RN who has an idea to do CNA skills only, for nurses pay.

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This might sound crazy. I have been a nurse for 6 years and some days just feel burn't out. Sometimes I wish I could just be a CNA again, but still get my RN salary. I've had the idea to start an independent non-medical home care buisness. (Showering pt's, cooking, cleaning, errand running.) I would not have anyone working for me. I would have a lawyer write up a form basically stating that I am there only for these services and not to assess the pt medically. What do you think about this? How do you think this could work or do you think it's a crazy idea? :)

Why would she have to give up her RN license in nj you need an RN LICENSE to have A home health care company even for home health aides. I'm an RN AND I've been doing this for over 20 years . It's forums like this that inspired me to do my own consulting so I could assist nurses and non nurses in opening their businesses as to not get into trouble. I see alot of loaded questions . Please seek expert advice before opening because you definitely don't want trouble with your BONs or the Feds at state or federal level with compliance and billing .

There are slot of smaller laws that people misconstrue that gets them innocently in trouble.

Good luck fellow entrepreneur s!!

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Specializes in CCM, PHN.

It's my understanding that in most states, RNs cannot practice independently. RNs must practice under an MD/Medical Director of some kind. The concept is that RNs carry out and implement plans of care and doctor's orders. Check with your BON, but I'm fairly sure you need at least a consulting MD to issue orders.

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It's my understanding that in most states, RNs cannot practice independently. RNs must practice under an MD/Medical Director of some kind. The concept is that RNs carry out and implement plans of care and doctor's orders. Check with your BON, but I'm fairly sure you need at least a consulting MD to issue orders.

Not so, any nurse can practice nursing independently. There are a lot of things that registered nurses assess and prescribe independently of any physician input, and I'm not talking about just ANPs. RNs are not obligated to "practice under" physicians; even in facilities, our chain of command is within nursing. In fact, physicians cannot evaluate nurses in nursing practice as they are not nurses. They can evaluate how nurses implement the parts of the medical plans of care we are legally bound to implement, but cannot eval, modify or critique nursing plans of care. You can look it up.

That said, though, there are regs about how RNs can open an independent nursing practice suce as the OP is interested in.

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Specializes in General Med/Surg.

Even though it feels like it sometimes, we aren't indentured servants to doctors and CEOs. My state BON (NC) says that as long as I practice within my license scope it doesn't matter where I work, independently as the CEO of my own biz, or as a servant/worker-bee on a "unit".

My plan has been to do what WhatamIdoing's doing (hows that for sentence structure). Solo. There is most definitely a huge market for this because our competition (non-medical home care industry) is price gouging for the same services and they're done by people with no education or knowledge about healthcare. If the product you're selling is better than the rest and it's priced correctly... well, that's capitalism.

Don't be turned off from doing your own thing. It's not that way at all. The most important thing you have to do is have a knock-out business plan. I've found VAST amounts of free info via my local Chamber of Commerce and the SBA, SCORE, others. Clinicians are notoriously not as adept at the business side of running a biz, but whizzes at all things clinical!

If I had to hire help for my loved one @ 20.00/hour, do you think I'd want a CNA or a RN for that price? Hell yeah, I'd hire the RN. The public just needs to be educated about what they're paying for. I have more experience dealing with the so-called non-medical home care industry than I'd ever want. The helpers/CNA/HHA get min wage -- if their lucky -- but the agency gets 18-25/hr. Eliminate the middle person and you're getting 20.00/hr.

So go for it. You're right on!

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Specializes in Pedi.
I thought I could get the same pay, because if you call around to non-medical home health agencies they charge around $40.00 an hour just for an aide to come out. I agree with you ELKPARK though theres no way getting around the legal aspect of standard of care for highest level of education. Therefore this would not be realistic. I've thought about doing home health case management. Not sure how stressful that would be. I'm deffinitely not lazy, but feel very stressed some days working in the busy hospital. Thanks for your guys feedback! :)

Just because that's what they charge doesn't mean that's what they're reimbursed at. For example, my agency charges $120 for a skilled nurse visit. Medicaid reimburses us about $90 and some private insurance companies, the reimbursement is even less. You need to have contracts with every insurance company you intend to bill. Or are you planning on doing all private pay? The market for that is significantly less and after you pay small business taxes and buy your own health insurance, you're not going to be making as much at the end of the day as it seems.

Have you thought of just moving into Home Health as a nurse? I am WAY less stressed now than I was working in the hospital- I have better hours, I sleep through the night every night and my patients are home, where they are happier by the very nature of being in their own environment and they are, for the most part, stable.

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I know it's been awhile since you posted but wanted to see if this worked out? I am just now starting my own venture too! Pm me if you'd like!

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Specializes in General Med/Surg.

I'd love to read any updates on how this is going.

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Specializes in Hospice/Infusion.

I too am in NJ and have just opened a HHA. I am interested in your consulting. I am in the process of reviewing the P & P. I am unsure of how to become medicaid and medicare certified. It's a huge learning process.

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Specializes in Cardiac, CVICU.

I have read that some states hold you legally accountable to your highest license. Just some food for thought!

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Hi! I'm looking into doing almost exactly what you are doing. Any tips to get started, such as marketing, how much to bill, insurance, etc. ? Thanks

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