The Final Frontier is from Star Trek and I hope by now you have seen the new Star Trek.
I loved working as a home health RN and I plan to transition back into home care at some point in the future. Maybe just a few visits per month just to keep my skills current. But guess what? I have been out of the thick of it for over a year and I will need to be reoriented, shadow another nurse for several days, and have some classroom and lectures components before working as a home health RN again. I will need a longer orientation period (which I am willing to do uncompensated if needed because I will be working per diem not full time or part-time) because its my license on the line when I am caring for patients and performing visits.
I am seeing more home health cases in my law practice where home health nurses are being reported to the State Nursing Board for professional boundary issues, billing discrepancies, fraudulent documentation, theft of patient property, unsafe nursing practice, drug theft and diversion, misconduct/unprofessional behavior, CPR issues, etc.
If you are planning to transition to home care make sure you have the training and orientation you need before you make the leap. There is more autonomy and less supervision in home care as opposed to working in a hospital or other healthcare settings. Having more autonomy and less supervision has legal risks.
Are you ready to manage those legal risks because you are responsible and accountable for your nursing practice? Its your license; your nursing license does not belong to the patient, family, or the home care agency.
If you are a home health nurse and you practice in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana and you are "willy nilly" in the field; I am expecting your phone call (sooner or later) and I am looking forward to working with you.
You would not walk a tight rope two stories in the air without a net, would you?
You would not dive in a concrete swimming pool head first without water, would you?
You would not eat your mother in law's cooking without taking Gas-X and Tagamet, would you?
Of course not, so don't assume the care for high acuity and complex home care patients on the skilled or private duty side without the proper training, orientation, and in-servicing.
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