Why Nurses Prefer Contessa’s Models of Care

December 21, 2022/Annie Walker, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, Senior Director of Care Management

The world needs nurses more than ever. However, these essential providers are facing difficult conditions for delivering care and, subsequently, severe burnout, both of which are driving many away from the field. 

  1. Having fewer nurses creates a cycle that places even more demands on the nurses still in hospitals, who are often asked to care for up to 20 patients per shift in the emergency department or other fast-paced specialties. Good nurses know that time with their patients is key to the healing process, but time is also something they have less and less of. There aren’t many immediate solutions to these problems. Instead, many nurses are making a philosophical change and rethinking the way they deliver care. 

A New Model to Consider 

Contessa is Amedisys, Inc.’s medical care-at-home division. Our Comprehensive Care at Home model offers a unique opportunity for nurses to participate in nursing roles that are surprisingly different from the norm. The key differentiators of nursing with Contessa have strong appeal for dedicated nurses looking to return to a sense that they are making a difference in their field. Here are a few specific aspects of the role that differ from traditional nursing roles: 

  • Experiencing a new and innovative model. Contessa nurses are at the forefront of healthcare, delivering services directly to patients in their own homes. This is a new career experience, one offering the opportunity to provide the right care, at the right time and in the place patients are happiest to receive it: their homes. Comprehensive Care at Home service lines include Recovery Care at Home, in lieu of being admitted to a hospital, Rehabilitation Care at Home, in lieu of being admitted to a skilled nursing facility, and Palliative Care at Home. These models of care are part of a larger trend of moving care back into the home and away from more traditional settings, giving Contessa nurses a chance to be on the leading edge of care delivery. 
  • Delivering true patient-centered care. With a patient satisfaction rate of over 90 percent, we know that the home is where patients feel most comfortable. Patients get to sleep in their own beds, stay with the people they love and receive care from nurses and physicians they trust. Nurses love this model because it allows them to build relationships with patients through one-on-one visits. Nurses can breathe between patients instead of jumping from bedside to bedside. 
  • Independence and autonomy, with a collaborative spirit. Nurses working with our programs are offered flexible schedules and have a unique sense of independence. Contessa nurses get to spend their days going directly to patients’ homes to perform comprehensive nursing assessments and join telehealth rounding visits with providers and other virtual care team members. They also administer necessary medications and provide skilled nursing services. Our model is also built upon a foundation of care coordination, and our innovative process is dependent on handoffs and collaboration between team members, ensuring integration rather than isolation. All of this also keeps the patient at the center of the process, right where they should be. 
  • A true transferal of skills, with a runway for growth. With ever-expanding care-at-home service lines, nurses have the opportunity to bring their skillsets directly from the bedside to comparable care in patients’ homes. For example, Recovery Care at Home nurses treat high-acuity patients, just like traditional hospital floor nurses. They are not paid per visit, and they still get to provide the level of care they are familiar with, which distinguishes Contessa’s model from traditional home health. This allows Contessa’s nurses to practice care the way they know and love in a new and novel setting. Contessa offers an in-depth training period of four to six weeks, with plenty of shadowing opportunities. There is also potential for rapid growth and continuing education to strengthen critical skills. 

The healthcare landscape is constantly evolving, and so must the role of nurses to keep pace with demand and innovation. Being a nurse with Contessa poses a unique opportunity to serve patients on the cutting edge of healthcare and to improve the way care is given and received. 

If you’re interested in learning more about Contessa’s available nursing roles, check out our open positions. 

Meet Our Expert

Annie Walker, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, Senior Director of Care Management

Annie serves as Contessa’s Senior Director of Care Management. In her role, she provides senior clinical oversight to the Virtual Care Unit (VCU), collaborating with market providers and senior leadership. She also focuses on clinical management and quality outcomes for the VCU and strategy for its clinical growth and scalability. Annie first began working as an ICU nurse in Pittsburgh before moving to Nashville where she attended Belmont University to obtain her master's degree as a nurse practitioner. Prior to joining Contessa, Annie practiced as a hospitalist nurse practitioner providing inpatient care at a local hospital.
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December 21, 2022|