new prn home health rn worrying, help!

caliotter3 · Feb 24, 2008

You knew that when you took this job that it was PRN. Look for a second job now. It is always best to have two agencies to work for when you do home health because that is a way to keep working. Many only work home health in addition to their hospital jobs partly because they know that home health does not offer strict "job security". There are some nurses who juggle as many as four agencies successfully. As for your anxiety about your upcoming test, try to relax and approach it with a sense of "I can do this". Since these people have not sent you packing already, I suspect that they really want you to work for them. They will most likely allow you to retake the test if you don't do well. Most offices allow nurses to retake failed employment exams because they are so short of employees and the tests are considered more of a formality than a necessity. Tell your preceptor that you need more help with the computer or anything else and I'm sure she will be willing to help you to be successful. Good luck.

akcarmean, LPN · Feb 25, 2008

Don't have to much more to add. The previous poster pretty much said it all.

Good Luck and welcome to HH.

angie

wonderbee, BSN, RN · Feb 26, 2008

PRN employment in HH can present some gray areas you might wish to address now that can severely impact on your compensation.

1. Missed visits. Are you supposed to attempt visits on patients who you cannot contact? If so, how will you be compensated for your travel, chart and phone time? This is a common occurrence. What an unpleasant surprise it was to me to discover that there was no compensation. Zero. I had to fight just to get my mileage.

2. Mileage reimbursement. Do you get any? At what rate? Current rate is 50 cents a mile set by IRS. That doesn't mean you'll get 50 cents.

3. Admissions, if you do them. What if you cannot admit the patient for whatever reason? Once again, how do you get compensated. You might go through all the paperwork and get half-way through an assessment when your worst fears are discovered and there will be no admission.

4. Taking assignments out of a designated radius. If you have to spend two hours just in travel time to one patient, will there be something extra in your check?

Ask these questions and type up a summary of your agreement and present it to your manager for signature and file. It can serve as a contract if there are any questions down the road.

Whatever it is, get it in writing.

raingel · Feb 27, 2008

Hello there, thanks for responding. mileage is .50 cents/miles. If no contact to pt., don't need to go the see pt. If pt. reject admission due to co-pay, they will still pay but i'm not sure if per visit or hourly pay depending of years of experience. The company will not send me to area that is two hours away from me. My worry is that i may not get 40 hrs of work because i'm only per diem. I will look for 2nd job just to make sure i have enough money to pay bills. I'll just have to wait for a full time position to open. TY again and i appreciate your concern. God bless.

PRN employment in HH can present some gray areas you might wish to address now that can severely impact on your compensation.
1. Missed visits. Are you supposed to attempt visits on patients who you cannot contact? If so, how will you be compensated for your travel, chart and phone time? This is a common occurrence. What an unpleasant surprise it was to me to discover that there was no compensation. Zero. I had to fight just to get my mileage.
2. Mileage reimbursement. Do you get any? At what rate? Current rate is 50 cents a mile set by IRS. That doesn't mean you'll get 50 cents.
3. Admissions, if you do them. What if you cannot admit the patient for whatever reason? Once again, how do you get compensated. You might go through all the paperwork and get half-way through an assessment when your worst fears are discovered and there will be no admission.
4. Taking assignments out of a designated radius. If you have to spend two hours just in travel time to one patient, will there be something extra in your check?
Ask these questions and type up a summary of your agreement and present it to your manager for signature and file. It can serve as a contract if there are any questions down the road.
Whatever it is, get it in writing.

raingel · Feb 27, 2008

Thanks for responding. I'll see what will happen after my orientation and the test result. If next week i will not get at least 20 hrs. i'll start to find a 2nd job. God bless.

Don't have to much more to add. The previous poster pretty much said it all.
Good Luck and welcome to HH.
angie