May accept home health position..

Nurses General Nursing

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I just interviewed for a home health position, I was offered the job, but I am worried about loosing my clinical skills. I have med surg and er backgrounds. Home health seems really exciting, but I am worried that if I dont like it, I will have a hard time getting hired back into the hospital. Is there anyone out there with any pros or cons on home health that can hekp me, I am trying to decide what to do?:nurse:

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With an ER background your assessment skills will be awesome, and you will be a choice catch for any agency. I was in the ER 19 years before I jumped ship for home health last year, and I love it. You could easily get hired back into an ER if you don't like HH, but you may be surprised. HH is a specialty all unto itself, and it's incredible!

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It sounds like you really love home health. Is there any cons to it? Do you ever miss hospital nursing? Do you think you loose your skill in certain areas?

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You'll lose certain skills, or rather you'll become rusty, but you learn so many other skills. It's a challenge teaching a family member how to manage a CADD pump, or other IV pump. In the hospital setting we give the impression "Touch this and you die!", whereas in the home we teach them how to change IV bags, reset the pump, flush lines, etc. Wound care..........I was used to "slap 'em back together and ship 'em out", but now I get to see what happens to the wounds in the stages of healing. You work with one pt at a time, you don't have someone in the next bed trhying to code on you, and you don't have to go from an expired pt to a baby with a cough within seconds. The biggest con I can think of is the paperwork, but the pros outweigh that.

Do I miss the ER? No. I loved it while I was there and I'm grateful that I had the opportunity, but I don't miss it.

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Specializes in Gyn Onc, OB, L&D, HH/Hospice/Palliative.

I LOVE home health, I come from onco and chose home hospice/palliative care, the patients are sick, you get to use all of your skills and it's just fantastic the quality of care you can give, actually formulating a plan of care and seeing it carried out, the teaching , the time spent with the pt are all awesome, the autonomy and the appreciation are priceless. I still stay per diem , but really only for the social aspect, I really like my coworkers and can't see breaking away. I thought I'd miss being around other nurses, but really I don't miss running past other people down the hall, I should have done this years ago!! Home health is the bomb, it is not a cake walk, or boring, go for it!!!

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Specializes in general surgical, women's surgery.

Everything I'm reading here about home health describes what I really think I'd enjoy in nursing (except the paperwork). On my hospital surgical floor, I most enjoy spending time with patients and teaching them how to do their own dressing changes, check insulin, use syringes, ... along with WHY we want them to wear SCDs, receive Heparin injections, use IS, etc.

I'm only in my 9th month of working as a nurse and got a late start in a career, having stayed home to raise 4 children first. I started out last fall on an extremely busy general surgical floor where I work 3 twelve hour night shifts per week and sometimes an extra shift. I run nonstop all night long and have learned so much, but feel like I'll never learn all I need to know. I was an "A" student in school.. with a BS in Biology 30 years ago and a BSN last May, but have felt so overwhelmed in the real work world. I have times on the floor when I can't believe how dumbfounded and stupid I feel.

I'd LOVE to leave this crazy madness of rushing from one room to another to manage chest tubes, drips, drains, PCAs, NGTs, CBIs, etc. and give pain meds and go into home health, but I wonder when I'll ever know enough to be "out there" on my own in the community?

I noticed two of you have 19 and 20 years of nursing experience who say you love it. I won't have that kind of time. How much hospital experience do you think it takes before one could head into home health?

Fortunately, I'm moving to DAYS :yeah:in June when a new general surgical floor opens in the hospital. I'm hoping I won't feel so foggy when I can start getting a little more sleep.

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I have been in home health since 1991, and I absolutely love it! When I started in home health, my plan was just to do it for a year because I was burned out from my hospital job, so I figured I would do home care for a year and then find something else. Many years later I am still here! As for losing your skills, heck no! Patients are coming home sicker and sicker, and our responsibilities are to teach them and maybe their families how to be as independent as they are able to be. I have IV patients, ventilated patients, profoundly handicapped patients, nasogastric tubes to change, dressings to change, g tubes to change, fetal heart to do, and peritoneal dialysis patients to supervise. And my caseload is maternal child health, which is my specialty. I love the teaching and the ability to develop a better rapport with patients and their families, as well as the local communities. I watch some of my littlest patients grow and develop. Two of my patients I have had since infancy, and they are now 15 years old! That's just scratching the surface of the "Pros". Add "flexibility" and "variety" among other things, and it's hard to beat. "Cons" would be PAPERWORK!! That's a biggie, but a small price to pay for all the "Pros". Give it a try-you can always go back if you want.:chuckle

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Specializes in Gyn Onc, OB, L&D, HH/Hospice/Palliative.

I would probably suggest a minimum of a year or two , if your on a busy floor with all that exposure, that should give you a decent foundation

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I too have 4 kids! I have been a nurse 3 years only. I dont know how you work nights?? I think I will try home health, i am getting excited and I think I will like it. From what all the nurses here say. I always come to this website when I have big descisions to make, and I am always being stired in the right direction. I remember feeling "stupid" before and somtimes thinking and wishing people would forget the little stupid things I have done and said. This lasted for about6-7 monthes, them I felt more confident. With home health I feel it will give me a more flexible schedule for my family and kids. I'll let you know!-lisa

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I think you should go for it... Good luck to you and please keep us posted. I've been reading the HH posts b/c I too am seriously considering HH. I too have a question regarding experience. I have a little over 10 yrs nursing experience but have worked away from bedside nursing or the last 4 1/2 yrs. I work in family practice, triage calls, do referrals, med refills and a variety of other issues. Is it best to brush up on my skills and do another yr at the bedside?? I really do not want to go back to the hospital, plus I have a bad back. I would love to try HH health but do you think they would consider hiring me since I'm a bit rusty with skills?? Any advise would be greatly appreciated. I am so burned out at my current job!!!!

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Mari, we just hired a psych nurse who hasn't been at the bedside of a non-psych pt since the 70's. We're literally starting from scratch with her. Yes, it's possible to be hired. The right agency will be willing to work with you. We would.

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It seemed like they really needed people when I went on my interview. Also, I will be with a preceptor for some time, they just dont put you on your own right away. Plus you have plenty of experience. I would give it a try!-Lisa

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