Wants out of Home Care

Dear Nurse Beth Advice Column - The following letter submitted anonymously in search for answers. Join the conversation!

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Hello Nurse Beth,

What is the best way to quit a new job you know is not for you? I've been a nurse for 18 years now, four as an LPN and fourteen as an RN.  My first nursing job was in private duty pediatrics. I pretty much stayed doing PDN with some stints in long term care, school nursing, and psych.  I love working in PDN.  I found my nursing passion right out of the gate.

However, due to the extremely poor pay and benefits in PDN, I applied for other homecare positions (when I say the pay is poor, it is poor. There are no raises, and in fact my hourly pay has not changed since 2008).  I got hired to do skilled visits with this company with excellent pay and benefits.  Most would think I've found the golden position.  The problem?  The documentation is really, really bad with skilled HH visits.  I had five patients this week, and I did not finish documenting until five hours later after I finished seeing my last patient.  There are also a couple of things we do not deal with in PDN that HH nurses do, like calling doctors constantly. I feel like I call doctors for orders all day.  I do not know what I got myself into.  I want out.  This will be my fourth week working. What is the best way to quit?

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Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.

Dear Wants Out,

Home Health is more stressful than private duty. In addition from going to a new, high-stress environment you have to acquire new skills. Home Health nurses have to be super organized, flexible and positive.

Documentation is the bane of Home Health, but trust me, you will get faster at it. Documentation is also the bane of acute care nursing. It's just a given in today's world. Do whatever documentation you can in the patient's home. You'll also learn to batch doctor calls and get to know the doctors you are working with.

All this to say give it some more time. Excellent pay and benefits are worth giving it your best shot before you quit. Benefits become more even more important as we get older. 

You are going through Reality Shock, which is not the best time to make your decision. Why not give yourself the gift of not deciding for a couple of months? You can always give 2 weeks' notice and quit later on, but if you quit now, you may have regrets.

Best wishes in your decision,

Nurse Beth

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