new to home health

renerian, BSN, RN · Sep 9, 2005

Have you found anything positive?

renerian

CardioTrans, BSN, RN · Sep 9, 2005

Something positive......... hmmmmmmmmmmm

you are not inside all day.......

you become part of the patients family.......

you can arrange your schedule around your personal appointments... (sometimes)

you learn how to become innovative..... and learn how to work one handed very quickly

your skills will improve substantially (you are the eyes and ears of the MD)

You learn something new just about every day.

you can educate the patient on meds, disease process, nutrition and actually see the light bulb come on.....

you only have to take care of one patient at a time....... while you are in their home, all of your thoughts will be on that person at that time.

Your knowledge base will improve as much as your skills do. Home health always has a variety of things..... you may see 1 CHF, 1 COPD, 1 CVA, 1 wound care and 1 IV all in the same day. So you switch gears constantly.

Hows that??? :)

renerian, BSN, RN · Sep 9, 2005

Very nice..................oh yeah I thought of something else positive:

You will expand your horizons about how other people live to learn to be more tolerant, be more patient and most certainly you will be the most flexible nurse of all

renerian

caringRN · Sep 9, 2005

That is what I am so excited about. I know there will be harder days than some but those benefits for me all seem to definitly out weigh hospital nursing. Thanks so much!

italia59 · Sep 14, 2005

Hi all, I have been a little discouraged reading some of these threads. :uhoh21: I am new to home health and would like to hear if there are any positive comments about it. I am very excited about the transition myself and have really liked what I've seen.

Hi I'm new too and I love taking care of people in their homes and working towards keeping them out of the hospitals. I like the one on one attention I am able to give the patients. I appreciate this after working on a very busy telemetry unit for almost 2 yrs. The only trouble is all the paperwork and we are fully computer based. I wish I could concentrate more on nursing skills than the driving to see my patients and the paperwork. I love the patients.

caringRN · Sep 14, 2005

The one on one is what I went into nursing for!!!

Swanee · Sep 14, 2005

Hi all, I have been a little discouraged reading some of these threads. :uhoh21: I am new to home health and would like to hear if there are any positive comments about it. I am very excited about the transition myself and have really liked what I've seen.

Sorry about the negative. I love the patient contact however, the paper trail associated with homecare and the pressure to always do more is too much. I did get better at saying No! My answer is to go back to school so I can have my own practice. Yes making money is important, but quality of care is becoming less important, not just in homecare to be fair. Good luck.

Swanee · Sep 14, 2005

Hi I'm new too and I love taking care of people in their homes and working towards keeping them out of the hospitals. I like the one on one attention I am able to give the patients. I appreciate this after working on a very busy telemetry unit for almost 2 yrs. The only trouble is all the paperwork and we are fully computer based. I wish I could concentrate more on nursing skills than the driving to see my patients and the paperwork. I love the patients.

Ditto!

cherricka · Sep 15, 2005

I love Home Health Nursing. I am pretty new to it, about two years. I work part time, which turns out to be about 30 hrs/wk. I think one of the main purposes of this board, is to obtain information from other nurses who have "been there", and to vent to people who understand. So it may seem negative when you first look around, but aren't we lucky to have so many sympathetic people?

The "paperwork" has greatly improved with computers. Admissions still stink, and take me forever. But that all comes with time, at least that is what I am told.

Hopefully you have a supportive supervisor, and a supportive, open team to work with. That is what makes the big difference if Home Care works or not.

Here is a hint for you-The local doctor's nurses will all become your new best friends. Send some donuts or pasta their way, and they will make sure all your requests for the doctor will be taken care of!

Good luck!