My experience can teach others about home health nursing
It's a noble profession, so I want to share how it works in my home
Of the 43 years that I’ve been on my SMA journey, home health nurses have accompanied me for 39 years. I know a lot about home healthcare, particularly how registered nurses and licensed practical nurses work in one’s home.
Unfortunately, not everyone is familiar with home health nursing and what it entails. That’s why home health advocates like me need to help explain it.
In this column, I’ll share how nurses are introduced to my care, and in future columns, I’ll focus on other aspects of home health nursing. Not everyone’s experience is the same, but the following is how it works in my situation.
Recruiting and interviewing
I’ve always relied on home health agencies to handle most of the nurse recruiting. This is done via newspaper ads, job websites like Indeed, and other community resources. Agencies also rely on nurses they already employ.
Before a home health agency hires a new nurse, it does a thorough background check on them. Once that’s done and the nurse is hired, they’re sent to a home to be interviewed by the patient and the family. Home interviews are crucial in determining whether the nurse is a good match for the potential client.
In every interview, with the help of my TD I-13-enhanced computer voice, I’ll ask nurses a set of questions. The first is always, “How long did it take you to get here?” This is because I’ve found that too much driving is one of the main factors that prevents a nurse from working with me.
Next, I’ll explain my three main rules, which I think are reasonable for any job: Don’t come sick, don’t come late, and don’t fall asleep.
It’s also important that I ask them to always be vigilant about how I’m doing, and to always be prepared for an emergency.
I’ll try to make them feel comfortable during the interview and mention that once they get used to the way my care is handled, it becomes second nature.
Training
At some point around the time nurses are interviewed in my home, they’ll have at least a few hours of medical training by a nursing supervisor in the agency’s office. Then they’ll be trained in my home for at least three or four days.
While training in my home, we try not to overwhelm them with too much information in a single day. Training sessions initially last about two to four hours, and the nurse that’s teaching — who has usually been working with me for a while — will finish out the rest of the 10-to-12-hour shift. One of my nurses that often does the training has been with me for over a decade.
Sometimes my mom, who is a nurse, does the training. Many parents who aren’t nurses can also do the training, because they’re already intimately familiar with the care routine.
In each training session, we’ll go over only a couple items. For example, on the first day, we might discuss airway clearance with a suctioning machine and Vest airway clearance system. When the nurse returns, we’ll review things from day one and add another detail, such as how to transfer me with a ceiling lift.
During the last couple training sessions, the nurse will usually stay for the entire shift with the training nurse, but that’s really up to the patient.
Unfortunately, there is a major shortage of home health nurses, so finding someone to interview and train can be challenging. But it’s fulfilling work, and I hope that by shining a light on what it’s like, we can convince more people to consider it as a profession.
Note: SMA News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of SMA News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to spinal muscular atrophy.
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