How long does it take to "get" OASIS?

Specialties Home Health Nursing Q/A

I'm applying now for a position (either travel, or regular - have to see how things work out) in home health, as RN. I've got 9 months experience in home health (but no OASIS training) in my most recent travel nurse contract.

 Question: how long does it take to become competent in OASIS? 

I did an online course by rctclearn.net (10 modules, took me about a weekend) on OASIS, which was good prep, but I'll need on-the-job training, of course. 

I'm applying for travel nurse job in HH, with the understanding that I'll accept a lower pay package in exchange for some more training in Oasis. (Nope, I'm not at all sure that a hiring manager will go for that idea.)  How many on-the-job days preceptorship do you think I'll need with OASIS?

Alternately, I'll just apply for a standard HH job and get real orientation. At that point, how long should I expect to be swamped and stupefied by OASIS, vs feeling that I'm on top of things?

Thanks! 

10 Answers

Specializes in Home Health.

As a manager who hires travel nurses I would expect you to have a good knowledge of oasis to travel, I think with a good training program in about 1 year you should have a good grasp of oasis but the thing about oasis is that as soon as you figure it out they change it…

Specializes in ICU, Research, Corrections.
bryn said:

I never knew there was such a thing as a training program for Oasis. I just had to "figure it out" as I went. LOL

Yeah, me too. Another RN sat in the same room with me when I did my first start of care and then it was on me. I would say I really struggled for my first 20 hours of charting and then it gradually became easier.

Specializes in retired LTC.

And I would venture that their documentation is of a better caliber to capture all those fine nuance factors for max reimbursement.

Sad that such a little upfront effort could so easily reap such positive benefits for all. Mark of a good employer. 

Specializes in Cardiac, ER.
On 6/30/2021 at 3:33 PM, allthesmallthings said:

I'm applying now for a position (either travel, or regular - have to see how things work out) in home health, as RN. I've got 9 months experience in home health (but no OASIS training) in my most recent travel nurse contract.

 Question: how long does it take to become competent in OASIS? 

I did an online course by rctclearn.net (10 modules, took me about a weekend) on OASIS, which was good prep, but I'll need on-the-job training, of course. 

I'm applying for travel nurse job in HH, with the understanding that I'll accept a lower pay package in exchange for some more training in Oasis. (Nope, I'm not at all sure that a hiring manager will go for that idea.)  How many on-the-job days preceptorship do you think I'll need with OASIS?

Alternately, I'll just apply for a standard HH job and get real orientation. At that point, how long should I expect to be swamped and stupefied by OASIS, vs feeling that I'm on top of things?

Thanks! 

Ha! I have been doing OASIS for six plus years. All the sudden, in last six months, when my company's STAR ratings go low, I have been doing EVERYTHING wrong! Get tons of returned corrections that I do not agree with and have never gotten before. Rating people "dependent" in toileting ONLY because they rate their pain 7/10.  Even had to go through "remedial training," though I am a preceptor. Verges on Medicare fraud, IMO. Trying to make patients look like they are worse in the SOC, only to get higher STAR ratings, or more pay. I can't tell which. Possibly both. 

Depends on the company, I guess. Frankly, I am very disappointed in mine. As is apparent. Looking elsewhere. 

7 hours ago, fromtheheartRN said:

Ha! I have been doing OASIS for six plus years. All the sudden, in last six months, when my company's STAR ratings go low, I have been doing EVERYTHING wrong! Get tons of returned corrections that I do not agree with and have never gotten before. Rating people "dependent" in toileting ONLY because they rate their pain 7/10.  Even had to go through "remedial training," though I am a preceptor. Verges on Medicare fraud, IMO. Trying to make patients look like they are worse in the SOC, only to get higher STAR ratings, or more pay. I can't tell which. Possibly both. 

Depends on the company, I guess. Frankly, I am very disappointed in mine. As is apparent. Looking elsewhere. 

Oh, gosh. Hmm. Makes me think of one RN case manager that I knew, who very earnestly told me that she "has to" rate her patients as dependent in ALL fields (not just the fields they actually are dependent in). The reason? "We [the HHA] have to show improvement [which obviously, you can't do if they're not dependent to begin with]."  

I asked why she couldn't just rate Pts correctly - she just repeated, "We have to do this."  Yeah, I was thinking, "Medicare Fraud!" And that someone had trained her wrong, or that management was giving her bad direction.

Specializes in New to home health.

Can anyone recommend titles of some good home care books for guidance? Newbie to Home health and Oasis charting system. I’ve been a Nurse over 25 yrs but was ready for new challenge. Also what are some of the best online training Safire Oasis? Thanks, TG

Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

Should I buy my own OASIS training? - Decision Health and OASIS Answers offer education courses and manuals  much cheaper than that and offerseparate certification -best to take after 6-12 mo experience...

Specializes in retired LTC.

HHH - "Just when you build a better mouse trap, along comes smarter rats".

Specializes in Oncology, Pediatric HH/Private Duty Nursing.

I never knew there was such a thing as a training program for Oasis. I just had to "figure it out" as I went. LOL

Hoozdo said:

Yeah, me too. Another RN sat in the same room with me when I did my first start of care and then it was on me. I would say I really struggled for my first 20 hours of charting and then it gradually became easier.

Thank you all. Yeah, I guess I lucked out with the job I just got (Accent Care).. They've got a great training program, with an actual Oasis class, and preceptorship for RN case managers doing Oasis cases. 

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