What did I get myself into??!! I'm scared!!!

QTBabyNurse, BSN, RN · Feb 20, 2013

Home care is a very good job and very flexible once you figure it out.
The company I work for pays salary and we are to do a set amount of points (6.5) every day. A visit is 1 point, IV visit 1.5points, Recert 1.5pts, ROC 2 pts, SOC 2.75 pts and SOC IV 3 pts. We are also payed mileage. Anything over 6.5 points is payed in a bonus check every month. I've never had a bonus check under $700 and that was on a month I didn' feel like doing much. For 2012 I made over $120,000. I do only SOCs and ROCs and have large amounts of paperwork I mostly do in the home-I do 3-5 a day and sometimes work a Saturday, have to work every 6th weekend. I am usually home by 5 and done with paperwork by 8 or 9-once home I code and type an admit note. I start work at 9am. I never carry any paperwork over to the next day, everything is locked before I go to bed. If I only do the 3 I'm done much earlier.
My kids are grown so I don't have anything pulling me in a million different directions. I date, I go out when I want to, I see my family and grandkids. I have just learned how to organize and manage so that I can do everything I want/need to.
Don't let anyone scare you, this job is what you make it. I am very laid back and don't get frazzled, I think that may be key. :-)

Can I ask what state you work in? Would you be willing to share the name of the agency? You seem to have such a great attitude and that is key!

Jess_Missouri_RN · Feb 21, 2013

I worked 2.5 years on a med-surg floor, while I loved med-surg I did not like floor nursing. I have been doing HH for 5 months now and I like it. I like that I can go to work at 7am, 9am or whenever, however I chose to go in early so I can be done early. I make around $15,000 more a year than floor nursing (averages about $300 more a week!! and less stress!!). No holidays, one weekend every 6 or so weeks. Tomorrow is ice and snow so I made sure to rearrrange my schedule and now I do not have to go out in the ice and snow, which is nice too. I just recently accepted a supervisor position that places me in charge of 3 LPN's. These 3 LPN's work in buildings and I have to do all the oasis and sup visits... not bad. The company increased my trip pay, increased my oasis visit pay and now I get an hourly pay rate for time I spend in the buildings doing sup visits, etc. I no longer make regular visits, just openings, recerts, resumptions and discharges. So far so good, I find I am very busy now and before would finish charting before coming home, but with oasis charting this is not always an option so I do chart at home sometimes. The other day I had to leave one building and head to another building because the LPN could not insert a foley, I inserted the foley and left the building. Thankfully the buildings are only about 15 minutes from each other. I am also in school for my BSN so I accepted this new position for some experience with supervising and training nurses. We shall see, I put in for my vacation today and now I am counting down the days!!

I like HH because I make more money, have flex schedule, no holidays, and I love the geriatric population :)