Private Nursing

[RN0599, BSN, MSN]

I recently moved into my mother's condo/retirement community. I've been a nurse for 19 years. I recently had medical issues (detached retina/partial blindness) that led to job loss. In your opinion (collectively), do I have any future in home health nursing (no prior experience)? What does it take to be a "free agent"?

[caliotter3]

You can do private duty nursing by entering into arrangements with people who want nursing care but do not want/cannot use third parties to arrange and/or pay for it. The best way to obtain private duty cases is by word of mouth, but that is difficult to establish. Look for ads placed on employment websites and other employment venues, such as craigslist. Best to have a written contract. Examples can be found on the internet.

You might want to start out working through an agency until you get your bearings. Then it will be easier to deal with working for private duty clients that you find on your own. At any rate, just because this is one on one work done on a private pay basis, do not try to forego consideration concerning your ability to actually do the job. That is another reason to start with an agency. You can gauge your ability to take on home care tasks while your employer is largely responsible for day to day operation.