Fundamentals in Home Health
An Instructor-Led Online Learning Course

For professionals transitioning into home health or those who desire a refresher course in home health.

Fundamentals in Home Health is an online course that has been written, designed and developed by home health nurses. There are two unique ways to take the course: Facilitated and Independent Study (non-facilitated). The Facilitated Course will have two weekly conference calls led by a home health care professional, and will last 4 weeks. The Independent Study Course will allow the user to complete the course at their own pace. Both Courses will complement and enhance a home health agency’s orientation process. 24 continuing education credits will be granted upon completion.

Prerequisite: You must be a Registered Nurse.

Divided into four dynamic modules:

• Module 1 - Introduction and History
• Module 2 - Planning the Home Visit
• Module 3 - Making a Home Visit
• Module 4 - Clinical Application

The course is designed to work in conjunction with the home care agency to transition RNs with experience in other settings into the home health environment. The course is also effective for RNs who desire a refresher in home health nursing. The course is expected to take anywhere between 2-10 weeks to complete depending on which format of the course the student chooses to take.

To participate, the home care agency must:

• Assign an on-site Preceptor (mentor) who will assist the student in accessing required agency materials and sign off on the student competencies. The mentor is responsible for connecting with their participant(s) weekly and provide written feedback, as well as final plan of action for continued learning at the end of the course. The mentor's time commitment is 2-3 hours per week;

• Provide on-site computer technical support, and 

• Make available text books, policies and procedures, home health care reference books and articles.

The Student and Preceptor must have competency in word processing; e-mail (sending and accessing attachments); conducting world-wide-web search; use of discussion groups; use of online quiz and exam tools; and the ability to upload and download documents. Students will be required to complete the Blackboard Orientation at the Blackboard Student Orientation Center. CLICK HERE to complete this orientation.

The Fundamentals in Home Health course is offered in two formats. Choose which one best suits your needs:

1. Four week Instructor Facilitated online course:  Will require participation on a scheduled teleconference/webinar with the faculty on Tuesday and Thursday each week at 2:00 pm MT. Each participant will be expected to participate at least 2 days a week for approximately 3 hours per day to complete the content, readings, and tests/assignments. This is a total of 28 hours in the 4 week course. This is an accelerated program that will allow the student to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the content in a shorter amount of time.

2. Independent Study online course:  Allows for an Independent Learning process. The faculty member will have office hours available and the participant will not be obligated to participate in the weekly conference calls. This course can be done independently within a 2-10 week timeframe and will require 24-28 hours to complete the content, readings, tests and assignments. This format offers more flexibility for nurses that may already be in various stages of orientation, and may be more useful for some learners that do not require the group learning. 

Course Objectives:

1. To give a historical background on home health with economic, social and political factors that have influenced the home care industry.

2. To provide background information dealing with financial aspects, patients' rights, rules and regulations and responsibilities of the care manager.

3. To provide the information about patient assessment, education, advocacy, team management, patient safety, infection control and documentation. These are skills and knowledge that the nurse must know and apply when making the home visit.

4. Conduct a home visit where the nurse transfers known knowledge and skills to apply them in the home setting. It is especially geared toward successful completion of a home visit that requires an OASIS evaluation. Please work with your Mentor to identify one of the patients in the list. Complete your competency checklist.

Required Books for the Fundamentals Course:

Marrelli, T. (2011). Handbook of Home Health Standards: Quality, Documentation, Reimbursement
Rice, Robyn (2006). Home Care Nursing Practice: Concepts and Application
Zang, S. & Bailey, N. (1997). Home Care Manual, Making the Transition. Philadelphia: Lippincott Raven. This book is out of print, but there are scanned digital copies of the readings in the course. Lippincott permission to use Jan. 2011.

These books are available online at Amazon.com, or check your local bookstore.

Registration Information:
 

Rates for HCAC member / non-member:

$475.00/Participant HCAC Member

$675.00/Participant Non-Member

PIN Grant Agencies
The following five agencies are part of the PIN Grant. If you are employed by one of these agencies, you are able to take the course at a reduced rate.

• Centura Health at Home

• Complete Home Health Care

• Grand County Home Health Care

• Home Care of the Grand Valley

• Visiting Nurse Corporation of Colorado

Click here to register as an employee of a PIN Grant agency.

All others, please register here.
 

The Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Colorado Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. Provider number CCN0512 - June 1, 2009 – May 31, 2012.
 

HCAC home page

Home Care Association of Colorado
7400 East Arapahoe Road, Suite #211, Centennial, Colorado 80112
303.694-4728  /  fax 303.694-4869  /  hcac@assnoffice.com
© Home Care Association of Colorado, 2012. All rights reserved.