New to Home Health...feel like an idiot

[KatieNoelLPN]

I am finishing up a 6 week orientation for my new job at a home health agency. I work in the office doing clinical support stuff most of the time. However, I will be picking up visits on the weekends and evenings. I have learned the computer charting system (it's pretty easy and user friendly). However, there are some things that are new to me that have me freaked out. For example, I went out with my preceptor and we did a wound vac dressing change. I have never done that before and not sure I could do it again alone. Also, we had to do a PICC line dressing change. I haven't done one of those in years and forgot most of the steps. I feel so inadequate and stupid. Please tell me I will learn all this stuff back. My concern is that since I won't be in the field full time that I won't get to use these skills enough to really retain the info.

[txredheadnurse, BSN, RN]

Does your company have any policy and procedures manuals? If they do then the dressing steps, how to do a wound vac etc. could all be listed in one of the procedures manuals. If they don't have these reference materials then maybe you could mention that you would find something like helpful when you are doing your occasional field visits and offer to help put one together?

In addition to being a reference for those folks who might not do wound care routinely it can be helpful to show a surveyor that the company has a standardized approach for clinical procedures.

[caliotter3]

You can also find videos on youtube for some procedures. I would stick with the videos that come from nursing school departments.

[luvmy2angels]

We have "wound dummies" that we had to practice applying wound vacs on before going out in the field. I would be upfront and honest with your supervisor and tell her you haven't done these things in a long time and would appreciate some review. If you have a good supervisor and good support they should be fine with giving you the extra help. We had a nurse that came to work for us that had never done wound vacs and was very nervous about having to do it by herself so they gave her an extra 2 weeks and sent her out with nurses that had wound vacs to do so she could get the practice and feel comfortable. Good luck!!

[tewdles, RN]

Don't fret...there are lots of resources online for you. And ask your coworkers.

[chenoaspirit, ASN, RN]

Talk with your manager. Maybe she will allow you to go out with the field nurses and get "checked off" on these skills as learning. With mine, I had been doing wound vacs and PICC changes for years but still had to be checked off before I was "turned loose by myself" to do it alone. I would hope your manager would be understanding about this. Also, there are usually classes offered thru the hospitals that provide CEUs and you can attend them as learning also. Dont let this make you feel inadequate. You just havent done it in a while. It will all come back to you and you will be fine. Just take your time when doing any of it and think about each step before proceeding.

[jnette, ASN, EMT-I]

Talk with your manager. Maybe she will allow you to go out with the field nurses and get "checked off" on these skills as learning. With mine, I had been doing wound vacs and PICC changes for years but still had to be checked off before I was "turned loose by myself" to do it alone. I would hope your manager would be understanding about this. Also, there are usually classes offered thru the hospitals that provide CEUs and you can attend them as learning also. Dont let this make you feel inadequate. You just havent done it in a while. It will all come back to you and you will be fine. Just take your time when doing any of it and think about each step before proceeding.

Agree with all the above !

You'll be fine.. it WILL come back! At our agency we have mini- inservices for these things.. they last no more than a half-hour. Anything we feel we need to brush up on is on the agenda for each one. You might ask about having some of these yourself. But I agree with the above poster about getting checked off on these before you attempt it yourself.

We have the KCI rep/nurse come in every few mos. to go over wound vac procedures with us... VERY helpful!!! But until you actually do it yourself a few times, it doesn't stick. I have yet to do a wound vac, even thought we've had plenty of inservices, but since I've not done it on my own yet, I would ask another nurse to go with me before attempting it on my own. Our agency is really good about this.. we are never expected to do anything we're not 100% comfortable with.

Wish you the best ! :)