transitioning from home health nursing back to hospital

[ktrn03]

Hi, I'm new to allnurses.com. I am trying to find tips on transitioning from home health nursing back into the hospital setting. I have been unable to find anything on the web, so thought I would see if you guys have any advice or tips. I have accepted a job in the Assessment Center of the Admissions department at a local hospital. I am told that I will be completing admissions assessments and initiating care on direct admit patients as well as float to ER and the floors to do their admission assessments. I will be starting IVs, foleys, ordering labs, getting a bed for the patients, handling any stat orders. I thought this might be a good position to transition back into the hospital. As an RN I have been in home health for the last 3 years, worked 6 months in ICU as a new grad. Prior to that, worked prn as an LVN on weekends while completing RN courses. Has anyone worked in this type position? I am told this is a fairly new concept and have not been able to find any info on the web about this either. Any advice on transitioning back into the hospital would be appreciated.

[donormom]

I have never been a home health nurse, but it sounds that you have found a good position to start in. I am sure that you are used to doing assessments, foleys, and blood draws.

The hardest thing will probably be the paperwork. Isn't it always!!!

Karen

[gr8rnpjt, RN]

I think it is a great plan to get your feet wet again! I was out of nursing for 7years and took a refresher course to get back into the hospital. Then I left for an office job at an insurance company after 3 years back "in the trenches". But the position you describe sounds like a great way to get back into it. Congratulations, and good luck!

[ktrn03]

Thanks guys. I appreciate the vote of confidence. It's kind of scary thinking about returning to the hospital, but I think the position I took will help ease the transition. It's only an 8 hour shift too. Thanks again.

[PANurseRN1]

Haven't worked in that particular position, but I did go from home care to ED. It can be done. Good luck!

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

I've held a position such as you've described, and as much as I hate to say this, it was the hardest work I've ever done.

For two years I was an admissions nurse working 11 AM-7PM, and the more I did, the more management and my co-workers expected, until I was handling as many as 10 admissions, sometimes on two or even three different units, per 8-hour shift. Sometimes I had to admit several patients simultaneously. I was constantly being pushed, pushed, pushed to get the admissions done so I could hand them off to the floor nurses and do the next one, but then I'd end up having to KEEP them! I'd get the paperwork done, start the IV, put in the Foley, initiate AND process the admit orders, and in the middle of all this I'd get another admission while I was doing all the care for my other four or five admits.

If I'd known then what I know now, I'd never have taken that position........sure hope your experience is better than mine.:stone

[ktrn03]

I sure hope my experience will be better than yours was too! The plan is for me to have around 8 weeks orientation before going to my regular shift on my own, which is to be 3 pm to 11 pm. How did you handle all of that at one time? Do you have any advice for time management or organization? I thought this would be a better way to transition back into the hospital than trying to do med-surg. I also interviewed for a Recovery position, but decided that I should wait until I am comfortable being back in the hospital before doing that. My hours for Recovery would be 12 noon till 11:00 pm. I don't think I would be comfortable trying to recover a patient at 10 or 11 pm without any other Recovery nurse there, so I went with the Assessment Center position. Any advice would be appreciated.