You may want to consider looking at less desirable career options such as a nursing home o

Editorial Team / Admin · Jan 3, 2015

For many nursing students, the image of a nurse is someone who works in a hospital- non-acute settings are an unknown. For some who never leave the acute care setting, non-acute settings are viewed as less desirable. For some who are looking to move into advanced practice, acute care experience is a must, and non-acute settings are less desirable. It's all in the eye of the beholder- I'm sure there are some nurses working non-acute settings who see working in a hospital as less desirable. It's all a matter of opinion, and it's okay for others' opinions to be different.

caliotter3 · Jan 3, 2015

Sometimes it bolsters one's sense of self to have another to look down upon.

Libby1987 · Jan 3, 2015

It's been a very good career for me.

I am paid well and treated well.

I teach, treat, asses and advocate.

I can call nearly any MD office and my concerns are considered and responded to.

I walk into a home with an anxious overwhelmed family and start solving problems.

I love wound care, am often relied on to make wound care recommendations and see them to closure.

I can earn the trust of a resistant/angry/scared patient or family in a matter of minutes and see the tension visibly reduced.

I work with a team who are vested in our cases.

My schedule is flexible and I've rarely had to miss anything family related.

Not all agencies are created equal and living in your own territory (make sure you have or build a territory) makes all the difference in terms of time, money, flexibility and ability to appear to be going over and beyond (when it was really just on your way home).

It takes an investment of time and energy to become an excellent home health nurse/case mgr, home health is not easy, but to think it undesirable is really laughable from my perspective. Especially reading the complaints from hospital based nurses, good grief the conditions that they have to put up with. Complaints are across the board, there are complaints in this forum that make my eyes bug out, but if you get your needed experience and work hard at it for a few years, you can position yourself with a good paying job with good working conditions.

I've made in the low 100's these last several years, I work hard but I also love much of it.

Purple_roses · Jan 3, 2015

I actually just spoke last week with a home care nurse who does wound care for one of my clients. This is her second year in home care after working for years in a hospital in critical care. She loves her home care job so much more. My thought is, it's a good thing everyone is different because we need all sorts of nurses. Before getting my home care CNA job, I'd always pictured myself working labor and delivery after nursing school. But after spending some time in this setting, I could honestly even see myself as a hospice nurse. To me, a desirable job is any one that I'll be happy doing.

Stephalump · Jan 4, 2015

Less desirable doesn't mean "bad career choice."

I'd be willing to bet money that the difference in the number of applications for every home health job and the number of apps per hospital job is exponential.

I work in psych...it's less desirable because droves of new nurses leave wanting to go to the er, icu, l&d, and med surg jobs. Not so many sit and dream of doing what I do every day!

Janerivers · Jan 4, 2015

Once you have a solid clinical background, home health is awesome. It is perfect if you are independent, able to manage a caseload, are organized and understand how the effectively and expeditiously chart. It is a very satisfying, important, well paying and gratifying career. Hospitals are for task oriented nurses. Home care is for those who love teaching, collaboration and case management.

nurse.j., ASN, BSN, MSN · Jan 4, 2015

fin0814 -

I also got this sort of reaction when I told one of my friends (who's not an RN...works for a HH supply company doing sales) and it made me upset. I've actually worked in the hospital as a RN and experienced acute care in that setting and know its not for me. The schedule (loooooong 12+ hours days and commuting, holidays and weekends) and environment (poor management, short staffing, 6+ pts a shift and no time to even pee/talk to my pts/breathe) do not fit my life/sanity and I am excited and terrified to start my first HH RN position next month :) I feel like in HH I will actually get to spend time with pts, hone the skills I don't have time to do in the hospital like lab draws, wound care and education! I love teaching and on my busy floor we hardly do any of these things because we have teams who do it...otherwise we'd never finish our work. Lil.

She tried to tell me that I won't like working M-F with the option to take my work home...when that would make my life so much easier as a single mom (which she has no kids). Daycare will be a cinch now and I can build a normal routine for my little one. I can actually spend time with my family on the weekends and be home every night to make dinner (even if I don't feel like it lol). How would anyone know what I will like in the field of nursing when I don't even really know? Lol I think the greatest thing about nursing is there is a job out there for all of us...and it may take a few years to find it...but I think switching gears and taking the leap to try something different is good. Good luck in your new endeavor! We will both have to check back in with each other in a couple months and see how its going! :)

messymissy · Jan 4, 2015

Please don't let someone's lame remark rain on your parade. Everyone's life/work experiences are different. From your posts it sounds to me that you will make a most excellent HH nurse.

