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10 WWW.NVNA.ORG 120 Longwater Dr., Norwell 781.659.2342 McInnes pauses and offers, "We are nurses. Infection protocols were never the road block. It was the fear." After leading a Zoom call with the South Shore Chamber of Commerce Executive Board (McInnes serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Chamber), the NVNA and Hospice CEO provides her final thoughts on the home care revolution: "Here we are in the summer of 2021, sixteen months into navigating a pandemic. We have never been busier. Our census is at 700 patients. Our healthcare system came to a full stop. Think about that. Home care, however, kept advancing. We never missed a day of care in the pandemic," says McInnes. The home care revolution is here. Several parts of the country are experiencing a home care crisis where agencies are closing. The state of Maine, for example, is experiencing major problems: reimbursement rates and a lack of staff. "I see the current moment as an opportunity to elevate home care. Home care is a crucial component of our national healthcare system. Home care agencies shuttering because of low reimbursement rates is unacceptable. Lawmakers must coalesce and realize that home care is no longer an assist, but the solution for the American healthcare system." As home care agencies in the region are struggling to meet patient demand, NVNA and Hospice has kept a strong focus on nursing recruitment. "Recruiting talented clinical staff is an ongoing conversation," says Bernadette Ward, Vice President of Clinical Operations at NVNA and Hospice. "Innovation drives so many of our conversations now, and our preceptor program is an excellent example." With hundreds of patients to see every day, the clinical team recognized that recruiting skilled nurses interested in home care had to be a priority. The disciplined preceptor program—often referred to as a residency—allows NVNA and Hospice to strategically recruit nurses interested in pursuing careers in home care and hospice. Cassidy Cataldo, RN, began her nursing career at Tufts Medical Center. Her aim was always to work as a home care nurse, but she was unsure if she could take that step without prior experience. "I was looking to transition out of a hospital setting and saw an opening on the palliative team at NVNA and Hospice. While at Tufts, I saw many palliative consults and had become particularly drawn to that specialty," she explained. "The fact that NVNA and Hospice took me on and trained me in home care via its three-month preceptor program meant I was able to integrate my experience with the best home care team in the region." "Our next generation of home care nurses are prepared in so many unique ways," noted Ward. "They walk in embracing technology and that is a win for our patients. It is incumbent on home care leaders to encourage nurses to pursue this vital career." During the orientation phase, frequent meetings with the education team, extensive clinical training, and the opportunity to shadow a palliative nurse prepared Cataldo for the holistic and unique nature of home care nursing. "The scope of practice in home care is broad. As a home care nurse, you are continually building on your skill set," she remarked. A patient visit may include lab draws, wound care and taking vitals, but can also focus on psychosocial health as well as ensuring that needs are met after being discharged from the hospital. "The connections made with patients and their families through home care is special," said Cataldo. "You become part of their team and truly feel that you are making an impact on their lives." FROM THE HOSPITAL INTO THE HOME: Nursing's Next Generation