Pediatric Home Health RN for New Grad and salary concerns

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Hi, I graduated in December with my ASN...continuing on for my BSN. Have been looking for a job since end of January. Can't even get an interview for a hospital due to my lack of any healthcare experience. I have been at home with my kids for the last 13 years, ran a daycare from my home but that is all I've done in that time. I've tried psych and LTC without luck. I have just had an interview for pediatric home health. I am torn on what to do. Also, the salary is only $22 per hour which seems low for Phoenix AZ. I've heard home health is risky for a new grad, or that it can be a waste of time due to the low acuity of some of the clients. I just want to get that "one year of experience" so that I can actually have a chance of at least getting an interview in a hospital. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

Take the job. Although it sounds like private duty rather than home health. ANY experience is valid. I transitioned from peds private duty to peds ICU at one point in my career. Now I actually do both.

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

I would do it bc any job is better than no job.

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For new grads, I'd say steer clear of home-care nursing! Being a nursing student in clinical rotations is DRASTICALLY different than working as a newly licensed nurse. The learning curve is steep and daunting! I don't say this to scare you but to hopefully help you. Starting out in an environment (ex. hospital, LTC or clinic etc...) with more practice supports in place is "safer" for a new nurse who is just beginning to get his/her sea legs in the nursing profession. ... In these places, you have other nurses and staff to help guide you. As a home-care nurse, you have a question or are unsure about... anything, you are completely on your own and that can be VERY serious when you do not know who or what you are going to encounter. I'd say home-care nursing is better for nurses with at least 1 year working experience, but not right out of school. While, yes, it would provide you with some nursing experience it's very very risky for a new grad starting out with a fresh new license. Good luck with everything!

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Specializes in Med-Surge, Tele, PCU, CVICU, NSICU.
For new grads, I'd say steer clear of home-care nursing! Being a nursing student in clinical rotations is DRASTICALLY different than working as a newly licensed nurse. The learning curve is steep and daunting! I don't say this to scare you but to hopefully help you. Starting out in an environment (ex. hospital, LTC or clinic etc...) with more practice supports in place is "safer" for a new nurse who is just beginning to get his/her sea legs in the nursing profession. ... In these places, you have other nurses and staff to help guide you. As a home-care nurse, you have a question or are unsure about... anything, you are completely on your own and that can be VERY serious when you do not know who or what you are going to encounter. I'd say home-care nursing is better for nurses with at least 1 year working experience, but not right out of school. While, yes, it would provide you with some nursing experience it's very very risky for a new grad starting out with a fresh new license. Good luck with everything!

Hopefully she has an adon and don support system, however, I do see your point.

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I graduated in May, and went straight to pediatric home health. I literally only got 1 day of training on a patient with a trach, G tube, and J tube with verbal palsy and epilepsy. It was quite the experience, and I used that first day to ask SO many questions. I didn't have great support from my superiors who most of the time didn't even answer their phones. Luckily, I adjusted and became with my patient and their condition and stayed with the family for 7 months before I moved on to a pediatric long term care facility. Not the ideal first job for a new grad, but you have to get that experience some where.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

I started out doing peds home/private duty nursing.

The pay is about right, that's what I got 5 yrs ago in OR.

I later moved on to a peds LTC and am now in a peds ER.

I would strongly caution you not to take home health or private duty as a new grad. Looking back I could have provided much better care to my pts had, I had more experience.

The agency just wants a body with a license. I understand jobs are hard to find. It took me 9 months post NCLEX to nab my 1st job.

But unless you have a ton of training and a lot of support I wouldn't recommend it.

Sure I could suction a trach and feed and give meds through a g-tube, but did I know the subtle things to watch for? Did I know the difference between partial, absence and tonic-clonic sezuires?

Had I worked with non-verbal pts before and knew how to pick up on their cues?

Did I really know how to work the CPAP and vent to be able to trouble shoot? No

Those are things you pick up and learn and it is hard to do with only 1 pt and no one there teaching you.

Yes it can be done and it has been done, but are those patients getting the best nursing care that they deserve?

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Specializes in MS, PEDI.

Pay scale.

Are you in the bottom?

Being on low end of pay scale provides raise opportunity.

If you start on the top of the scale, you will most likely NOT get a raise.

Also, home health means, typically, only one patient at a time.

This salary means only one patient at a time.

Think about that. One patient. Compared to med surg where you can have up to ten per shift. Or, ICU, where you can go as high as three patients.

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