Good luck and enjoy your new job!

fin0814 · Jan 4, 2015

Hi Everyone,

I really appreciate all your comments. I am SOOOO excited to be starting in this field after many years in med/surg. I am looking forward to actually talking to my patients, not having my call bell ring every two seconds. I am not going to miss the "back-stabbing" that occurs on the floor and the poor staffing where I end up with 8 patients, four on restraints, one detox patient, two postop, etc. etc. I am very grateful for the experience that I have had as a med/surg RN and know that it is going to benefit me greatly in the field. After accompanying a nurse on a "ride-along" I knew that HH was for me. I am busting at the seams, I am so excited to start. I have orientation in two weeks and just can't wait to start. I started my career in med/surg and never thought I would leave. After dealing with violent patients and management that did not give care, I finally decided to make the move and I know this is the best thing for me. I will have to get used to working five days a week, but I am sure not having to work weekends and not being so stressed out about having to go work will make it all worth it. I am proud to be part of the HH family and will keep in touch after I get a few months under my belt. Wish me luck as I know my learning curve will probably make me cry for the first six months but I am going into this with my eyes wide open. I am going to be the best HH RN in my area!!!!

Libby1987 · Jan 4, 2015

fin0814 -
I also got this sort of reaction when I told one of my friends (who's not an RN...works for a HH supply company doing sales) and it made me upset. I've actually worked in the hospital as a RN and experienced acute care in that setting and know its not for me. The schedule (loooooong 12+ hours days and commuting, holidays and weekends) and environment (poor management, short staffing, 6+ pts a shift and no time to even pee/talk to my pts/breathe) do not fit my life/sanity and I am excited and terrified to start my first HH RN position next month :) I feel like in HH I will actually get to spend time with pts, hone the skills I don't have time to do in the hospital like lab draws, wound care and education! I love teaching and on my busy floor we hardly do any of these things because we have teams who do it...otherwise we'd never finish our work. Lil.
She tried to tell me that I won't like working M-F with the option to take my work home...when that would make my life so much easier as a single mom (which she has no kids). Daycare will be a cinch now and I can build a normal routine for my little one. I can actually spend time with my family on the weekends and be home every night to make dinner (even if I don't feel like it lol). How would anyone know what I will like in the field of nursing when I don't even really know? Lol I think the greatest thing about nursing is there is a job out there for all of us...and it may take a few years to find it...but I think switching gears and taking the leap to try something different is good. Good luck in your new endeavor! We will both have to check back in with each other in a couple months and see how its going! :)

A lot of hh staff hate having charting to do at home but for me, it allowed to be home in the afternoons with my son, get him set up and dinner started (or whatever) and then sitting down at the kitchen table to do my charting which was actually good for him, I was there with him doing my "homework" while he was doing his.

Or I could be doing it in my car while waiting for BB or FB practice to finish and actually take my own kid home.

Libby1987 · Jan 4, 2015

Hi Everyone,
I really appreciate all your comments. I am SOOOO excited to be starting in this field after many years in med/surg. I am looking forward to actually talking to my patients, not having my call bell ring every two seconds. I am not going to miss the "back-stabbing" that occurs on the floor and the poor staffing where I end up with 8 patients, four on restraints, one detox patient, two postop, etc. etc. I am very grateful for the experience that I have had as a med/surg RN and know that it is going to benefit me greatly in the field. After accompanying a nurse on a "ride-along" I knew that HH was for me. I am busting at the seams, I am so excited to start. I have orientation in two weeks and just can't wait to start. I started my career in med/surg and never thought I would leave. After dealing with violent patients and management that did not give care, I finally decided to make the move and I know this is the best thing for me. I will have to get used to working five days a week, but I am sure not having to work weekends and not being so stressed out about having to go work will make it all worth it. I am proud to be part of the HH family and will keep in touch after I get a few months under my belt. Wish me luck as I know my learning curve will probably make me cry for the first six months but I am going into this with my eyes wide open. I am going to be the best HH RN in my area!!!!

Just remember that you are going to cry for the first 6 mos. You will be blown away by the amount of documentation and you will be learning how to be responsible for reimbursement. No more just being assigned, you will have to learn all of the reimbursement criteria and regulations that are unique to home health as well as doing procedures in a variety of home environments.

Its is all doable but the first 6 mos will tough. My first 6 mos back, and I was an experienced HH nurse prior to my SAHM years, I was home late every night crying to my bestie in business about how hard it was, how everything was a challenge, (new procedures in the home, finding the labs, getting lost, learning my resources and providers..) and I just couldn't get it done in 8 hrs.

I did it though and it got better with more time.

One tip, your resources such as the lab, the infusion companies, Coumadin Clinics, the DME's..they are very helpful in walking you thru the steps. Just call them and say you've never set up a patient with colostomy supplies or made an APS report etc and need some help, they'll take you thru it. In fact try to make as many relationships as possible. And put every contact number you come across in your phone.