shondaRN

Doesn't that equal to about 12.50 an hour?? You are worth more than that! The salary is not enough for a RN. What state are you in?

I'm interested in working as a case manager at BCBS. I applied to the position. I'm curious what your experiences have been. Also, is there a transfer option to work at home. I have less than one year of home health care case manager, but I have been a nurse for 10 years with varied experience in ICU, other acute areas, long term care, and pain management. Does it matter how much experience you have before you can work out of your home? Thank you for your thoughts. Shonda

Hello Everyone- I'm seriously considering getting my Master's, but I am still debating on the specialty. I am really interested to hear if anyone has specialized in Mental Health, Community Health, or Geriatrics. I want to learn more about these areas and what types of jobs exist. Thanks! Shonda:nurse:

I agree 20 visits a week is not PRN.

Thanks for your response. I've submitted a application for a nonprofit agency in the area. Now I know what to look for in a home health agency.:)

Thank you! It is a beautiful place to live, and I love it here. :redpinkhe

I'm new to home health, but I do know that not all agencies are for profit. There may be fewer, but they are out there! In fact, I just applied to one in Portland,OR. Luckily Oregon has a nurses' union that is involved with some of the home health agencies in Oregon.:)

I'm curious. What agency did you work for? Thanks.

You mentioned you do want to do any overtime. I can totally relate. But I was wondering if your employer ever gives you more patients than you can handle in 8 hours. It sounds like you have a great job! :nurse:

You hit it right on the mark!

To answer if FMLA will cover a leave of abscence. The answer is YES! I needed 2 weeks off for anxiety issues and knew I would need to be covered by FMLA to keep my job. I recognized the fact that I needed a medication adjustment to practice safely and took care of myself and continued on. So, yes FMLA will cover, but it is kinda awkward communicating it to the supervisor. But I had to do what I had to do. :) Hope this helps!:nurse:

Looks like it has been over a month since the last reply...This has been a very encouraging post! I've enjoyed it. It would be awesome if it could keep going.:)

:)I would love to know some tips on effective time management. How long do you allow for each visit? Do you complete your work in the home or at your home? Do you have to go into an office or do you work from home? Thanks! Shonda

Hello Everyone, I'm interested in hearing from everyone. I would like to know where you are working and how long your orientation is/was. How many OASIS assessments did you complete with someone before you were on your own? Did anyone ask for more orientation time and how did that go? I felt my time was too short. I completed 1 OASIS by myself at home with no one helping me. My clinical manager wanted me to "jump in with both feet" because that is how you gain experience. There may be truth to that but it was too early for me. I was totally new to home health. I did about one week and went back to my manager 3 times about wanting more orientation time. I finally had to tell her that "I feel like you are not listening to me." That got her attention and she actually said to let her know again if that happens. :) I got 2 more weeks of orientation with a preceptor. The preceptor was a well seasoned nurse in home health and ER. She was awesome and I learned so much! The 2 weeks was a nice addition to the few days I had in the beginning. BTW I worked for Amedisys in Portland,OR. Shonda:D

That's unbelievable! $11.00? Which state do you work in? Shonda

To everyone that replied to my question where do you work? What is the name of your company?

berube- I do love home health case management! I loved the area I worked in; I got to see Mt.Hood almost everyday. The area is breathtaking. I found my niche in nursing, but now I'm on to search for a better company. I know they exist; our union rep has given me a few suggestions. Shonda:nurse:

Erroridiot: I consider myself a very hard worker. I was able to work here for 8 months; I had been looking for work for the last month. Something happened that broke the camel's back. There was such a buildup of crap I was experiencing that I actually quit. That is totally not my nature! It was such a hostile environment, and they kept on threatening to fire me. The list goes on and on. I walked into a trap and now I am FREE! It's great! Shonda:nurse:

Isabelle- Home health agencies are not open to unions, but the Amedisys I work for is part of the Oregon Nurses Association. They took over an agency that was unionized. And thank God or it would be worse! Unfortunately nurses leave so quickly there, they are not interested in investing the time to try to change things. I'm the one that has been out in the boonies the longest - 8 months. There was no caseload for me; I had to build up one. The Amedisys in Portland 3905 is walking a fine line with the union here. They tried to withhold my last pay check. They told me I need to do some missed visits. I told them I don't know these people, and I don't work for them anymore. I was in shock! Luckily my husband was there and told me I need to have them write down on a piece of paper why they will not give you your paycheck and have them sign it. As soon as he said that, the table turned and I got my check. The office manager said someone else will do the missed visits. I got my check and ran as fast as I could out the door! Thanks for all the responses!

I agree with you on this one!

I would like to hear from nurses that have completed either RN to BSN at Linfield (Portland) and OSHU. Anyone do it online? What is the cost? Thank you. Shonda

This question is for the RN case managers that are paid by hour vs. per visit. How does your home health agency work in mileage with productivity? The company I was working for said, "30 miles equals about one hour of time or one point". In the beginning it was my understanding that time spent on the road was worked into the productivity time. At the end of my time at Amedisys, I was traveling about 300-350 miles per week with a productivity time of 23. This is less than what they desired (25-30). After about 4-5 months, my clinical director flatout told me that mileage is not taken into account. So I was expected to do 5-6 points a day with at least 2 hours of driving, 30-2hours of case management(depending on the day), and paperwork catchup. I was working about 60-70 hours a week towards the end. What is the expectation at your job regarding miles and points? Thank you for your time! Shonda RN

1. How do you determine the homebound status for the homeless?? 2. What if you had a patient that lived in a motel at night, checked out during the day, and then lived in his car? I'm new in home health. What do you think? The skilled need is wound care. The patient is noncompliant. He does not pick up a glucometer when encouraged to do so. Frequently he does not take his medication too. I know some nurses that give noncompliant patients a good amount of time before they discharge them because they make no effort to educate, practice, etc. whatever skilled need. I do agree with this. 3. After a reasonable amount of time, can we continue care legally if the patient is not taking their meds, checking their blood sugar, etc.? If their noncompliance is prohibiting them from healing, etc., I believe that after a reasonable amount of time, they should be discharged. I'm really curious to hear from nurses that have been in home health and know the all the regulations. Thanks!

Time management classes!