There are many reasons why Cobble Hill’s YourChoice at home, an affiliate of Cobble Hill LifeCare and a Certified Home Health Agency (CHHA), might be the perfect choice for your nursing career. We sat down with Operations Manager Ruth Damour, who shared her insights into what you can expect as a homecare Registered Nurse.
Hint: Autonomy and flexibility are a couple of major perks!
Q: What experiences do you look for when hiring Fee-For-Service (FFS) or full-time nurses?
Regardless of the position, we look for Registered Nurses who are outgoing, enthusiastic, and passionate about serving people in their homes. RNs must have strong time-management, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. And reliability is crucial!
FFS nurses should have prior nursing experience in homecare or med-surge; that background is also a plus for full-time nurses.
We also hire new graduate RNs specifically for full-time positions. While we would love to offer FFS opportunities to newer nurses, they must first get the proper, consistent training and experience.
Q: What schedules do full-time Registered Nurses work?
One of the perks for our homecare nurses is that they have the autonomy to schedule their own visits. While most full-time nurses work the traditional 9-5 schedule based on the needs of their patients, nurses have some flexibility to start as early as 8 a.m. or even start their day later to work after 5 p.m. If needed, nurses can work on weekends, too.
Q: What populations will nurses work with?
In some areas, we service a high population of pediatric clients, while other areas are primarily adult and geriatric. Full-time nurses provide care to all throughout the lifespan, from newborn to geriatric patients.
Because of their per-visit schedules, FFS RNs can select the populations they want to work with.
Q: What locations will Registered Nurses visit?
All of our patients are located throughout Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan. Full-time nurses are assigned to areas based on the organization’s needs, but they tend to work in the borough they live in, making commuting time more manageable. To avoid any conflicts, we don’t assign nurses to work in the zip codes they reside in.
FFS nurses can choose the areas they work in!
Q: How are patients assigned, and how are visits scheduled?
Patients are assigned according to zip codes, and each nurse is responsible for scheduling their own visits.
Q: Is there a minimum number of visits nurses are required to make each week?
Full-time nurses are expected to make at least 35 visits per week, but that number could shift depending on the visits needed. For example, if there are admissions, the number of visits each week could decrease.
FFS nurses don’t have a minimum number of visits they are required to meet!
Q: What training is provided?
Orientation is individualized based on the knowledge and experience of the RN. Before going into the field, nurses are oriented on the principles and practices of community health nursing, documentation requirements, and the use and operation of the YCHA electronic medical record software. (And don’t worry, we will teach that!)
After the classroom training is completed, the RN will shadow an experienced nurse and slowly transition to making visits under supervision and then eventually making visits independently. We encourage straightforward communication, so if the nurse needs more time shadowing, we’ll talk that through.
Q: How does the CHHA work with the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) part of the business?
YourChoice at home is an affiliate of Cobble Hill LifeCare, meaning we offer full-cycle care in our facility and patients’ homes. Discharge planning is an essential aspect of care provided at Cobble Hill. The social workers in the SNF refer clients to our homecare team for services in the home upon discharge. YourChoice at home also offers physical, occupational, speech therapy, and social work services.
Q: What does the team partnership look like?
RNs report to the nursing supervisor, and we all work as an interdisciplinary team with physical, occupational, and social work. Nurses also work with office staff to manage and coordinate care services.
There are lots of reasons why homecare nursing might be the right choice for you. Flexible days and working hours or supplemental income to complement another job commitment are only a few. Consider your next career choice with YourChoice at Home. We’re hiring both full-time and FFS Registered Nurses, and we can’t wait to meet you!