New to the game...good idea?

[MistyRN09]

Hello! I'm a brand new nurse, boards taken and passed just under 3 weeks ago. In my area (dayton/springfield/columbus) there are few opportunities for new grads. That being said, I need a paycheck and fast. My only job lead right now is my cousin...who owns a home health agency. I'm not crazy about doing home health as a new nurse...I feel like I just brushed the top of everything I need to know for this job. Would you seasoned HH nurses recommend I go for a position like this...or keep an eye out for other positions elsewhere? I have had one interview out of 12 applications, and that job ( ER nurse) was denied because apparently they are going to turn that position into a tech/usc job.

Thanks all in advance!

[caliotter3]

I would only take the home health job if you can't get anything else and request a thorough orientation to home health. If the agency won't give you the support you need and request, it is not a good idea to risk your new license before you have an idea of what is going on.

[MistyRN09]

I feel the same way. I'm a bit nervous going into the homecare arena...I feel I should know a LOT more before I do this. But right now it's a job, and hopefully the orientation will be good :)

Thank you for your honest thoughts.

[HmarieD]

In HH you are on your own in the home. You need to know what to do in an endless variety of situations. These days HH patients are increasingly acutely ill and complex. I would recommend getting no less than a years experience in a med-surg environment before jumping in to HH.