Exploring home care career paths as a new nursing graduate

A calling to care runs in Morgan Campbell’s family. Both of her parents, her aunt, and her grandmother chose to serve others as nurses and helped to show Morgan the many diverse opportunities available through a nursing profession. Since Morgan has always enjoyed helping others in need, it was fitting that she followed in her family’s footsteps as a nurse – graduating in 2022 with her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing.

Upon graduation from Arizona State University, she discovered the Post-Acute Transitional Care @ Home (PATCH) Program at Duke Health, which offers an immersive learning experience with rotation options in Home Health, Hospice, Home Infusion, and Care Coordination. This immediately caught Morgan’s eye, because she was eager to join Duke Health and because her mom had been a home health nurse for 16 years.

Morgan had worked as a nursing assistant for home health and hospice during school, so she already knew that she enjoyed the one-on-one time with patients and providing the added comfort of care in their homes. The PATCH program gave her the opportunity to gain more real-world experience with the support of Duke HomeCare & Hospice preceptors, leaders, and nurse educators as she completed a variety of clinical rotations.

During her time with the program, Morgan shadowed several disciplines within each department, in addition to the classroom trainings she attended. Along the way, she also strengthened valuable skills like assessing patients, performing ordered treatments, and evaluating the effectiveness of treatment.

Perhaps most importantly, Morgan found incredible support and encouragement on her journey with the PATCH program. By the end, she knew how to access resources and get a helping hand when needed. After becoming the first graduate of the program, she chose to continue with both home hospice and home infusion as a Clinical Services Nurse at Duke Health.

About the Post-Acute Transitional Care @ Home (PATCH) Program

Offered to new nurses in their first year of practice, the PATCH program at Duke Health is a nurse training program for post-acute transitional care. It offers nurses a comprehensive training schedule with rotation options in Home Health, Hospice, Home Infusion, and Care Coordination service.

The program offers support from experienced preceptors, nurse educators, and managers, as well as unique opportunities for hands-on visits and skill building. The PATCH program is offered twice a year: once in February and once in July.