How Some Home Health Agencies are Over Promising & Under Delivering!

Home health care is a popular option for patients who prefer to receive medical care in the comfort of their own homes. However, many home health agencies are not adequately preparing their new nurses for the unique challenges of this field. This lack of proper training and support can lead to new nurses feeling overwhelmed and frustrated, causing them to quit the agency and the field of home health altogether.

Although many agencies advertise that they are open to hiring new nurses, without proper training and onboarding, new nurses are left to navigate the complex environment of home health care on their own. This can be especially challenging because home health care is vastly different from other healthcare settings, requiring nurses to manage multiple patients in different locations, coordinate care with family members and other healthcare providers, and navigate complex regulatory and financial requirements.

Agencies that are committed to supporting their new nurses must invest in training programs that cover a wide range of skills and topics. These programs should focus on case management, including time management, managing difficult patients and environments, as well as regulatory and financial aspects of providing care in the home setting. New nurses should also receive hands-on experience and guidance from experienced clinicians (preceptors or mentors) to help them gain confidence and build the skills they need to succeed in the field.

By failing to provide adequate training and support to new nurses, we are not only doing a disservice to those individuals, but we are also shrinking the future pool of clinicians available to provide care to patients who need it. To ensure that patients receive the high-quality care they deserve, we must invest in the training and support of new nurses entering the field of home health care.

In conclusion, home health care presents unique challenges for healthcare providers, but also offers numerous benefits to patients and their families. Proper onboarding and continued training are essential to prepare new nurses for these challenges and ensure that they have the skills and confidence they need to provide the highest quality of care. Home health agencies must take advantage of the flexibility that attracts new nurses to the field of home health by investing in comprehensive training programs and supporting their new nurses through the transition to the home health setting.