VNA/Home health pros and cons

Specialties Home Health

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I've done Med/surg, LTC, Rehab and now I am thinking of changing to Home Health. I just wanted to find out the pros and cons of this line of work.

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A perusal of the home health forum will turn up many threads that cover this topic.

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I love the independence in home health, getting to know your patients over time, the one on one care (rather than having to worry about 5-6 at a time), no interruptions from other patients, doctors, radiology, surgery, etc during patient care, getting to spend more time with each patient, and actually getting to see them improve over time. Personally, I feel like I help people more than I ever could/had time to in the hospital. And the hours are much better, I get more time with my family, and I'm much less stressed than I was when I worked in the hospital.

For me, cons are the wear and tear on your car and lots of paperwork, and that patients might call you late at night about a problem they have with say their pleurx catheter/wound vac/IV pump, but I can deal with those parts, in my opinion the cons of home health are much better than all the craziness I had to deal with in the hospital. :)

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Did you ever have a situation or emergency in a home. You are by yourself so you can't call a "rapid response" or notify a charge nurse who is right there.

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Personally I haven't but I haven't been a home health for that long. Only a few months. When I was in orientation my preceptors patient had an emergency and we called 911 and she was taken to the ER. If I would call RRT in the hospital then I'd call 911 in the home. But if I have a problem, like I can't get a blood draw or something and I need another nurse to help, I can always call a coworker and the supervisors in the office are very good at answering questions I have on the field. Does that answer your question?

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Thank you. I could just imagine being in someone's home and looking like an idiot because I can't do something and I have no back up.

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Specializes in Cardiac (adult), CC, Peds, MH/Substance.

When in doubt, whip it out.

It being a phone.

With which to call 911.

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