need to interview a home health nurse please

[Chazd18RN]

Hello, I am taking a BSN course in home health nursing, but I have not taken the clinical portion yet. I do not personally know any home health nurses, and was wondering if any home health nurses on this board would like to answer these interview questions for an assignment that I am required to complete. I know that I could call a home health agency and request an interview, but in the past I have received no interest in assisting students. In fact, I am still having issues nailing down a clinical site for home health because none of the agencies will agree to work with students even though I am already an RN. But anyhow, if anyone has the time to answer these interview questions I would be extremely grateful. Thanks in advace. :)

- Is the agency licensed?

- Is the agency Medicare certified?

- Which agency provides or will provide the accreditation for this agency?

- What category of accreditation did the agency receive from the survey process?

- Has the category of overall status of accreditation changed in the past 5 years?

- What does the staff feel are the advantages and disadvantages of being an accredited home health agency?

.What outcome measure instrument is used? How are clients evaluated? Who evaluates client's outcomes?

- Are there specific requirements for his/her job that are contained in the accreditation requirements? What are they in relation to the following areas? -- Confidentiality of the client record, data collection and documentation, client's rights and responsibilities, home safety

- Has he/she ever participated in an accreditation or certification survey? What did they do during this time? If not, who did participate and what did they have to do?

- What did he/she identify during this process as the strengths of the agency (what they do well)?

- What were the weaknesses of the agency (what needs to improve)?

- Is the agency working on any deficiencies at this time?

[HmarieD]

I would like to help, but my agency, while licensed of course, is not accredited.

[caliotter3]

My agency just went through some kind of survey, but only the supervisors seemed to know about it. I suppose part of the reason not much was shared with field staff was due to recent management turnover.

[Luv2care0907]

- Is the agency licensed?

Yes, I believe so.

- Is the agency Medicare certified?

Yes.

- Which agency provides or will provide the accreditation for this agency?

Medicaid/Medicare, I believe.

- What category of accreditation did the agency receive from the survey process?

Don't know.

- Has the category of overall status of accreditation changed in the past 5 years?

Not that I'm aware of.

- What does the staff feel are the advantages and disadvantages of being an accredited home health agency?

We take on a great many Medicaid clients and are subject to very harsh stringent rules including reductions in salary but there is constant work available.

.What outcome measure instrument is used? How are clients evaluated? Who evaluates client's outcomes?

OASIS C. Nurse managers and case managers using a particular software to submit the OASIS C to Medicaid/Medicare.

- Are there specific requirements for his/her job that are contained in the accreditation requirements?

Licensure in our particular state and a background check are two that come to mind.

What are they in relation to the following areas? -- Confidentiality of the client record, data collection and documentation, client's rights and responsibilities, home safety

Those are important and certainly any violation concerning those things against the license of someone would be important to the agency. We see a great many things in the homes of people that should be kept in confidence.

- Has he/she ever participated in an accreditation or certification survey?

I have not.

What did they do during this time? If not, who did participate and what did they have to do?

I don't know.

- What did he/she identify during this process as the strengths of the agency (what they do well)?

If you prove yourself valuable, they are more than willing to make sure you have adequate employment. That's important because if you are not working on a particular case, it can be a long time between cases. I need to be employed!

- What were the weaknesses of the agency (what needs to improve)?

The pay stinks all the way around. No night differential. Sometimes you are asked to do more than you are employed to do without any compensation for it. At times, we are forced to take LPN wages because supposedly the government says an LPN can do what we do as RNs and the agency can't afford to pay us anymore than that....supposedly.

There is zero orientation to anything and God forbid that you have a question. They have treated me like dirt for having a question. They've tried to belittle me for not asking. It is a no win situation. If you take the initiative, you are further treated like dirt. At times, the nurses become nothing more than glorified housekeepers/nurse maids. I don't do that though because I am determined to be the nurse that I worked hard to be. :)

The clients have no confidence in what or who is being sent and so you are on trial when you arrive anywhere. It takes a moment to establish the fact that you are qualified. Some PCGs are downright exhausted of new nurses and either refuse to let you come to their home or assume the worst when you do show up. There is NEVER any kind of report given to a nurse to help them orient to the client or the PCG. Sometimes it has taken a considerable amount of time before the PCG tells me pertinent information that in my mind, should have been told to me the minute I walked into the situation. Some of these facts could have precipitated a crisis had I not been on top of my game. That is what separates the sheep from the goats in HH nursing. You have got to be sharp and learn how to pray because some of these things hit you unexpectedly and without warning. I know I'm being ambiguous here but I don't want to share the stories in a public venue.

- Is the agency working on any deficiencies at this time?

They don't have to in my area. There are so many good nurses, such as myself, that are being turned away from hospitals because we don't have recent experience or are new grads that the agency can do whatever they want and we are forced to take it. You can't complain. You can't make a suggestion. They are in a great position to dictate the terms and if we don't like it, there is no where else to go. It's their way or the highway.

[tangobango]

What a nightmare. That is not my experience at all!

[Chazd18RN]

Thank you very much lovetocare0907! I really appreciate it :)