3rd week in home health, ready to quit

[SRbear]

I started HH 3 weeks ago, had 2 weeks of a very quick and disjointed orientation. This week I was sent out on my own, and have had 2 to 3 patients a day. It may not sound like much to the more experienced, but I have never done home health, I have been in a hospital the last 25 years. The paper work is unbelievable, but what is hardest for me is the way you have to chart..I do not think I will ever get that right ! And let's not even get into the icd-9 codes, v-codes. I was told, Oh..you will pick that up on the way. I can't even figure out how to do the frequency for visits. When I got to the office this afternoon, I was told I would have to do another start of care tomorrow.."because we have 3 new admits and no one else to do them, so you will have to do one." I have literally been in tears on several occasions. Next week I am already up to 4-5 pts. a day. I have been driving about a hundred miles a day just seeing 2 to 3 pts......I guess what is really bothering me is that after 25 years in the hospital, I knew my job inside and out....could handle any situation..now i just feel totally and hopelessly lost. I was so tired of the hospital and its short staffing, thought home care might be better...but what I see happening now is seeing pts. all day and doing paperwork at night at home. The words "I quit" keep running through my head all day. Maybe I should quit. Other home health nurses tell me to stick it out for 3 to 6 months, until I feel comfrotable and have a stronger knowledge base. I just do not know what to do (wiping away a few tears) Well that it is my vent, thanks for anyone reading through this pity party of a story !!!

:crying2:

[renerian, BSN, RN]

That is good your in a localized area rather than scattered over large multi county areas or 6 to 7 visits could not get done.

As far as the person who posted about the agency making her code/be careful/don't do it. There are legalities with coding if you are not trained correctly.

renerian

[barefootlady, ADN, RN]

Well, I fixed my schedule and told the CM, I cannot pick up anything extra, no add ons, or favors for one nurse who won't return them. I have really decided to start an all out hunt for a new job. I love the patients, families are not too bad either, but the paperwork and excuses are too much. One nurse on call last weekend took my patients RX for supplies and lost it, now she wants me to call DR for another one. Told her, you lost it, you call and explain. CM was upset I would not call, but as I told her, we are supposed to cover our own work, so let her cover it. The office staff play all month then the last week they want everything done they should have been doing all month. I am tired of hearing"this has to be done now." If that is true, then they should do it, they "lost" it or sat on it for days. My attitude is the pits, I do not like feeling this way. So I am really going to look hard, wish me luck.

[Hairstylingnurse]

Can't much blame you, I could never work in such disorganization. Are u gonna look for another HH agency or a different field of nursing? Well I wish u the best of luck in whatever u do. And let us know what happens.:) :)

[barefootlady, ADN, RN]

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone of the posters on this BB for allowing me to vent the last week. I had a long and sincere talk with my hubby last PM and he is backing me 100% in my decision to get out of HH. I plan to return to the hospital, I am an organized, time orientated nurse. I need the routine and I think I offer much to the patient and staff when I work in that environment. I will keep you posted and I wish everyone a safe and productive work week.

[graysonret]

I've been in HH now since July, and I found it as the break that I needed. After 16 years of nursing...much of it in hospital/nursing home settings...I was getting "burned out". I knew I was in trouble, when I began to envy people in other jobs, where the only response to an emergency was "911". (LOL). I work now a straight week, M-F, with 5 hours of overtime. Respiratory peds is my preference. I like the relaxed atmosphere and the appreciation that I get, more than I would at a facility. For now, I quite happy with HH, but I've promised myself at least a week a year, back in a facility...just to keep my skill level up.

[Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN]

barefootlady,

Sorry it didn't work out. Sometimes we do go from the frying pan into the fire. Sometimes, the fire makes the frying pan start to look good. I know, having been crispy-fried a few times, myself. :angryfire :roll

I'm glad you have a hubby who supports you in your decisions. That makes a big difference. Good luck to you and let us know how things go at the hospital.

[CseMgr1, ASN, RN]

I was supposed to start with 2 pts.per day this week, building up to 3 at end of week. Next week starting at 3, building up to 4, then next week, full load (and I have no idea how many that will be). This is what was told to me by the nurse orienting me. Well the nursing supervisor is not sticking to that. This morning she told me I had to do a SOC, along with my 3.....this start of care was about 45 miles from where I would be, and just seeing these 3 today I knew I would log about 100 miles. I told her that was not how things were set up for me, and I got this story about how pts. had to be seen, I could worry about the paper work later. Later when...on my own time....? I told her I had been in nursing way too long to start working for free now, and that I would see my 3 pts. today, but it would be my last day. She called me about an hour later...asking me to think it over on the week-end, and that HH nursing changes a lot, and I must be flexible. I told her I was still in orientation, and if they could not stick to what they said my load would be, then maybe this job was just not right for me. I can be flexible....but I am still learning this job, and I feel they are not as concerned about what kind of job I do, just as long as a pt. gets "seen" Maybe I am being unrealistic. But dang it, I feel like I have been lied to and taken for granted already. This is why I left the hospital...just being treated like a number, being given too many pts. to actually give good nursing care to. But I see now, this seems to be happening in all areas of nursing. I am going to stick it out for a while, but I will be searching for other avenues of employment. You know the old saying "the best time to find a job is when you already have one!" The sad thing is that this HH company was started by a bunch of nurses 2 1/2 yrs ago. How quickly we forget !

You're not being unrealistic. They are. I worked in home health for 18 years, and left it for good back in 2000, after they dumped 12-16 visits on me both weekend days, then proceeded to cut my salary by $1.60/hr. I got tired of the lying, of being ordered to see patients who were not homebound or did not require skilled care, while leaving behind those others who desperately needed the services. You don't need this garbage. Utilize your years of experience in case management or managed care, like I did.