What is an HCA?

sweetVTnurse · Dec 23, 2005

Home Care Attendent. I was an HCA through a home health agency before nursing school. Basically what the title states. I assisted elderly patients at home with meal prep, laundry, cleaning, shopping, light cooking and most importantly just visiting. No personal care. It was a great job at the time. Very rewarding. It was like having grandparents all over the community. They were always very appreciative. The drawback was becoming so close to them personally because you were spending hours with them in there homes. Hope that was what you were looking for.

By the way . . . how do you you get the cool icons, etc under usernames??

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Dec 23, 2005

If you pay for a premium membership, you're allowed to have avatars under your username.

BTW thanks for answering my question! :)

And welcome to these forums!

lexcourben · Dec 23, 2005

HCA is also a group of hospitals. There are several throughout Texas. I believe it stands for Hospital Corporation of America. I think this is the group that the father of Bill Frist (Senate Majority Leader) started many years ago.

Sandy

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Dec 23, 2005

HCA is also a group of hospitals. There are several throughout Texas. I believe it stands for Hospital Corporation of America. I think this is the group that the father of Bill Frist (Senate Majority Leader) started many years ago.
Sandy

Perhaps this was the answer I was seeking.....

Do you know why the HCAs in Texas have such a bad reputation? I heard that the quality of care was really poor, wages are low, and to basically avoid HCAs as a place to consider working. Thanks in advance! :)

lexcourben · Dec 23, 2005

Sorry, wish I could tell you more about the working environment but I don't really know what it's like there. I do know that HCA has been in the news alot lately due to their financial problems.

burn out · Dec 23, 2005

i have worked for an hca hospital for 8 years and find them to be not much different than cny other for profit hospital such as columbia and alot better than some of the other non-profit hospitals around. they have good staffing and pay at higher pay scale than the local community hospitals in the area.

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Dec 23, 2005

Sorry, wish I could tell you more about the working environment but I don't really know what it's like there. I do know that HCA has been in the news alot lately due to their financial problems.

I have worked at an HCA hospital in Texas. It's a terrible place, where nurses are treated badly and pts are treated worse. Avoid HCA if you don't want to risk your license every day.

A nurse who was abused by HCA had a web site about her experience. Her site is defunk, but if you google HCA uncaring you can still get a few tidbits.

lesrn2005 · Dec 23, 2005

I started working for an HCA hospital as pct during last semester of nursing school. The day I recv'd my RN license-I was given 10 pts my very 1st day at work as an RN. Spent the whole day chasing my tail and passing meds. I knew w/in 1 week this was not the place for me. Started looking immediately and found another hospital that gave me a nice long orientation, and the most pts I have on the med-surg/tele floor is 6. HCA has a bad reputation where I live.

Corrin1RN · Dec 23, 2005

I work for a hospital that was bought out buy hca about 7 years ago. The pay is great, great benefits, no more than 4 pts on a tele/stepdown floor, and managment is working hard to better our hospital. I think It has more to do with the managment at each individual hospital than HCA. Then again It could be different in other parts of the country.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Dec 23, 2005

Okay. It seems to me that these so-called HCAs are getting mixed reviews from their former employees so far. Some say they're good and others say they're horrible. Hmmm.....

That's just what I was seeking: a mixture of viewpoints rather than something lopsided. Thank you all for enlightening me!

HyperRNRachel · Dec 23, 2005

Commuter, I sent you a PM.