rdl2881

Okay, just to clarify-I didn't compare an admission in a hospital to an admission in HH. I am well aware that they are completely different. However, as I said above, I do not work in an acute care hospital. I work in a rehabilitation hospital. Our admissions take no less than an hour and that's when you can do it fast. Our admissions screens and evaluations, documentation, etc, are very lengthy. What I was saying was that I am no stranger to long specific admissions. And yes, regardless of what is said, I do believe that being familiar with long admissions and being able to figure out how to perform an assessment based on the questions who will need to answer later will be beneficial to HH admissions. I have reviewed some OASIS documentation online and although it is different, it does not look like something foreign to me or something I won't be able to learn. Furthermore, as far as I know, all HH nurses do SOC at some point, right? So is this thread to say that a nurse without specific HH experience should never get a chance in HH because he or she doesn't have direct experience? Can't we say that about any nursing job? Lastly, the company is not sketchy. They require two years plus of med surg or acute care experience and provide 6 weeks full time training-which is more training than I got as a brand new nurse when I didn't even know how to do an injection. Thats 8-5 M-F for 6 weeks. I also wasn't asking for opinions on whether or not I was capable of doing this based on my experience because reallly, no one knows what my experience is, the kind of learner I am, and what I personally feel I am capable of doing. I was asking about what to expect out of my day. I am more than confident that with the right training and guidance I can learn how to do this properly and effectively. I am a good nurse and passionate about the field. EVERY nursing job has a learning curve. Honestly, I have a hard time believing that HH is THAT much different than other nursing jobs. They are ALL hard jobs and they all require training and committment. I have friends in the field working for hospital HH agencies and they have caught on just fine-including doing SOC visits. Thank you all for your input but I feel it is mostly negative. I really wasn't asking if any of you thought *I* was capable as that is not an opinion you can form. I am going to go on the interview, observe a nurse in the field and decide if this is right for me. I don't believe any nursing job is limited by lack of experience. I am an experienced RN and have no doubt that I will be able to pick this up and do it well with time like I have my other jobs.

Thanks! I work for a rehabilitation hospital so our charting focuses on current levels of functioning such as how they can dress themselves, how much assistance is needed, transfer level, etc. Along with all of the other nursing stuff. Hopefully it will help a little. I am going to go on the interview and decide from there.:)

Thank you! I appreciate the input. She did mention the system they use but I can't remember the name of it. Also, just to add, and I know it isn't the same thing, but I was an admissions nurse for years and I currently work PM shift which is where all of the admissions happen. I am used to doing tons of charting. I understand this isn't the same as the OASIS but it's not like I am a stranger to long charting.

Would you suggest asking to shadow a SOC nurse after the interview? Granted everything else is still what I was looking for.

Yeah, I have no problem *working* 8-5 but being out from 8-5 and THEN documenting seems like it would be way too many hours of work for me. Actually, one of the reasons I was looking into HH was for flexibility although with other things but definitely not to work MORE hours. My friend has only been in HH for a year and she loves it. She mainly does case management visits but she said her admits are 1 hour on average 2 at the most. In our area with these particular hospitals, she is seeing a lot of ortho patients. I don't want to sacrifice good care and am not looking to do a little amount of sub par work by any means but I don't want to work more hours than I already am.

Thank you for the input. I appreciate it as I really have no idea what to expect. I have a close friend that works in HH and she told me her admission generally take an hour so I was trying to guess how long I would actually be out in the field. I definitely do not want to be out there from 8-5. That's way more than I am working now in the hospital. Not sure how it works but it seems, according to their website and job openings, that they keep the SOC nurse and case manager separate for all positions.

HI everyone! I have a job interview next week for a SOC nurse in home health. I am totally new to home health and need all the info I can get before this interview! The company is very large-reputable. They are the preferred HH agency for two of the major hospitals in my area so i am not worried about any sketchy issues that I have heard about other HH agencies. They said on the phone interview that I would typically see 3 patient's per day for SOC-this is specifically for a SOC nurse only-not case management. The pay is 105 per visit and this is if you complete your documentation within 24 hours. Otherwise, it is 90/visit with 48 hours to complete. Training is full time for 6 weeks. My question is, the hours are listed as 8-5. I have never done HH before but have plenty of experience with admissions. I know the OASIS documentation is totally different but once I get familiar with it, does anyone know what a typical day would look like for me? I mean, would i really be out there from 8-5 everyday?? The territory is very close to my house so I am not anticipating driving very far. How long does a typical admission take-the part where you are actually in the home. I don't think I would want to do my charting completely in the home as I would be more comfortable doing this at my own house where I can concentrate and really do it right. How long can I expect to actually be with the patient for a "typical" admission? If I scheduled my 3 patients at say 8, 10, 12 and then took the rest of the day to chart, is that acceptable or do companies typically add on to your schedule if they see it is done at 12. I'm just wondering if those 8-5 hours are with documentation included-wherever you want to do it-or if those are the hours you are expected to see patients. She did say no more than 3 a day. Just wondering if this would be the right choice for my family. It's sounds great but I am wondering if it would really be that way. Thanks for any input!

PCCTI has a location in Chicago as well as Oak Brook. Not sure when the classes are starting though. I think you will be able to find work as an LPN. It really is just a matter of how quick you need to work. I would have gone into the LPN program and then a bridge, but I just don't want to take out a personal loan. I would rather do the FAFSA and such at a degree granting school.

In that case, it may be worth it if you want to work right away. I liked PCCTI and the program but I just don't want to take a private loan for 15,000. Good luck!

Well, the LPN is 15,000 and then the bridge is going to be at least that, so it is almost the same(at least that's how my thinking is). I am thinking of going to Lewis for my BSN in the fall.

Have you thought about getting your BSN? Most schools offering a BSN do not have a waiting list. I think there are a few schools that even offer a bridge program for students who already have their bachelor's in something else.

I was told that there was a class starting in August that was Friday, Saturday and Sunday(I can't remember the hours but believe Fri was in the evening and Sat and Sun were pretty much all day). The evening program starts at the end of Sept and the hours are M-Th 5:30-9:30, Friday 1-9. The day program starts in October and I can't remember the exact hours but you are off on Friday. Hope this helps. I decided to just start applying into BSN programs(many don't have a waiting list) because the cost of the LPN program is a lot and you can't apply for federal loans because they are not a degree granting school. I didn't want a private loan. The people there are really nice though. The school seemed like an office!

I called about this program and was told the evening class would be starting in Sept and the day would be starting in Oct. What are the hours for the weekend program? Also, I know there is a $1,000 deposit, but how do the payments work after that?

I was looking into this option as well. I want to work sooner than later and instead of waiting to get in somewhere else, i was thinking about becoming an LPN first, and then doing a bridge program(to get my bachelor's). I am just finishing up A&P at COD. Do either of you know when the next class is beginning at PCCTI? Are there still spots left? I spoke with them a while back and she mentioned that there was a class sometime this summer.