What kind of patients?

felineRN · Aug 3, 2010

Let me start off by saying, I'm not a home health nurse...But I did shadow a home health nurse for 4 weeks. Generally she would recertify people for medicare, do weekly assessments, make sure that all meds are up to date/not expired/no polypharmacy side effects. She would also change dressings, assess the home for the level of safety (educate about cords rugs bla bla bla). Generally her patients were elderly and lived in more rural areas. Most were dealing with pressure ulcers, diabetes, CHF, or mild dementia. I think the most time was spent patient teaching. Hope this helps.

katrenia04 · Aug 3, 2010

I worked full time Home Health Care(as a CNA) and am graduating as an LPN in Novemebr, Ive seen different clients in Home health care, the wealthy ones, that are private pay usually (Ive had 2, and did full time 40 hrs a week for) were more in need of the med box set up, and I mostly provided companionship. But theres insurance and medicade clients, car accident victims etc, where Ive had to do hoyers, catheters, wound care, etc.. HHC has its pros and cons, I was lucky getting full time with the clients I had, but some others, didnt have $$, poor housing, and its hard when you have such limited supplies, (I bought my own gloves etc) and sometimes the house is cluttered, dirty, etc.. just hard, when the environment is hard to work in. It all depends

kids · Aug 3, 2010

I am a new lpn grad thinking about working for home health. Could anyone tell me what kind of patients I would see in home health? Are any of them just "med reminder pts"? Like I would go in there check on them and make sure they took there meds for the day and help them with anything else they need?

What you describe is a home health aide/caregiver role in the area I do home health.

I do most everything-

PICC dressings & repairs, CL dressings, port access & dressings, draw blood.

Place peripheral IVs

Infusions- hemophilia factors, Fabrazyme, Remicade, etc

Phlebotomy

Wound care

Injections- Humera, Forteo, Enbrel, Cimzia, Synagis (in season)

Genotropin/Saizen teaching

Baby visits - weight checks, bili checks, bf help, etc

Tissue expander injections

G tube replacement

Foleys

Medication set ups, teaching, monitoring

and even the occasional foot care

Riseupandnurse · Aug 3, 2010

I worked home health for 9 months and I found it very challenging. Had to make a lot of decisions on the spot without any one to "bounce things off of." I found it much harder than hospital work that way. My personal recommendation is a year of acute care to give you the knowledge base you need. A lot of the other nurses at the agency had ICU backgrounds.

Blackheartednurse · Aug 3, 2010

I'm a new nurse and have been working as a home health nurse for almost two months and most patient that I see are rather stable patients with uncontrolled diabetes,hypertension,COPD,your typical chronic diseases,now and then I will get more unstable/complicated patient that was discharged from acute hospital.Most of my patients are elderly,although I do have a patient who is middle age as well.I admit patients,go on weekly visits.During the visit I do the vital signs,assess patient from head to toe,check if they are compliant with medications,teach,perform blood sugar checks and diabetic foot exam for those are obviously diabetics,coordinate care (refer to physical therapy,social worker,home health aid),supervise home health aids,lpns,communicate with doctors,write telephone orders,administer flu shots.

roser13, ASN, RN · Aug 3, 2010

As a new nurse, it is really not advisable to take a home health position, even if you can find someone to hire you.

Similar to agency work, you need a year or more of experience to draw upon to ensure your knowledge and comfort with situations and your patients' safety.

Of course you may find an agency to hire you, but that would not be an ideal situation. You owe it to yourself to get some work experience under your belt before you go into that type of situation.