Yet another new grad to Home Health Question Please Help?

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Hey all,

I have really enjoyed reading the responses everyone has posted especially in regards to the reality of home health nursing. That being said I, too, need advice.

Here it goes, I am currently in my last semester of nursing school (A.D.N). I have worked in the medical setting for close to 9 years and in the hospital setting for the last 6. During the last six years I have had the opportunity to work on different units such as Oncology/Palliative, Labor &Delivery, Mother/Baby, Pre-Admission Testing and currently Telemetry/CCU. For five of those years, I was a unit secretary; however, last year I participated in a externship and became a nurse extern. So.....I can honestly say that the more I see in the hospital the more I'm interested in nursing that provides more one on one care with the patient. I know from the postings most of you think that hospital experience is the best way to go but what if you feel as I do that from what you've seen your not interested in hospital nursing? I have worked with some excellent nurses but I just don't see myself enjoying that environment of nursing.

(Picture my earnest face filled with hope before you answer the question that follows :sniff:

Would it be so horrible for a new grad to be trained in home health similarly to an internship in a specialty floor at a hospital especially if they have the drive, commitment, passion, and realistic expectations? Please be honest with your answers. As someone else mentioned, when it comes to the pros and the cons of home health care you all do know best and I will definitely factor in your comments while I keep this in my thoughts and prayers. :innerconf

Thanks for your time in advance. :tku:

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Specializes in MPCU.

I worked in home health as an L.V.N., when I applied to the same company for an RN home health position, they said I had to have one year acute care experience as an RN before they could hire me. That seems to be the policy in most if not all Home Health Agencies. If you can get the job, go for it. Home health nursing is very different from in-hospital nursing and I'm not sure my years of acute care experience as an LVN helped me with home health nursing (as an lvn).

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Specializes in pedi, pedi psych,dd, school ,home health.

dear jdcd; although you have had hospital exposure; it is not nursing experience. even your externship has not given you the opportunity to use your critical thinking skill in an independant setting.

Home Health Nursing has evolved over the last several years to the point that you are treating patients in the community who would still be in the hospital just a few short years ago. These people are sicker and needier than ever before. When you are out there with them you need to have experience to rely on when making decisions; as you never know what will greet you on the other side of the door. It is what I always called "seat of the pants nursing" you need to draw on past experience to make critical decisions.

Please dont set yourself up this way. find a setting where you can get at least a year of experience before you go to home health. You will thank yourself for it!!!

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Specializes in Home Care, Hospice, OB.

glad to know you are interested in home care, but as a clinical director for a home care agency, i'd have deep concerns about hiring you fresh out of school. can you think of one year general med-surg as the final semester of school before you apply?:idea:

having rained on the parade, let me add an "except"...

if you applied to my agency now, and you have incredible grades, are unusually competent clinically (and have a few clinical instructors to put that in writing) a combination of confidence and willingness to ask questions, i'd think about giving you a chance fresh out of school.

hope this helps--and hope you were really looking for honesty!

best of luck!!!

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Thanks to all for your responses so far.

I will say that I would love to hear that everyone thinks this is good idea. But the reality is that I need to weigh the pros and cons heavily. I will take all your advice to heart. I most definitely do not want to be put into a situation before I'm ready. And a year can go by very fast especially in med-surg. I have contacted the the hospital to shadow some nurses in home health and hospice. So, I will get a real feeling for the profession before considering it. I do appreciate your wisdom so keep it coming. :yelclap:

Thank you,

Jdcd:

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I was hired into my first hh position while I was still an RN student. There are some agencies that will hire someone right out of school with no experience at all. This is only a good choice if you are assured of a thorough and good orientation to the whole scene. You are supposed to get a good orientation anyway, but it is more necessary for the person who is new. It is generally not recommended for someone right out of school to do hh. You need the experience in assessment and interventions and have to remember that you are out there alone with the patient. You have no backup other than who you can get on the phone. I had LTC experience when I went into hh. That was considered good enough. I would have felt more confident and better prepared had I been experienced in med surg at a hospital. Good luck.

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Hello. First I want to say...welcome! we need more nurses...we need more home health nurses. I have been a home healt nurse now for 4 years. I will NEVER go back to the hospital setting. I was scared to death when I came to home health. And I have worked a Vent floor, a Cardiac floor and a Med/surg floor. I do not think I would of felt good coming right from school into home health. Where I live you have to have at least one year exp on the floor before you can work home health. plus when you are in a patients home, alone and it is you and the patient only you have to be quick, think on your feet. you do not have the time to go look up questions ask a fellow nurse, or if your patient codes while you are standing there with them, you can't push the button and wait for help. It is you, and only you. Like i have said I have been doing this for 4 years now, I have done CPR 2 times in the home, Called 911 many times, Called for life flight many times, cried with my paitents, sat in the home with my patients as you almost 'fight on the phone with the doctor to get them some medication so the patient does not have to go and see them". home health is very different. Depending on where you are, what kind of care you do, freq visits or extended visits, it is worth it but your skills need to be sharp and you need to not doubt yourself.

I love home health, I love knowing my patients, becoming part of their families. Home health is a very special job and if you do become a home health nurse you will see its a job that not very many nurses think about, but it is well worth it!

GOOD LUCK!

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Thank you to all for your input. I do appreciate your advice and see that maybe this is something that will have to wait until I've had more exposure.

Jdcd

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