Med Tele RN considering returning back to PDN

[Kamilah Coney, ASN, BSN, RN]

I've been working as a Med Tele RN for about 4 months now. My previous 6 plus years experience was as a Private Duty LPN. The thing is that even though my new position comes with A LOT of "perks" (for one the night shift differential...$$$) I know that after a good 5 years I will probably be totally burnt out. So I've thought about where I want to go after I put in about 5 years on the unit. Why not go back to where I started? Private Duty Nursing. For all the Florida resident nurses here: Do you know if there is a different process to start a visiting nurse agency? Is there a difference between a home health agency and a visiting nurse agency??

[Alex Egan, LPN, EMT-B]

I’m not a Florida resident. Here in pa they are different state licenses. However if I can make a suggestion. Starting your own business without a good working knowledge of the business is a bad move. Get your RN experience in the hospital. Go work as a clinical supervisor for a PDN company. Learn everything you can about regulations, state inspections, if your savvy you would transfer to a new branch where they are applying for a new license. Then quit. Get some basic business courses and a job in a good client sourcing industry (such as a peciatric clinic or similar. While you serve out your non compete agreement. All this time line up funding make a business plan etc. Then 1 day after your non competition agreement is up you are ready to move with a plan, referral sources, and experience in the industry.

[Kamilah Coney, ASN, BSN, RN]

Thanks for the reply. I actually do not want to start a home health business. The process it takes to meet all the state regulations is not worth the headache. Prior to starting my position as a Med Tele RN, I worked as a home health LPN for 6 years so I know firsthand nurses come and go. Far too many home health business fails because of client loss. When there is no coverage for the cases, clients go to the agencies that can meet their needs. No, I know that's not the direction I want to go in. What I would like to do is to work as a visiting nurse with just a small handful of private paying clients. That way I won't have to fill out loads of paper work for insurance reimbursements. It would also cut out having to hire a DON, nurses for case coverage, employees that manage schedules, etc. The only additional "personnel" I would need is the physician for orders (because I can't provide medical care without an order). I have the contact information for AHCA department in Tallahassee, so I'll ask them directly if I were to submit an application for a Home Health agency (after obtaining 1 year RN experience) could I use it as a visiting nurse. Again, thanks for your response.

[Kamilah Coney, ASN, BSN, RN]

I know asked about a visiting nurse agency, but I really just want to become a sole proprietor visiting nurse. I said visiting nurse agency because that's the only type of application I see available for services I am hoping to provide.