What's good about home care nursing! Please add more...

Marcia73 · Mar 26, 2013

I should clarify: When I say I get to my visits early and chart in my car, I mean finishing the previous client's charting. I don't chart before I see a client!

paradiseboundRN · Mar 26, 2013

5. Here's a BIG one: if you have a bad back, home care may be the job for you! I've had back surgery and struggled with what kind of nursing I could do. I have very little to no lifting in this job. If I am seeing a paraplegic or someone I know may require lifting, I make sure to go when I know the aide is there so I'll have help with turning, etc...

This is exactly how I got started in home care. I've had 2 lami's and a fusion. Once I started home care I have very little problems with my back.

paradiseboundRN · Mar 26, 2013

Pros: You get to be a nurse and do all the stuff that taught you in nursing school. You meet the patient, the family, the pets, and you get to know them. You have a real connection that may last days, months, weeks. I had one patient for 2 years. You see results. You see their wounds heal and their antibiotics work, but sometimes they don't and you cry with them. You do a lot of one on one teaching and you can change someones life by teaching them about how to manage their disease. You really treat the whole patient. You may be able to help with the patients living situation, depression, inability to pay for meds. You have time to be a detective. What could be causing that rash? Why is her hand swollen? If you like doing clinical stuff, you'll have plenty of that. Home care nurses can do nearly everything at home that nurses do in the hospital except give blood. You get to drive around the community in the sunshine but also the snow storms. I could go on and on...

Cons: The paperwork is 50% of the job and you'll still have to work some weekends and holidays.

Marcia73 · Mar 27, 2013

ParadiseboundRN, those are some great points! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. You're so right about the connection you make with patients and families (and pets). :) I think that's why it's so rewarding.

greatpyr · Mar 27, 2013

I currently work with home hospice patients but will soon be doing home health care. I appreciate reading all of the positive things about home care. Yes, I agree it is rewarding to establish a connection with patient, family, and pets. It definately has a different feel from hospital nursing.

84RN · Mar 27, 2013

When I was returning to the workforce after 17 years at home with kids, HH was the area I wanted for the following reasons:

1. No 12 hour shifts...the hospitals around here all do 12s, and it's not compatible with my family life--a husband that travels frequently for work, kids at several schools and a lot of activities, and I need to be able to be immediately accessible by phone because of a child with health needs.

2. Less physical than other areas of nursing. I've had back issues and just can't do lifting and the physically demanding work required in hospitals. Even getting on the floor or reaching across a bed for wound care is less strain on my back than I had previously.

3. No weekends or nights.

I work per diem, so am pretty much able to make my own schedule---whatever the patient and I decide is a good time for me to visit, is when I do the visit. I fit my work into the school day, and can schedule patients around my kids' dr appts, field trips, and other obligations.

There are a few things I've found that I didn't think about before working in HH that I love:

Being able to run an errand or two between patients.

Getting outside in the sunshine--recharges me vs being inside a hospital for the whole day.

I can actually eat lunch---usually take lunch if it's a full day and either eat in my car while listening to music or on my phone, or stop somewhere. I've even been able to meet a friend for lunch a few times.

I know where every Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks are located in the county. I love coffee and iced tea, so stop at one of them daily, and the bonus is they have clean bathrooms---very important to know about in HH, lol.

My previous nursing experience was in Surgical/Trauma ICU and L&D, and I never, ever was interested in geriatrics. You know what? Now I love it. These patients have really grown on me, and I love having a relationship with them, getting to know them and their families, and making a difference in their lives. Some not-so-good experiences, but overall, it's been very positive, and people are so thankful for the help. I've met some fascinating people that have often given me a new perspective. After I turned the big 5-0 last year, one of my patients was talking about age, and asked me mine. She was in her 80's and said, "I'd give anything to be back in my 50's---what a great age and time in my life." At the same time, I had some friends lamenting our ages, so it was good to hear. I've taken care of Holocaust survivors, and other people that have had amazing lives, and I feel blessed to have met them.

There are definitely downsides like the mountains of paperwork, and continual audits/oversight we seem to have from our own agency and parent company, CMS, the state.

This job puts a lot of miles on my car, and I get tired of the driving/traffic sometimes.

paradiseboundRN · Mar 27, 2013

I know where every Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks are located in the county. I love coffee and iced tea, so stop at one of them daily, and the bonus is they have clean bathrooms---very important to know about in HH, lol.

McDonalds $1.00 any size drinks is awesome and they have pretty clean bathrooms.

I've met some fascinating people that have often given me a new perspective.

I have met some very interesting seniors as well. I love hearing their life stories. I met one gentleman who is an author and signed a copy of his book for me. I met a grammy winner (writes music) and a 100 year old who has traveled all over the world. I met a woman who started one of the first African American sororities at Wayne State University and went on to work for the CIA.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Mar 28, 2013

I like caring for patients in THEIR environment and I feel like, in this job, I'm actually making people's lives easier instead of making them more difficult. Working in the hospital, people aren't always that appreciative of your nursing interventions... "Here I am, I'll be here all night and I'll be waking your child up q 2hrs for neuro checks, vitals and repositioning." All that stuff is obviously necessary but people do not want to be in the hospital and when you do things that they don't like, it doesn't help. For the most part, people WANT to be at home and appreciate that your actions facilitate them being able to stay there.

jonathan104 · Jul 11, 2013

Hi, i think that it's a good topic to discuss. Home care nursing is a good job in itself. It is good especially for the women. There are so many companies like Mauds home care, Eden homecare, Bluebird care, Vivi homecare, Runway homecare which are providing home care services to the people. One who does the job in such home cares, can experience different-different elder people. In home cares, one can get so many blessings of such people.

SE_BSN_RN, BSN · Jul 20, 2013

I currently do HHC/PDN as an LPN. (Been in HHC for a little over a year, been in LTC the previous 7.) As soon as I pass my RN boards, my supervisor wants me to do visits as a RN for 6 months, then do case management. Do you think that 6 months is enough time to learn the paperwork, etc., or do you think it is too long, considering I've been with the company for the last year?

LandD_RN_chica · Jul 26, 2013

I'm glad I saw this post! I just interviewed for home health. It's nice to see the pros. I have a bad back and that's definitely a plus for me! I love helping people and I am very caring and I am excited to make a difference in people's lives if I get the job! I wrote a post on here and would appreciate any insight from any of you who would like to help me. Thanks in advance.