What skills for sure needed in home health?

[SoundofMusic]

I have been a nurse almost a year on a unit that is tele and neuro in focus. We do get your typical medical patients also, but not as often. We do our own IV's and blood draws, which has been great experience. It is absolutely adult nursing, and many of our patients are frequently discharged w/ home health nursing in their plans, so I feel at times I've already cared for these patients as it is.

What nursing skills are essential in home health? If I don't have them, I'd like to start working on getting them so I could potentially move into this field. Thanks.

[annaedRN, RN]

The biggest things are strong assessment skills ( the whole picture... med safety, home safety, compliance/risks, mobility as well as the CV, skin, elimination, etc), being comfortable with making judgement calls as you are the only nurse there, and a strong knowledge of the diagnosis/meds/procedures because not only will you need to perform skills...you HAVE to teach them...and be able to adapt teaching to the home environment. I often say that HH is not usually real acute nursing, it is real world nursing. We get to see what the docs, hospital staff can't...and often don't plan for.

Skills themselves - general med-surg skills, IV, ostomies, catheters, blood draws, wound care. You should get on the job training regarding certain things - like wound VAC, home IV pumps/chemo/TPN. You'll get familiar with ALL kinds of wound care and products to be used on certain types of wounds. I love HH...it's what I am supposed to be doing. Good luck to you! Let us know how it goes!