In the article titled "Home Healthcare Internship and Preceptor Programs: One Organization's Journey," the importance and growing popularity of home healthcare was discussed. According to the article, nursing is shifting to community-based practice, stating that 43.8% of nurses work outside hospitals. The National Center for Health Workforce Analysis concludes that by 2020, the demand for home health services will require 248,848 RNs. In 2005 there were 152,622 RNs employed in home health nationwide. The VNA (Visiting Nurse Association) began to experience the effects of home health nursing shortages in 2002. On average, the agency was declining around 200 patients per month because of the lack of home health nurses and the rising turnover rate. An idea was proposed and eventually the pilot project took effect soon after and became a federally funded program. Essentially, the program consisted of 12 month internship program geared towards new graduate nurses, nurses returning to the workforce after completing a refresher program, and nurses transitioning to the specialty from a non-acute care setting. Preceptors initially volunteered and were provided with 20 hours of training. Before the program was implemented, nursing turnover rates were at 34%; after implementing the program for the first 12 months and after 24 months, the turnover rate declined to 10.4%. Also an additional 7,000 patients were seen per year since the start of the intern and preceptor programs.
The demand for home healthcare is obviously increasing; as nursing students, what can we do to improve the lack of concern regarding this nursing field?
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These statistics are amazing! I think that a majority of nursing students may not have any clue that the need for home health nurses will increase so drastically in the next few years. This bill is vital to the world of nursing because having home health care will probably reduce the number of people who are unable to get proper care at home and who eventually end up in the ER. With the baby boomer generation getting older, it will be essential to increase the number of home health nurses. I know a home health nurse who has explained to me some of the horrible conditions in which some of her patients are living. They do not know how to take care of themselves or they do not have someone that can help take care of them, and they are not able to get home health care nearly as often as they need. Many of them live alone and live in unclean environments. Having more home health nurses would radically help the current/predicted shortage and would reduce the outrageous number of ER visits.
ReplyDeleteWe agree with your thoughts. There are many patients who can't even afford any type of home health, so it is devastating to imagine the conditions they are living in right now. With the passage of this bill, more people will be able to receive home health which like you said will reduce the number of visits in the ED, allowing more time for critically ill patients.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. I think that this is a really crucial need. I can see how many people can't afford home health, which isn't good. The people who usually require home health are individuals who may have difficulty leaving their homes. They are a like stuck on an island, and we need to put more funds into home health those this vulnerable population can recieve the support and care that they deserve. On a side note, I really like your blog, it is very appealing and professional.
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