HealthyNurse

I'd love to know the same thing! I'm in the same boat--qualified for the position, but I can't get an interview!

I'm a nurse blogger :) I don't think I'm allowed to post my blog, but feel free to PM me.

Hello everyone! I'm looking for some feedback on what is an extremely difficult career decision for me. I've been working as a Medicare surveyor in my specialty area (home health and hospice) for the past 3 years. I absolutely love my job! Before...

I've been a nurse for almost 8 years. That's not long in the grand scheme of things, but it's long enough to have experienced this profession. I've been known to say, "One of the greatest things about nursing is that there are so many different way...

I would never feel comfortable asking my family physician to help with a preceptor placement. It's embarrassing that this is happening in the NP field and it gives physicians a legitimate reason to question the quality of care provided by NPs. This...

Even "preservative-free" flu shots are full of toxins. Thimersol is not the only concern. Check out this link to learn what is really in a flu vaccine: Vaccine Ingredients Calculator As far as effectiveness of the flu shot, there have been no co...

I work for the government as a health care surveyor. Unfortunately, CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) turns a blind eye to fraud. We do have avenues of reporting fraud to the OIG, but CMS actively encourages us not to get too involve...

Hello fellow nurse entrepreneurs! I've recently switched my business site to a self-hosted Wordpress.org site and I am so lost!!! Does anyone have a recommendation for a reasonably priced Wordpress site developer? Thanks!

Hello! I work for the government and hospice agencies are one of the provider types that I'm responsible for surveying (regulating). Hospice is highly regulated and as stated above, you would not be able to work independently, even as an NP. There...

Hi Tiffany! I think you should first get focused in exactly what your goals are. It won't help you to randomly get certifications if you don't know what you want to do with it. They are many ways to be a nurse "in business". Before you spend mone...

Even if you have RN experience by the time that you graduate as an NP, that does not completely prepare you to be a fully functioning NP upon graduation. The role of the NP is much different from that of the RN. I believe you would be better served...

My understanding is that an independent nurse contractor is able to bill Medicare/Medicaid for services. A self-employed nurse may be an independent nurse contractor or not, depending on what services they are offering and if they want to or are abl...

What "few different areas" have you tried? Are they all in acute care or have you explored areas outside of acute care? If I would have given up on nursing based on the hospital jobs that I had, I would never have found a job that I absolutely love...

I didn't read this entire thread, just the original post and a few comments. How long have you been working as a peds home health nurse? It seems a little silly to give up on nursing altogether when you've only had one nursing job. I despised my f...

Elfer- I've been researching this extensively recently. There are a lot of different options depending on what kind of nutrition education you are looking for. If you want a clinically focused certification, there is the prestigious certified clini...

Cons- Lengthy documentation, Can be professionally isolating at times (because you are working on your own and have limited contact with nurses and other staff), Lots of phone calls/holding to talk to doctors, insurance companies, etc., Lots of agenc...

Documentation in home health is driven by regulatory requirements- of which there are a lot for home health. The OASIS is a comprehensive assessment that is required at the time points that the above poster mentioned. It is important because it dri...

I am a home health surveyor that conducts federal CMS surveys. This is Medicare fraud. I don't understand the posters that replied, "Take it or leave it." It is true that there is rampant Medicare fraud in home health and I see similar situations ...

Anyone have any experience with starting or operating a consultanting business? My current work is as an educator for a home care and hospice agency. I also have a background in quality and patient safety work. I am thinking about offering educati...

Only you can decide what is the "right" career path for you. Did you start this job in Sept. 2010 or Sept. of this year? If you've been at it for over a year, I would say that you've already accomplished quite a bit within a short period of time in...

I disagree with the other posters about wearing scrubs. I have worked at agencies where the policy is business casual- no scrubs allowed. So, you really need to double-check with the agency. If it is business casual, buy some black pants that you ...

Does anyone else aspire to become a consultant or already own a consulting business? I posted about a year ago my idea to become a home health consultant- helping home health and hospice agencies do start-ups, prepare for surveys, staff education, q...

Thank you to all for the great ideas!!! I will start working on my business plan now and that will help the time past faster while getting this valuable experience as a surveyor. I really feel like I could do the consulting now, since I already hav...

As state surveyors, we follow the Conditions of Participation (COPs for Medicare) when giving citations. Each provider type (type of health care organization, i.e. hospital, home health, ambulatory surgery center, etc.) has their own COPs. A citation...

I did not know anyone at the state when I got my position. I found it by looking at job postings on my state's employment site and applying and interviewing for the position. I have a background that fits well for what they were looking for- I have...