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7 reasons to become a home care nurse in RI and MA

Looking for a nursing job with flexibility, tons of career growth, and the chance to truly see how your work changes lives?

Nurses who choose home health care are discovering a path that not only fulfills their professional and personal goals — it also offers the one-on-one patient relationships that inspired them to get into nursing in the first place.

Here are seven reasons why HopeHealth’s home care is the right place for you.

1. Home care is one-on-one care

As a home care health nurse, you meet with your patients one-on-one, in the places where they live their life. That’s a unique chance to understand the factors shaping their health, and to build a trusting, long-term relationship.

“I like the one-on-one with the patients,” says HopeHealth Case Manager Lisa Moran, RN.

“You get to give them more individualized attention. I think the patients like it better and you get to concentrate on one patient at a time, which is always a good thing.”

That personal relationship with patients allows nurses to better meet their needs and advocate for them as necessary.

“Every day I feel like I’m making a difference,” says Diane Ellis, RN, a HopeHealth Visiting Nurse admission nurse.

2. You’ll share our reputation for excellence in Rhode Island and Massachusetts

For more than a century, communities in southeastern Massachusetts have counted on us for exceptional care. Our history began in 1911. Now, as HopeHealth Community VNA, we’re the community’s trusted source for home care.

In Rhode Island, HopeHealth Visiting Nurse is the only home health care agency in the state to be certified by The Joint Commission in community-based palliative care. We rank above the national average on quality measures for patient care and family caregiver satisfaction.

“We have a top rating for patient satisfaction on Medicare’s Home Health Compare,” Diane adds. “That speaks for itself. I have 100% confidence in my colleagues because we all had to work together to achieve this rating.”

The organizations’ focus on quality care also means nurses have clear protocols and backup from managers when they need it most.

Physical therapist helping patient down the stairs

3. Home health nurses have more flexibility and independence than traditional nursing roles.

Case Manager Jessica Normandin, RN, says the ability to adjust her schedule if a patient requires more of her time is one of the greatest satisfactions of her job.

“The flexibility is fantastic,” Jessica says. “I can really schedule my day the way I need to. If I know there are patients who require more extensive care on a particular day, I can adjust my schedule to meet those patients’ needs.”

Typically, she adds, nurses like handling these kinds of schedule changes on their own. But they can also call their supervisor for rescheduling assistance, especially when they can tell that one visit will put them behind enough to impact others that day.

4. You can rely on your home healthcare team.

You may be independent as a home care nurse, but you’re definitely not alone at HopeHealth.

Home health teams include social workers, occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech therapists, home health aides and other skilled caregivers working together to help patients recover from illness or surgery or learn how to manage and continue to live well with a chronic illness.

“I have a wonderful manager,” Lisa says. “I love my team. We collaborate really well. We all work well together.”

Jessica shares that teams are responsive and motivated to help when it comes to meeting the needs of patients and families.

“There’s always someone here to reach out to if you have questions or concerns,” Jessica says.

5. You’ll get educational assistance with nursing certifications and degrees.

Nurses interested in furthering their education can feel fully supported by HopeHealth. In fact, HopeHealth provides full-time staff a stipend of up to $2,500 to cover eligible educational expenses each year. Part-time staff working a minimum of 20 hours per week qualify for a pro-rated amount.

You can take your nursing education from an associate’s to a bachelor’s degree or pursue your master’s. The stipend can also be applied to certifications in palliative care, Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) reporting, HIV/AIDS, wound care or other specialties. Other eligible expenses include the costs of attending seminars, workshops and conferences and preparation courses for professional exams and certificate programs.

“There are so many different specialties that you can go into,” says HopeHealth Director of Quality and Compliance Loretta Winde RN, ACRN, COS-C.

“Now with so many programs online, there are more options to further your education,” Loretta says.

A multi-ethnic group of nursing students are attending class together. They are seated at a long table in a classroom. The individuals are working in pairs on a project. The two women seated closest to the camera are being assisted by their female professor who is showing them something on a digital tablet.

6. You’ll have room to grow and advance your nursing career.

Demand for home health services is booming. The population is rapidly aging, and more and more people are choosing to do so at home. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic introduced a new generation to the benefits of receiving care safely and comfortably at home.

The result? Home nursing professionals will be in high demand for many years to come.

HopeHealth continues to offer opportunities for nurses to advance their careers to the next level through professional education and movement to other roles within the organization.

“There’s definitely room to change positions and roles within HopeHealth,” Diane says. “That’s also great.”

7. While you take care of patients, HopeHealth will take care of you.

At HopeHealth, we care deeply about every life we touch, including yours. We’re committed to giving employees the support they need to not only excel at their jobs, but to love what they do.

That includes strong safety protocols to keep you safe, from making sure you have the personal protect equipment (PPE) you need to sick leave policies designed for your well-being.

“We don’t want you working unless you’re at 100% and feeling 100%,” Loretta says.

We also understand the emotional demands that come with a career — and a calling — in health care. As an organization, we make sure that every member of our team has the support they need to take care of themselves, along with the outstanding care they give to patients.

“We are here to support the well-being of our staff. We offer resources for self-care, provide support services through Coastline EAP, and of course welcome staff to take a mental health day when needed,” Loretta says.


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