Lisa Saab, RN, Realized Her Potential in Home Care Nursing

Twelve years ago, Lisa Saab attended DeSales University, where she graduated with her nursing degree. At the time she already had a psychology degree but credits her aunt with igniting her desire to become a nurse.

“My aunt was a labor and delivery nurse, and as a kid every time I saw her at family gatherings, she was always telling us stories about babies,” says Saab. 

After college, Saab began her nursing career in labor and delivery and in the emergency room. Soon after, the Quakertown resident transitioned to a full-time labor and delivery nurse position.

Six years later, Saab joined Lehigh Valley Home Care–Allentown as a maternal-child health home care nurse for a more flexible work schedule. A friend and fellow nurse told her about Lehigh Valley Home Care, and she thought, why not?

“It’s very accommodating. I can work eight-hour or 12-hour shifts,” she says. “Our pediatric maternal home care program is small, but we have a great team. I schedule my patients and do my pre-visit and post-visit work from home. It allows me to spend some of my shift at home.”

On the days when she is not caring for mothers and their babies, she is caring for her three teenage children and enjoying the company of her two adult children. Other daily activities include tending to her dog, rabbit and two cats, and on occasion finding time to run a marathon.

After a short hiatus as a clerical coordinator at Lehigh Valley Health Network, Saab realized that being in an office all day was not for her, so she decided to return to home care for good.

“I just love it. I left once and I don’t intend to leave again,” she says. “Within home care there are plenty of opportunities to branch out.”

For some people, home care can be demanding. A home care nurse needs to be able to make decisions on the spot. But Saab loves to learn and is confident in her nursing judgment. Most of the time she visits higher-risk families in the Lehigh Valley, assessing and educating new moms after childbirth, as well as newborns and sick children. She also sees pregnant women experiencing health problems at home. 

“It’s very independent nursing, you work closely with physicians and you always have other nurses and supervisors who you can call,” she says. “If you want flexibility, independence and are comfortable with your skills, it’s a great place to be.”

What’s more important than spending time with people and relating to the world? Working closely with families has helped Saab expand her view of nursing care.

“Caring for patients in their homes gives you a different perspective; you get to see what you don’t understand in the hospital,” she says. “You see where they live and what their neighborhood is like so you can incorporate all that into your nursing. I do think it helps make me a more empathetic nurse.”