Great Lakes Home Healthcare and Hospice, Erie, PA

            Before the start of my senior capstone experience at Great Lakes Home Health and Hospice in Erie, Pennsylvania, I experienced nervousness as I did not know what to expect and what was expected of me as a student.  In the past whenever I thought of home health nurses, I pictured an older nurse visiting patients in their homes assisting with activities of daily living and taking vital signs.  I soon learned that this is not the case.  The first morning of my experience I went to the main office to meet with the director of nursing for the company.  She was very welcoming, told us about the company and introduced myself and my fellow classmate to everyone in the office.  The director made us feel very comfortable and our nerves were easily forgotten.  Our preceptors met with us, gave us a brief overview of their typical days with patients and then we were off to meet with our first patients. 

            Only two patients were scheduled for the rest of the first day since it was already after noon.  We walked into the first patient’s home and the strong smell of cigarette smoke filled my nostrils.  In the recliner chair was a woman in her seventies smoking a cigarette with a dog on her lap.  Old newspapers, cigarettes, and boxes of cereal surrounded her.  I did not expect what I saw in front of me going into this experience.  My nurse and I had to move dog toys, clothes, and magazines in order to sit on the loveseat and get organized.   Basic medical care was performed with every patient as well as a full head to toe assessment.  The only aspect that was different from what I imagined was the patient’s environment.  I was used to walking into a patient’s room in the hospital which is a controlled environment that is constantly monitored.  With home health, the care provider does not know the majority of the time what they are going to see or experience when they walk into a patient’s home.  Throughout this senior capstone I may experience many different situations that may make me uncomfortable but in the end it may help me develop more into a well-rounded nurse. I am excited for what this experience has to offer!