What do you think of this offer?

[Despareux]

I've been a nurse in a large city hospital for 2.5 years on a telemetry med/surg floor. I'm considering changing career paths and would like to see if home health care is a direction I'd like to go. I was offered a casual position in home health care, but I'm not sure what an acceptable wage would be; nor do I know how to calculate my hours charged/billed or whatever. I've been asking around and searching online, but I have no clear answer. So here is what I was offered.

SOC 85.00 (start of care)

ROC 75.00 (resumption of care)

Routine visit 45.00

DC visit 65.00

I make fabulous money at the hospital as a full-time RN. I'm changing my status to casual/prn just to keep my "foot in the door", while I explore my career options. My goal is to make as much or more money without working more than I already do.

[caliotter3]

No matter what the rates in a home health position, one's income is dependent upon the amount of 'business' that is sent their way. Too little, too much, or just right. You need to scope this out before you start, if you plan on replacing your hospital income. Fully understand what they are going to expect of you and if it would be substantially different if they were paying you "salary", rather than pay per visit. Many nurses transitioning from hospital to home health do it on a part time basis until they can ascertain whether this is the right move. Good luck.

[JustMeRN]

I agree with caliotter3, you need to find out how much work they would have for you before you can know if you would be able to make the money you want.

When you are paid per visit I don't believe you keep a time record for pay. You complete the visit you get paid. FWIW I find as a newer home health nurse with a fairly small coverage area I can fininsh 5-6 visits in an 6-8 hour block. Now, for agency purposes an soc is counted as 2 visits, and roc is 1.5 visits. And usually 1-2 hours of that is at home doing paperwork. An admit usually means more paperwork time for me. About an hour and a half at a visit, and an hour and a half to complete oasis and certs etc. A routine visit can be anywhere from 20 minutes (daily dressing change) to an hour, depending on the client.

IMO there are a lot of perks to home health. I have a very flexible schedule, I love being out and enjoy driving, clients are, for the most part, happy to see you and much more receptive to teaching and instruction at home than in the hospital. It is, however drastically different from hospital nursing.

[Mom2boysRN]

The rates for the different types of visits are similar to what I would expect. As others have mentioned I would want to make sure that agency is going to be able to keep you busy enough to make the salary you want to make. I've known many HH nurses that hold onto their old job as prn so that they have another source of income for when the agency is slower. Good Luck with your new position!