LTC to Home Health

caliotter3 · Feb 16, 2007

My first home hlth job was one where I happened to walk in the door at the right time. I was hired for a specific case. It helped that I was working toward my BSN. Later on, in a different area, I was literally hired off the street, because they were new in the area, just starting up with new cases that they needed to staff so anybody with a pulse, and an active license was hired. I loved this agency and the way they did things at first. On the other hand, I have gone to another agency in the same area, that has long been established, who take great pride in how "picky" they are about how they choose workers, yet their business practices leave something to be desired. Just keep applying to different agencies until you find one that needs you. Also, do not forget, to look at the want ads in the paper, for private duty home care cases. Good luck.

Cattitude · Feb 16, 2007

i want to change from ltc to home health. i am tired of the nonsense. i have put in several applications with no success as of yet. i am not giving up, as there are many places that i have not put in my application yet. has anyone had difficulty making the switch? is there extreme difficulty making the switch? i really need to know.

are you looking for visiting nurse type home health or the one pt./stay in home for whole shift type?

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[color=#483d8b]i think it took about 6 months or so for me too get used to working hh. i previously worked night in icu so it was quite a change. now after 4 yrs, it's become a part of who i am, i would probably never go back to bedside i kind of felt like a robot in the hospital. i have much more autonomy now and use my brain more too . i get to use all myassessment skills and a lot of psychosocial skills as well. half the time i have to wonder whether i'm their nurse or their therapist? :clown:

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[color=#483d8b]anyway, keep hitting the pavement, hh has lots of shortages where i am, i can't imagine you'll be looking for work too much longer. good luck!!

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cathy54 · Feb 17, 2007

Thank You for the encouragement. I don't know what kind of situation I will be comfortable with. I will put more applications in on Monday. Should I be studying anything special in the mean time?

caliotter3 · Feb 18, 2007

The written tests I took at the agencies I worked for were basic: insulin, lasix, a couple of drugs for AIDS (got me there), basic drug calcs. You might be asked to look over the ?s you miss. If you don't pass, you can ask to retake the test. Some places will have tests for specialty areas like peds. Just go over some basic stuff from your NCLEX prep book. You will also be asked to fill out some self eval forms on your skills, covering all the basic stuff, like assess of the body systems, IV skills, different procedures. They usually ask you to rate your experience, ability on a scale. No one has ever even discussed this w/me during annual job evals. I think they just do the forms to put in your folder so that the answer is "yes, employee evaluated". Don't worry about any of these. Your experience as an RN is what they are concerned with. Good luck.

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Feb 18, 2007

I've just made the leap myself from LTC to home health. I was hired by the first agency I applied at...on the spot...How much experience do you have? I've been a nurse for a long time and in management for the past 11 years.

Am I nervous?? You bet. I'm used to working in one building with the same staff and a stable patient load. Am I excited? You bet. Orientation starts on Tuesday and I can't wait.

There are books and courses (Western Schools has at least one 30 hour CEU class) on home health nursing. From the little I know about it, it helps to be really well organized and also it helps to have really good assessment skills.

Keep us posted on your progress.

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Mar 3, 2007

Here's the update on MY progress.....I am thinking that home health care is not for me. I don't know if it's because I spent so many years in facilities where everything was available and there were rules or because I'm just not grooving on being alone most of the day (yeah sure there are patients but you can't shoot the breeze with them like you can with co-workers. I already have an interview scheduled for this week with a different kind of nursing and am feeling guilty about leaving the HH agency...stupid huh?

Cattitude · Mar 4, 2007

here's the update on my progress.....i am thinking that home health care is not for me. i don't know if it's because i spent so many years in facilities where everything was available and there were rules or because i'm just not grooving on being alone most of the day (yeah sure there are patients but you can't shoot the breeze with them like you can with co-workers. i already have an interview scheduled for this week with a different kind of nursing and am feeling guilty about leaving the hh agency...stupid huh?

everything is not for everybody if that makes any sense :wink2: . i too had to get used to being alone but i have the kind of pt's that i can "shoot the breeze" with though it's not the same as having coworkers around.

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[color=#483d8b]then i remembered the hectic pace of bedside nursing at a level 1 hospital. we nere had that much time for gabbing anyway! and i don't want to give up the extra 10,000 per year that my hh agency pays me either.

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[color=#483d8b]but to each their own and you have to be happy. that's what is most important. is your old job still available? or will you start fresh somewhere new?

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[color=#483d8b]good luck in whatever you do.

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