new baby: would HHN let me work very PT?

[amyst]

I was a med-surg RN for 3 years till my baby son was born 8 months ago. I always imagined that when he was 6 months to a year old I would go back to work for one shift a week.

But now I am looking for other options. I am not ready to leave him for a 8 to 12 hour period with another caregiver.

Before I look into other fields, I wanted to see if anybody knew of something I can do with nursing for maybe 2 hours a day or something ... or maybe just a couple of visits a couple days a week with time to nurse the baby in between? Does home health work this way? How little could I work in it, just starting out? I only have to earn about $500 a month for us to break even. Could home health nursing work for this? Could I work evening hours after my husband's home to watch the baby?

If not I will sell my car, eat beans and rice, babysit other people's kids, or borrow money from my parents.

[hoolahan, ASN, RN]

Well, you would be talking about per diem work. The majority of per diem agencies pay per visit rates, at about $25 to $35 for a re-visit, and $50-65 for a new (3 hrs of paperwork).

To gross $550 a month, I am figuring on the $25 per visit rate, yu would need to work a min of 6 revisits a week. You don't say where you are located, but if it is in the SE, the pay for HH is very poor, worse than here in NJ.

There is a lot of improtant paperwork in HH, esp b/c if documentation is lacking in any way, remibursement for the agencu could really siffer. So, I wouldn't think they would let you get away w less than a two week orientation at 40 hrs a week, after that, I know my agency would take you for whatever you could give them, they do prefer a min of four hrs a day worked.

If you are paid per visit, you could do two visits go home and nurse, then do another two, but you would need to be assured the agency will keep you close enough to home to make that worth it. There are days when, as a per diem now, I am NOT close to home. One agency by me sends nurses to five counties, that is not d0-able for what you want.

You have 3 yrs nursing expereince, that is really good. You will have NO problem w adjusting to the clinical assessment, and will likely find less stress than having 8 pt at once. But, you will have to commit to understanding the paperwork. The regs change often, and it can be aggravating. Just don't take criticisms of the paperwork personally, the agency is under a LOT of pressure to get it right. Assure them you are a quick study and will read the regs on-line at home, ask for an OASIS guide, and promise if you are unsure of how to answer questions you will call in for guidance.

MY agency would take you in a heartbeat we are so short! Good luck.

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

This is how I started out in Home Health: I left FT hospital position at 8 months pregnancy due to wanting to take it easy as it took me 10 years to conceive. A nurse I had aquantence with through district nursing association asked me If I would like to do some per case homecare IV infusion cases-- I would do some that were 4-8hr infusions or just IV assessment: Hickman and Portacath's in 1985.

After son was born + 6 months old, I continued to do a few cases and went to Baylor weekend program (every other). Left the hospital in 1991 to work Hospice 3 days week.

I worked combination of 2-3 different jobs: Summer camp FT for 9 weeks with kids(youngest was 2) and perdiem Homecare till kids were in gradeschool for 1-2 different agencies.

I saw kids off on school bus at 8 was at First patients home around 9-9:30. Was volunteer school nurse and assisted in classroom reading 2 days a week, lunchmom mom 2 days--back out to see afternoon patients. Husband worked dayshift and I was able to find a neighboorhood woman who would greet kids off school bus till hubby home at 4PM. Be home by 6PM.

Need to attend classroom art show...awards ceramonies, parent conferences, kids doctors appointments-- I was able to adjust visit schedule. Think this is what you will find meet your needs.

PS: our perdiem rates are: $33 revisit; $38 Admit--$5.00 more on weekend . We are a mixture of Philly urban and suburbs .

12/12 weekwnd work with 10 patient visit does pay more.

Our staff travels 20-30 miles average per day; My former homecare agency was more like 75 miles and my territory was all over as IV so traveling 150mi day not uncommon.

Check out several agencies in your area, go for ride along visits to get feel and see paperwork before you decide since you have the luxury of time.

It was nice to here our JCAHO surveyor say this week that our agency was the type of place she would want to work: scored 98 out of 100------ask what the agencies last score on JCAHO was should tell you how well run the place is too.

[renerian, BSN, RN]

I am a nurse data abstractor for HEDIS and other research drug studies for several credentialing firms. All in other states. I do per diem work when an insurance company or a drug company needs information abstracted from either hospital or Dr. office records. The work is very flexible but they like a commitment to at least 4 to 8 hours per day. That is about the best I know of.

Would an agency be able to use you for 4 hours blocks to cover may an 8 hour person till the 12 person comes on? LIke a 3 to 7 or a 7 to 11?

How about per diem home health on weekends? Could a family member watch the baby while you work on weekends?

renerian