. You will pay it back and it is a good investment.Use your time off wisely to invest in and learn about advertizing plans. You have to get the word out!! How about your women's business associations and professional associations. The service orgs in your community-Elks, Masons etc?. Many of them are older and may actually need your services or know of someone who does. You have to be creative here-how about your school nurses and the head of the PTO? I am a school nurse with access to many parents. If someone askd me about home health, I would not hesitate to give out your name... One never knows from where or whom a referral may originate. You said they have to call you-fine-but they have to know who to call in the first place. Some of the professions are now using cupons and there are little newsletters that you can be in for a fee. How about calling the papers and having the current events editor do a feature? You are a small business opening and it is news.Most of all roll up your sleeves and give it a good fight. do not give up.!! Maybe relatives and friends can help also. Best of luck!

JNJ · Apr 25, 2003

Nursebailey:

Please do not give up - the nursing world is so very much in need of independent nurses. This cycle will change and you will be back in business again. Read the reply you have already had carefully - it was full of great ideas.

Get a basic business card printed with something simple after your name such as "Amanda Bailey Licensed Practical Nurse (LVN) - experienced in the care of your loved ones at home.

Call for free in-home consultation. References available"

HIPAA does not mean you cannot advertise.

And please do not complain about a mother being paid to look after her sick child. We do not make ourselves more or better by standing on someone else. This mother must be entitled to these care $. By all means fight for what you want/need, but not by putting someone else down.

I practice in a similar line of work to yourself. I mainly work with Medi-Cal patients at home. Have you tried contacting a senior supervisor type person at your State's Medicaid offices. They may be able to help you by giving your name to a patient needing more/different nurses.

Also, as you have peds. experience, have you tried to get into that huge informal network of mothers of sick children that exists throughout the USA? Have you asked the mother of the child you still have 8 hours with about networking for you? Have you asked the Regional Center for help finding a client - they are always contacting me saying they have more clients than nurses in SoCal.

Just keep on keeping on and please take heart and do not give up. This too shall pass and you will regain your former position, and with a little wisdom gained too. Good Luck.

JNJ · Apr 25, 2003

Nursebailey:

Please do not give up - the nursing world is so very much in need of independent nurses. This cycle will change and you will be back in business again. Read the reply you have already had carefully - it was full of great ideas.

Get a basic business card printed with something simple after your name such as "Amanda Bailey Licensed Practical Nurse (LVN) - experienced in the care of your loved ones at home.

Call for free in-home consultation. References available"

HIPAA does not mean you cannot advertise.

And please do not complain about a mother being paid to look after her sick child. We do not make ourselves more or better by standing on someone else. This mother must be entitled to these care $. By all means fight for what you want/need, but not by putting someone else down.

I practice in a similar line of work to yourself. I mainly work with Medi-Cal patients at home. Have you tried contacting a senior supervisor type person at your State's Medicaid offices. They may be able to help you by giving your name to a patient needing more/different nurses.

Also, as you have peds. experience, have you tried to get into that huge informal network of mothers of sick children that exists throughout the USA? Have you asked the mother of the child you still have 8 hours with about networking for you? Have you asked the Regional Center for help finding a client - they are always contacting me saying they have more clients than nurses in SoCal.

Just keep on keeping on and please take heart and do not give up. This too shall pass and you will regain your former position, and with a little wisdom gained too. Good Luck.

nightingale, RN · Apr 26, 2003

Originally posted by JNJ
Nursebailey:
Please do not give up - the nursing world is so very much in need of independent nurses. This cycle will change and you will be back in business again. Read the reply you have already had carefully - it was full of great ideas.

Get a basic business card printed with something simple after your name such as "Amanda Bailey Licensed Practical Nurse (LVN) - experienced in the care of your loved ones at home.

Call for free in-home consultation. References available"

HIPAA does not mean you cannot advertise.

