I got my first job!!! But I am worried...

Specialties Home Health

Published

Hi everyone. I am a new nursing grad, and I feel very lucky to be accepted for a job at a home healthcare company only days after passing NCLEX. The company is located in Southern California and it has won the Healthcare Elite Top Agency award.

While I can see myself working there, I feel like I don't have enough information to make the two year commitment they wanted.

The 1st 3 months, I will be paid $30,000 a year. Then if things go well, the 4th month onwards, the pay increases to $40,000 a year.

I would really appreciate any comment anyone has about my situation. Furthermore, what questions should I ask the company before I make the commitment?

Thanks in advance for any responses!

Lina

Will they be training you?

What will the job entail?

I honestly don't think it's a good idea for a new grad (without prior experience) to be doing home health nursing. Whether or not you are assessing, changing wound dressings, administering IV antibiotics or administering insulin shots, these are easy tasks but requires a nurse's instincts.

If they are not training you, my best advice to give you is to make sure you have a good reference and malpractice insurance. These can save your behind.

Second, read all the policies and procedures things like who are you going to call, what are your orders... things like that.

Finally, don't sell yourself short. No matter how much you are getting paid, they are working your license. They will get paid with the same money whether or not they hire you as a new grad or not. You are risking your license and your agency is reeking the benefits. You cannot argue to the court later on that you were a new grad when you did those things. The people you are servicing assumes you know it already thus you should be paid appropriately.

Thank you so much!!:)

Yes, they will train me, coz I am brand new to home health care. The legal part of your comment is very helpful! They mentioned that they will cosign with me since i am a new grad.

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Congratulations on finding work. Just make sure you know all the details before committing. I am not sure I would take a job right now that said I had to sign on for 2 years, even if I were desperate. How long since you finished school? How long did you search? Have you checked out other options? Nursing homes and psychiatric places often hire new grads, have you looked at those types of jobs?

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

I am very surprised that a home health agency would hire a new grad. The phone might be there, but when you're in someone's house, you're basically on your own. Did they say how much training they would give you? Will you be paired up with a co-worker until you feel comfortable on your own?

The salary seems low even by East Coast standards.

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Specializes in Medical Surgical Orthopedic.

That is way too low. What makes it even more horrible is that you have to sign a contract for years! The new grads I work with make $30 + OT after 8 hours (for a 12 hour shift). It's in acute care, but that's still a huge difference.

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I don't work in CA but the pay sounds low to me too.

I'd make sure to understand exactly what "if things go well" means and that you get that bump in pay to $40K in writing.

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Specializes in telemetry.

Salary.com site indicates that home care nurses make $62,000 - $93,000 annually in Anaheim, Ca. I have also seen statistics about how difficult it is for a new grad to find employment, so this is a factor to consider. It is highly suggested to work med/surg initially to strengthen your skills base and then venture out to other areas of nursing. Give salary.com a look- it is a good starting point. I have been a RN 23 years and am making about $80,000 yearly (36 hour work week) in Fort Worth Texas.

Salary.com Salary Wizard- Do you know what you're worth?

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In Texas we get paid by the visit, depending what type of visit it is. I made $30,000 in 6 months but I put 10,000 miles on my car. I had to pay for gas, my own phone, my computer and paper to fill out all of the much dreaded paperwork. Plus that was a lot of hours because the paperwork is extensive. I did it for my first job and am glad I did. You get to see and deal with a lot of different cases but 6 months was all I could handle.

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Bunny99, what did you end up doing?

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Specializes in Home health.

Do you mind saying what area you will be covering? And did you accept the job? I am going through the training this week and starting seeing my own patients next week. I get paid per visit as well, so I am not sure how they came up with such low salary? Or how many patients they have you take?

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I did the same thing in Phoenix AZ, but got paid $22/hour to start. They had a "new grad" program and you shadowed the existing RN until you were comfortable on your own. You detail that there is training and support so don't worry. In this job you get to have quality time with your patients and that is very rewarding. After 6 months, I got a job in acute care and hated it. Looking to get back into hospice, HH, DDD I now get offered $30-35 \ hour..... in Phoenix.

I have found that all positions outside the acute care setting advertise benefits, yet when you look at whats offered its a scam. Its a "limited plan": you pay in weekly an extravagant amount and can only claim a maximum of 5 doctors visits a year, nothing else. That's it! So basically the company makes money on you.

If you cant get anything else, as is the norm in this market, take the job and get something on your resume: It is rewarding, you learn a lot, there is support, but your pay is low. After 6 months to a year, move on. HH is the future of nursing, see "hospital at home", the future is not in hospitals. www.hospitalathome.org/

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Specializes in Home Health, MS, Oncology, Case Manageme.

I haven't heard about Hospital at Home. Frodo-dog would you like to start a topic about it so others won't miss it?

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Congratulations on finding work. Just make sure you know all the details before committing. I am not sure I would take a job right now that said I had to sign on for 2 years, even if I were desperate. How long since you finished school? How long did you search? Have you checked out other options? Nursing homes and psychiatric places often hire new grads, have you looked at those types of jobs?

I graduated in Dec. I haven't really looked for a job. I am still trying to decide if i should take this job.

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