Welcome to our blog! Keith Carlson has worked as a nurse since 1996. He received an Associate Degree in Nursing from Greenfield Community College in 1996, and a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 2001.
Three Positive Aspects of Home Care Nursing
Perhaps you’ve never worked in home health as a nurse but are thinking about making a career shift in that direction. Or perhaps you’re curious why some nurses love home health. Home health is a very distinct form of nursing, and while it’s not for everyone, it can suit many nurses as an alternative to hospitals, clinics, physician offices, and other health care employers.
1) One reason that many nurses love working in home health is because it allows the nurse to have varying caseloads of patients, with some patients whom they follow regularly over the long term, and some who may be short-term or episodic. The one-on-one aspect of home health is attractive to many nurses, and by entering a patient’s home, the nurse can often have the added benefit of connecting with patient’s spouses, significant others, pets, children, neighbors and friends. Being in a patient’s home can be a true honor, and being welcomed like an ersatz family member can make some of those nurse-patient relationships quite special and memorable.
2) In my own experience as a home health nurse and in speaking with other nurses about their time in home health care, the issue of personal freedom is one that is often discussed. The home health nurse is out on his or her own for the majority of the day, and that ability to be in charge of one’s own schedule and to have a fair amount of solitude during the course of a shift is a positive attribute of this type of work for many nurses.
While the home health nurse is often connected by phone (and sometimes internet via laptop) with his or her supervisors and colleagues, there is still a great deal of time where the nurse can be autonomous and free of the constraints so familiar to those of us who work in a clinic, unit or office. The ability to stop for coffee or a snack, complete clinical notes wherever it’s convenient (like a cafe, library or restaurant), listen to music while driving between patients’ homes, and have time to think without many interruptions (on a good day!) can be some of the priceless benefits of this type of nursing.
3) Aside from personal freedom, professional autonomy is also highly prized by many nurses working in home health. While any actions taken by the nurse are determined and limited by the Home Plan of Care (HPOC) that is signed by the supervising physician, there is often room for a great deal of interpretation of those orders, and some physicians with very positive working relationships with certain home health nurses will allow for that flexibility in their orders.
The home health nurse often has many choices to make within his or her scope of practice in the home, and while there are no other “clinical eyes and ears” on hand to examine a patient and offer advice or feedback, some home health nurses find this to be a particularly satisfying professional and clinical challenge.
Not For Everyone
While many nurses simply love home health, other nurses might find the solitude, the driving, and the increased autonomy either unnerving or unsatisfying. Home health is a very particular specialty, and like all nursing specialties, it’s not for everyone.
If you’re thinking about trying home health on for size, consider contacting a local agency and shadowing a home health nurse for a few shifts. You will probably know fairly quickly whether this type of nursing is for you, and whether or not it would be a good “fit” for your particular personality and nursing skills.
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