New to home health, ADON

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Specializes in Med-Surge, Tele, PCU, CVICU, NSICU.

I have just been interviewed and hired as an ADON for a children's home health agency. I don't exactly have pediatric experience, the experience I do have I wasn't officially a nurse. I do have vent/trach experience however. I also have charge nurse x 2 years in a hospital experience but no other management experience in health care. I don't have home health experience.

Well...to be honest I'm not real sure why they hired me...but I digress. The hiring DON and both the CEO and COO said that to them it's more important for them to find someone with the right personality, drive, passion, and ability to educate staff than to find someone with experience.

I know I will be managing 50 or so nurses and filling in where needed and implementing training programs. That is all I know. Anyone have any experience that can kind of give me a run down of your job responsibilities? Any words of wisdom? Also can you give me a salary range for your ADON position so I know if I am even in the normal range?

Thanks!

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I wish you luck. I turned down a clinical supervisor position because I didn't have experience. I've been doing field nursing for almost 2 years and still have a lot to learn. I have been a manager and educator and feel most comfortable when I know the work first hand. I recommend you spend a minimum of a fulltime week with the field staff, preferably more than one nurse so you get different views and see different ways of doing things. Find out what they think they need to learn, what they find helpful in a manager. Become familiar with OASIS and your company's charting system. That's what I would do and, as a staff nurse, would hope someone in your shoes would do.

Same goes for understanding your clinical supervisors. Perhaps they are your experts. They are in our office.

Again, good luck to you and congratulations.

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Specializes in Med-Surge, Tele, PCU, CVICU, NSICU.

Thanks for your reply!! I have been a nurse for 4 years so I have no doubts that I have the skills and the ability to educate them. I am definitely planning on following a few nurses.

Luckily they use paper charting still so that should be easy to follow and pick up.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.

OASIS documentation, especially on paper, is anything but easy to follow and pick-up, IMHO.

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