Home care, A unique nursing specialty

Home care, A unique nursing specialty

his 1show 1 thought nursing would be when I was in nursing school. I see one patient at a time, I teach, the family’s involved, and I have input and c...

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his 1show 1 thought nursing would be when I was in nursing school. I see one patient at a time, I teach, the family’s involved, and I have input and can attribute outcomes almost directly to my care. What took me so long to find my niche in home care nursing?” This statement and others like it are frequently heard from nurseswho have reached a comfort level of autonomous practicein the home setting. We know home care is different. For one, the home care nurse is a guest in someone’s home. And more important, from the patients’ viewpoint, no one dictates visiting hours, the required age of visitors, what to wear, when to go to bed, what to eat, and myriad other details that historically have been a standard part of most health care facilities. The term borneedyeis used in the broadest sense. It includes home health agencies (HHAJ, regardless of auspices; hospices who provide care as an HHA, various community pro,Fams; a~d,qther,s9rrices,thatipro~i~~,~

MARCH/APRIL

1996, VOL. 1 NO. 2

HOME

CARE PROVIDER

77

MARRELLI

HOME

CARE SKILLS

1996,

VOL. I NO. 2

What is it? The patient presented with history of a red foot and no pain for 3 days after noting that her sock had a ridge in it when she removed her shoe. Test your ability to identify this colzdition. Answer on puge 90 78

HOME

CARE PROVIDER

MARCH/APRIL