New grad home health RN - GTube/trach/vent

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Hello, I am starting my first RN position in a few days and will work in health health. I am feeling nervous as I will have only 2 weeks hands-on training before being placed in a home where I will do GTube, trach and vents daily for 8 hour shifts. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

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37 minutes ago, tinilouise said:

Hello, I am starting my first RN position in a few days and will work in health health. I am feeling nervous as I will have only 2 weeks hands-on training before being placed in a home where I will do GTube, trach and vents daily for 8 hour shifts. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Pay attention during the training, and ask questions about anything that's not clear. ?

Congratulations on your new job.?

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3 minutes ago, Sour Lemon said:

Pay attention during the training, and ask questions about anything that's not clear. ?

Congratulations on your new job.?

Thank you! I am excited and will certainly ask questions during training. However, when on own, then what as when in a hospital setting, there is always someone to help? I imagine they will have a protocol but may feel very much alone in it. I hope not.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

Sounds like you will be working for a home health agency performing private duty home care so check out AN's forum: https://allnurses.com/private-duty-c168/ tons of advice there.

Most agencies have 24hr on call supervisor to contact for significant issues to discuss. In addition to in office 2wk training, see if agency has online modules, policy and procedure manual, drug reference that you can consult. Make sure you read and understand the patients care plan + that it is up to date, physicians caring for patient, emergency contacts. You should have 2 days buddying with established nurse to learn patients in home care routine --see one day one, perform care day 2.

Best wishes to you.

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10 hours ago, NRSKarenRN said:

Sounds like you will be working for a home health agency performing private duty home care so check out AN's forum: https://allnurses.com/private-duty-c168/ tons of advice there.

Most agencies have 24hr on call supervisor to contact for significant issues to discuss. In addition to in office 2wk training, see if agency has online modules, policy and procedure manual, drug reference that you can consult. Make sure you read and understand the patients care plan + that it is up to date, physicians caring for patient, emergency contacts. You should have 2 days buddying with established nurse to learn patients in home care routine --see one day one, perform care day 2.

Best wishes to you.

Thank you for your reply. I appreciate the link and have found much food for thought from it. Yes, this position, although home-care sounds exactly like private duty and hope that the fit is a good one with the patient. The company said due to HIPAA, I could not know much about the patient. Now that I have signed, surely I am entitled to know more before training as I don't want to feel obligated after training if the patient isn't a good fit. I understand that I may not know if it will be a good fit until in the job, but I have lived life enough to know when something doesn't feel right before even starting and I feel as thought I was bait and switched, which is making me not trust the company as much due to the recruiter switching positions after I had agreed to one assignment only to be told it isn't confirmed and better to take this other position.

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Specializes in Surgical Specialty Clinic - Ambulatory Care.

That is one of the main issues with home health. It is very autonomous work, so you will truly be on your own after orientation. I’m sure they will have someone you can call and speak with over the phone, but you will have to figure out a lot of things yourself. Just remember that if you are asked to do something you do not feel safe doing, don’t do it. Call and tell your supervisor that you don’t feel safe. Not listening to that little voice in your head can do worse than get you fired...you could loose your license.

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