Getting Started

Hello to home healthcare nurses and the families to whom their services are highly valued. This is a weekly blog for nurses in the dynamic field of home healthcare nursing who spend four to sixteen hours a day caring for a chronically or acutely ill person in the home setting. This blog is also for families who have nurses in your home for extended periods of time delivering nursing care. Since most of my experience is with pediatric HHC, most of my information will lean in that direction, however, much of the information will apply to any homecare situation.

The focus will be on social and household etiquette when working in some one's home as a caregiver, and how to navigate the world of home healthcare agencies. Clinical skills are a must in nursing, but when in the homes of people of varying cultures, races, religions, and attitudes for four or more hours a day, two to five days per week, it takes people savvy to be successful. I will also blog about the emotional impact of caring for terminally ill children, grieving the loss of a client, self-care, and boundary issues. As the blog evolves from your input, other issues will be addressed.

I invite feedback and useful information from families that have had or currently have nurses in the home. If there are things you would like to share with all nurses doing homecare, let this be your platform. I want each blog to be a springboard for discussion and sharing ideas. I look forward to the weekly experience of posting in the hope of making homecare a positive experience for the giver and the recipient.