tachynut

What is a typical day like as a perioperative nurse? What do you love/hate about the job? Do you give meds/ handle IV fluids, etc, or is that more of the Anesthesiologists job? Please forgive my ignorance as it has been a long time since I was in nursing school and had my OR rotation. :)

I took a home health job after MUCH consideration. I previously worked in the ICU. I thought I had thoroughly weighed all the pros and cons, but unfortunately I greatly regret my decision. My days are LONG- 9 hours minimum. Admission charting will make you rethink your entire nursing career. I feel like all I do is work and sleep. My schedule constantly changes- I can look up all of my patients and then something happens and I have to look up new ones. This obviously adds to the length of your day. My territory is very large and my patients can be 20 minutes from eachother. Trying to fit in 5-6 patients a day, with driving time plus documentation-- it just cant be done in 8 hours (and I am a VERY organized person). I am also being frequently sent into the very bad sections of the city, though I live about 35 minutes away. I grew up in the country and unfortunately cant say I have any street smarts. It scares me just DRIVING down those streets, let alone finding a place to park, walking past the gang in front of my patients house, and going in. Talk about fear . I also have some pretty creepy patients at times-- remember, you are in their house ALONE. I carry mace, but still.. These are just some of the things that I failed to consider, so I hope they are helpful to you. There are positive aspects to the job as well-- you can start your day at home, finish your documentation at home, truly see improvement in patients, develop a connection with patients and care about them, and it is the best paying job I have had to date. I guess you just need to consider whether you are ok with very long days, and possibly being sent into unsafe situations. I noticed you mentioned about travel nursing. Most likely the places you would be sent as a traveler would be the places no one else wants to go . Just something to think about! I wish you well with whatever you choose to do! If you do take the plunge, you can always get back into the hospital if you end up hating it (I am currently applying). Like you mentioned though, you may lose a hard to find position (for me that was dayshift in a very well run ICU).

I have seen a lot of posts about all of the downsides to HH nursing, so I would like to hear what it is that you love about it? (after all there must be something or your wouldn't stay in it right?)

It is crazy busy from start to finish. Your head will spin around a few thousand times by the end of your shift, and when you try to recall everything you did in the day you will feel exhaustion just thinking about it. I love ICU nursing, but lately I am finding a lot of hospitals are understaffed for the acuity of the patients cared for. If this doesn't bother you- then I say go for it!

Ok, I just tried to leave a comment but I seems to have disappeared . I was wanting to ask the above poster about what challenges you faced in making the transition from ICU to HH? What should I look for in a company? I have several interviews lined up, and I really want to make the right decision! Any info would be helpful! Thanks!

A home health agency has offered me a FT position 8am-5pm M-F with one night a week of being on call all night long from 5pm until 8am the next day. I was shocked by this, but maybe this is normal?? How are you supposed to function the following day if you are being called out the night before? They also stated that I would at times have to drive far out of my territory (an hour). It is paid by visit so this seemed a little ridiculous to me, but I don't know what is normal? The position also comes with 2 weekends a month. This wouldn't bother me except that you don't get 2 days off during the week then to make up for it. Currently in the hospital when we work weekends we get other days off. I just thought this was normal in every job that required weekend work Can anyone enlighten me on if these things are a normal part of home health? Or should I be looking for a different agency? Thanks!! :)

Hello all! I have an upcoming interview in nursing research and would really like some input as far as how to land the job! I have 4 years of ICU experience, but only an ASN degree (for now). I have always loved research and actually read research articles in my spare time (nerd alert ). I would love to be involved in research while furthering my education and career. Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated!!! I dont really feel qualified for the job since I do not have any experience working in research. Everyone has to start somewhere I suppose!

I am struck by the vast difference of opinion when it comes to job satisfaction within home health. I am reading these posts and people seem to either really love it ("best job ever!") or absolutely hate it ("I have no life!"). What makes the difference? Is it the company? Organizational skills? Personality? What does it take to succeed and LOVE home health?

