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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a home infusion nurse?

Home infusion nurses are responsible for administering physician-prescribed intravenous medications to patients in their homes. These nurses must observe and document how the patient reacts to the infusion. As a home infusion nurse, you act as a resource and advocate for the patient and communicate with the prescribing MD and dedicated pharmacy.

Is this a full-time position?

No. This is a 1099 independent contractor position, although this can lead to a full-time position with benefits included.

What is a 1099 independent contractor?

An independent contractor is someone who works for another person or company, but not as an employee. Because independent contractors are considered self-employed, the income they receive doesn’t have federal income taxes, Social Security or Medicare deducted from it. (U.S. Chamber of Commerce)

Most independent contractors are technically small business owners that operate either as a sole proprietorship, limited liability company (LLC), partnership, or S corporation. With any of these business structures, your earnings are reported as part of your personal income for tax purposes. (Warnes, 2023)

As a contracted nurse, you are offering your nursing services to Enliven. You are also responsible for any out-of-pocket pre-requirement expenses. While you don’t receive company benefits, you won’t be taxed on your paycheck. We recommend opening a savings account and storing a monthly amount to better prepare yourself when it comes time to pay taxes. We suggest reading this easy resource to get a better idea of how to calculate your taxes as an independent contractor: https://bench.co/blog/tax-tips/independent-contractor-tax-guide/#v4mi-a

How many hours am I obligated to work?

You are not obligated to work a certain amount of hours. As a contracted nurse, you have the flexibility to create your own schedule, with respect to the patient’s infusion orders. You can either accept or decline a patient offer. The huge benefit to working with Enliven is that as a contractor, you control the volume of work. When you accept a patient, you are responsible for keeping up with their therapy schedule.

How much travel is involved?

This may vary, although our Intake & Scheduling team will always try to offer a patient to a nurse that lives within a 50-mile radius. When you accept a patient, you are committing to drive to the patient’s home to administer their medication as many times as their therapy cycle allows.

How do I document nursing notes?

All documentation is done electronically through our designated EMR system.

Do I need to bring any supplies with me to the patient’s home?

As a contractor, you are responsible for providing yourself with the appropriate supplies/tools. The only supplies you must bring with you to every visit include a stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, thermometer, O2 sat (optional), and either a laptop or iPad to complete charting. The pharmacy delivers medication and supplies to the patient’s home.

What happens if I can’t start an IV?

You will reach out to the Nurse Manager within your region or the Scheduling Team, and they will send an additional nurse to assist in starting the IV. On occasion, the patient’s infusion will need to be rescheduled for another day. It is important to note that having great IV skills for this position is a plus!

How does reimbursement work?

Pay is determined based on home infusion or nursing experience. Ownership makes the final decision.

Do I receive reimbursement for travel?

We do offer mileage reimbursement. Mileage policy may vary based on region.

What does orientation look like?

Orientation consists of 4-6 shadow visits (each 2-3 hours max) and a combination of Zoom and in-person training sessions. Amount of shadow visits and training sessions vary upon the nurse’s comfort level. Once interviews have been completed and contractor onboarding paperwork & requirements have been collected, the orientation process will begin.

Do I need to be Covid-19 Vaccinated?

While we as an agency do not require contracted nurses to be vaccinated, some of our pharmacy partners may. Currently, pharmacies that require vaccination status are now accepting medical and religious exemptions.

Protect yourself and prevent the spread by getting vaccinated at your earliest opportunity. Search vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find locations near you.

What happens if I want to go on vacation and I am managing patients?

If you are planning on taking a vacation, please provide the Intake & Scheduling Team with the correct vacation dates, so they may help you find coverage for your patients.

Are there safety concerns with working independently in the home and what is my recourse?
Enliven Home Infusion safely delivers home infusion therapy. Enliven implements education, competency assessments, and sound policies and procedures. We ensure effective patient education and good communication between the health care team, and the patient and caregiver. Studies show that our patient satisfaction is high, clinical outcomes are good, and patients are no more likely to suffer side effects or adverse reactions at home versus in infusion clinical settings.

The nurse’s safety is also our utmost concern. If a nurse encounters a situation in which he/she does not feel safe we ask he/she to not get out of their car and call our office immediately. We will never ask a nurse to jeopardize their own safety to infuse a patient. Our intake team does a great job at screening all new infusion patients and identifying issues ahead of the visit.