And please do not complain about a mother being paid to look after her sick child. We do not make ourselves more or better by standing on someone else. This mother must be entitled to these care $. By all means fight for what you want/need, but not by putting someone else down.

I practice in a similar line of work to yourself. I mainly work with Medi-Cal patients at home. Have you tried contacting a senior supervisor type person at your State's Medicaid offices. They may be able to help you by giving your name to a patient needing more/different nurses.

Also, as you have peds. experience, have you tried to get into that huge informal network of mothers of sick children that exists throughout the USA? Have you asked the mother of the child you still have 8 hours with about networking for you? Have you asked the Regional Center for help finding a client - they are always contacting me saying they have more clients than nurses in SoCal.

Just keep on keeping on and please take heart and do not give up. This too shall pass and you will regain your former position, and with a little wisdom gained too. Good Luck.

Great advice JNJ...

nightingale, RN · Apr 26, 2003

Originally posted by JNJ
Nursebailey:
Please do not give up - the nursing world is so very much in need of independent nurses. This cycle will change and you will be back in business again. Read the reply you have already had carefully - it was full of great ideas.

Get a basic business card printed with something simple after your name such as "Amanda Bailey Licensed Practical Nurse (LVN) - experienced in the care of your loved ones at home.

Call for free in-home consultation. References available"

HIPAA does not mean you cannot advertise.

And please do not complain about a mother being paid to look after her sick child. We do not make ourselves more or better by standing on someone else. This mother must be entitled to these care $. By all means fight for what you want/need, but not by putting someone else down.

I practice in a similar line of work to yourself. I mainly work with Medi-Cal patients at home. Have you tried contacting a senior supervisor type person at your State's Medicaid offices. They may be able to help you by giving your name to a patient needing more/different nurses.

Also, as you have peds. experience, have you tried to get into that huge informal network of mothers of sick children that exists throughout the USA? Have you asked the mother of the child you still have 8 hours with about networking for you? Have you asked the Regional Center for help finding a client - they are always contacting me saying they have more clients than nurses in SoCal.

Just keep on keeping on and please take heart and do not give up. This too shall pass and you will regain your former position, and with a little wisdom gained too. Good Luck.

Great advice JNJ...

hoolahan, ASN, RN · Apr 26, 2003

What about taking the hospital case managers out to lunch?? They will be a good source of referrals. Who do you make refrrals to? Give them your cards, and you take theirs.

Agree w advertising in local little papers. Also, give a lecture to seniors in a senior center, offer free BP and blood sugar check, they LOVE getting their BP checked for free. The give out your cards to them, esp in the senior buildings. Go visit and check out the buzzer list to get buzzed into the building. Note how the partments are set-up, then you can mail fliers to Resident at the address, apt # whatever. Not suggesting you write down everyname, just so you can see are apts set up as 101-110 or 1-a 1-b etc...so you can mail to the residents.

There is NO shame in supporting yourself if you don't have enough indpendent work, but don't give up your dream altogether. Keep plugging. Keep networking.

hoolahan, ASN, RN · Apr 26, 2003

What about taking the hospital case managers out to lunch?? They will be a good source of referrals. Who do you make refrrals to? Give them your cards, and you take theirs.

Agree w advertising in local little papers. Also, give a lecture to seniors in a senior center, offer free BP and blood sugar check, they LOVE getting their BP checked for free. The give out your cards to them, esp in the senior buildings. Go visit and check out the buzzer list to get buzzed into the building. Note how the partments are set-up, then you can mail fliers to Resident at the address, apt # whatever. Not suggesting you write down everyname, just so you can see are apts set up as 101-110 or 1-a 1-b etc...so you can mail to the residents.

There is NO shame in supporting yourself if you don't have enough indpendent work, but don't give up your dream altogether. Keep plugging. Keep networking.

nightingale, RN · Apr 27, 2003

Above all... DO NOT GIVE UP!

nightingale, RN · Apr 27, 2003

Above all... DO NOT GIVE UP!