Question

[Jam03]

Hello I have been a nurse for almost one year and I am now considering Home Health. Do you think this is a good idea for a newer nurse. Working at the hospital has really stressed me out. I would appreciate your feedback.

[KateRN1]

A lot of it really depends on the nurse and this subject has been much-discussed on this forum. The short answer is no, you need a solid foundation in med-surg and the ability to function autonomously. I would say that most nurses do not have what it takes for a good five years or more of varied experience. What has your "almost one year" been like as far as experience, patient teaching, your ability to meet deadlines, stay organized, etc?

[Jam03]

I am currently working in a Neuro ICU, Ive gotten experience with a lot of different things and monitoring. I have done some patient teaching but more to families. Also I do pretty well as far as organization goes.

[caliotter3]

Routine shift care for stable patients should be no problem for you. You might want to consider whether you want the stress that would come with home health visits though. There will be productivity goals and the bothers that go along with keeping up with a caseload and possibly doing paperwork at home on your own time. HH comes with its own set of stressors, especially in the beginning, for those not used to being autonomous.