Home Health here in the hills of WV

Noryn · May 19, 2007

The last time I was in the Beckley area which was 4-5 years ago the average pay was around 17-18 dollars in the hospitals. My friend who is a CCRN was recently offered a job at one of the hospitals making about 20 dollars an hour and she has about 20 years experience.

I did briefly work home health in the Beckley area. I honestly cannot remember my salary but the low 20's seems right. Mileage was also like 31 cents per mile I think but gasoline was MUCH cheaper. We only did 2 counties but just in 2 counties I could easily have a 80-90 mile round trip. 6 Counties seems like way too many, especially given the rural nature of WV as it takes an hour sometimes to go 35-40 miles. I could easily see how someone could have a 300 mile round trip with that many counties.

I also thought you had to have an office within 1 hour of your client. Anyway I agree with your friend, there is no way I would take that job.

gitterbug · May 20, 2007

Hi Noryn,

I was just so surprised at the things she told me after she talked with the nurse over this HH agency. Yes, I know just how rural things are up here, I can travel almost 10 miles for a loaf of bread if the local little store is out. LOL!

I think she was surprised that this agency just expected her to be thrilled at the prospect of covering these 6 counties. Several nurses here are going to Ohio,NC, or Va for weekend work. They all awear nursing is better there. Don't know but I sure know things are awful around many of the facilities here in southern WV. I am hearing some buzz about the Clarksburg area too. Oh well, I just wondered if this was a normal pitch from a HH agency.

Have a great day.

Noryn · May 21, 2007

It really is unfortunate but in that area, it really is bad. I have had 2 relatives in hospitals down there in the past 6 months and the care was pathetic. There are great nurses there but the administrations are just horrible. I honestly hated to move, but if you live there your options are really limited and I was miserable going to work. I even took a job in Dunbar and Nitro while living in Beckley, talk about a long drive!

Again though I cannot get over the 6 county thing and I swear I thought your office had to be within an hour of the patient. In my opinion they are either running the agency really ineffective, if they have to serve 6 counties and have not expanded or they have multiple offices and are understaffed. There should be enough patients in at least 2-3 counties for them.

gitterbug · May 21, 2007

Good Morning Noryn,

I have to agree with you regarding the administrations in the local facilities. There seems to be no end to the demands they make, and, of course, the customer is always right. RGH is the absolute worst, but for all of the union talk, BARH is not so far behind. There is someone who presents herself as a representative of the nurses in the area, is tight in the political scene, but she rolls over on any issue that does not follow exactly what the company wants. My SNL, swears some of the best nurses he has ever worked with are here in WV, he says we are not all primadonnas, have a real concern for our patients and their care, but he says the administrations of the facilities are the pits. He only gives good words to the facilities in Huntington. Maybe another 20 years will show some improvments. LOL!

Noryn · May 22, 2007

Dont get me wrong, I love the Charleston and Huntington area but it isnt "home" to me like Southern WV is. I would love to go back there to live and work but it just isnt worth it. I am not really even doing nursing anymore but sometimes I wish I would have applied to the VA in Beckley and stuck around but there are so many non hospital options in Charleston for nurses. You can work at insurance companies, be state inspectors, actually there are a number of state positions you can work in, more opportunities to be a legal nurse consultant, and more teaching opportunities.

But yeah the administrations and even the parent companies of the other hospitals in the area are horrid.

gitterbug · May 22, 2007

I get you. The hot dogs at DQ here are the best,not to mention sneaking off to King Tut's for old fashioned curb service. Setting on the porch and waving at neighbors or chatting over the fence is still big here. I have not been to Charleston in weeks, no reason to go. Have a great day.

Noryn · May 24, 2007

OMG is Wildwater Joe's still around? Those were the best hot dogs and they were cheap too. I remember I had some family in and I told them we could get some 50 cent hot dogs and they were a bit taken back, I guess from being used to convenience store hot dogs for 1.69. Anyway they could not believe the hot dogs from Wildwater Joe's.

That was probably my favorite place to eat of all time.

gitterbug · May 27, 2007

I hate to say that I do not know if Joe's is still open. You are correct that the "dogs" were very good there too.