The stress that I have at work is both an emotional one and a physical one. I physically cannot be on my feet for at least 13 hours a day without sitting, eating, or peeing. My whole entire body aches and my head feels as if it will explode at the end of my shift. I am frequently having auras after work (migraine related). I have gained 35 pounds because I end up eating anything and everything when I get home, since I have not had a chance to eat all day. I hear ventilator and ECG alarms in my shower and sleep. Driving in to work I am anxious because I know I am usually up for the Code or the Admission (which is frequently a train wreck). I want to care about the little old lady in bed 6 who is ready to transfer out and puts her call light on because she is thirsty, but I am more consumed with the two other patients on the unit who are circling the drain ( I am a team player, perhaps to my own detriment). The florescent lights, the constant alarms, the Code pager, being pulled in a million different directions at once and needing 5 more of you to complete the orders that the doctor puts in but doesn't tell you about..... all of these things are very stressful to me. In addition I live about 40 minutes away from the hospital so my day ends up being around 15 hours or more. I may be glamorizing home health/ hospice. I really cannot say what it is like since I have never done it. I do know that driving- even with traffic- does not stress me out. I tend to really enjoy driving as I find it relaxing to listen to music and look at the scenery. Having one on one time with patients (no distractions!) sounds amazing. Taking work home at the end of the day-- not sure :/. I do know that I am extremely organized. I am always able to leave before the other nurses I work with because they still have to document, but I am finished. I am very good with computers/technology, and wondering if there are methods people are just not using right now that might be helpful? Has anyone tried using voice dictation to document their notes while driving? Even if it would need to be saved in another file and copied/pasted, I am sure it would cut down on time. Again though-- I have no experience in the area so you all might be laughing at me lol. The nurse that I followed when I shadowed HH in nursing school was done seeing patients by 2:30 pm. I am guessing she then went home and charted. Not sure how long charting takes usually. I certainly would not be thrilled to be documenting until 8 pm, however the fact that you are able to do it from home sounds alluring (kick your feet up, enjoy some tea, and get busy). IDK. I just need a change.

Have you found your niche in nursing? If so, how? Did you stumble blindly into it or actively seek it out knowing you'd be great at it? How many job changes did it take you to find "the one". Still searching for mine. Tell me your story!

Hi all! I am applying for home health positions, but something has me a lottle worried. I keep seeing posts about how much documentation there is, and how you are spending 12 hours every day between seeing pts and documenting. Is this typical? How many hours do you spend documenting total/ how many hours per patient? Thanks so much for any replies!

Hello!! I found this post and while I know it was from years back, I am in the same situation and am wondering what your result was? I currently work in a cardiac ICU and am looking to move into home health (for my own sanity and health!). I was also looking at Intrepid as a company. Any information would be sooooo greatly appreciated!!! Thanks! :)

Wow I had no idea HH nurses had that type of earning potential!! I see that you do case management in HH. How does that differ from the regular visiting nurse? I see some positions posted for each, and would assume I should probably only apply for the visiting nurse positions since I do not have any experience in HH yet. Any recommendations? Thanks! I am eager to get started on a new career path

I too have POTS and EDS! It has affected my nursing career in so many ways, but like others mentioned there are so many forms of nursing that I wouldnt let it stop you! I had to take a semester off from nursing school because my OI was so bad. I was terrified I would graduate and be unable to work, but I pushed through and found creative ways around things!! I wear waist high 30-40mmhg grade compression stockings to work, and they have been the biggest lifesaver. I definitely couldnt do my job without them!!! I drink water constantly and load up on sodium. When choosing a job I took many things into consideration, but primarily the temperature in the unit. I turned down 2 job offers because I felt the unit was too hot. I chose my current unit because it is freezing cold and very small (only 10 beds). The nurses station is steps away from the patients rooms. I make sure to sit EVERY chance I get, and when I start getting dizzy I chug water like I might never drink again!! All of these things have helped me do my jon up until this point. Unfortunately I am experiencing worsening OI in addition to all the stress at work. I am realistic enough to know I need to make a change, though it is a hard decision for me to accept. I feel a bit like I have failed, though I know there are many other areas of nursing I could enjoy. Currently I am looking into home health or hospice. Physically I believe these jobs would be much less challenging. Long story short- I believe it is possible with persistence to accomplish your goals, and I believe there are nursing careers that are more POTS and EDS friendly. I say go for it if it is something you feel you would enjoy!! :)

Thank you for the reply! I want to make an informed decision. I did shadow with a home health nurse in nursing school and absolutely loved it. Then somewhere after graduation I just got eager to get a job-- any job!- and got into the hospital environment. I believe there are many aspects of home health nursing that I would enjoy- the patients as you mentioned, being away from the hospital environment, having some degree of flexibility in my schedule, getting to actually eat lunch!!!, and believe it or not I actually really enjoy driving ! But I have heard about the paperwork, and how it can consume your whole life- especially if you work full time as I intend to do. How manageable do you find the paperwork to be after getting some experience with it? How much time per day would you say you spend on it? Does electronic charting make it easier (I applied at a company that is now electronic). Thank you!