[iwanna]

Thanks to all of your replies. I have been really thinking about the interview, and I am really ambivalent about accepting the job, if I was offered. And, here is why, I did not mention in my last post that I have not worked in 4 years. I resigned for health reasons. I have been and still am on disability. I have chronic illness(sarcoidosis), however, I have been feeling really good. My meds were cut, and I am stable. I have managed to stay out of hospital for two years.

I graduated from practical nursing school in 1996. My illness was flaring up at the time I was ready to graduate. I did not start working until 7/98. My work has been in behavioral health; drug rehab and psych hospital. I did use my assessment skills in psych hospital. Also, did some dressing changes for our geri pts. A few straight caths and that about sums up the nursing skills I used in psych hospital.

Originally, I was thinking that a nursing home would be a good place to start to get my skills back. And, that nursing homes hire new grads. But, I have been thinking that I am not a new grad. I am taking a course online via western schools. But, perhaps, I should take it a step further and look into taking refresher course with a clinical internship.

Perhaps at this facility, they really want someone experienced. If offered the job, I was thinking that I may tell her that after much consideration, I have decided to look into refresher courses. However, I would appreciate if I would be able to shadow a nurse.

I am wondering if the CNA question was a red flag. I did check out this nursing home online. They have a total of 59 residents. She told me that they only had 3 deficiencies, and they were very minor. The last report showing online for 2007 was 5 deficiencies.

Since, I am on disablity, I want to make sure that it is the job that I want. I am in a position to be somewhat picky. I just want to be certain that I find the right job. I do have a counselor through OVR. I have an appointment next Friday with a placement counselor. Maybe, they could help me out financially with a refresher course. I know they have a refresher course online and you find your own externship of 120 hrs. It is quite pricey. I don't know if they would help me. But, I will ask them.

So, please, any comments are greatly appreciated.

[jjjoy]

Shadow!!! And on more than one occasion. Ask to witness a med pass. And that will also give you a chance to see who you'd be working with. A place that is serious about hiring conscientious nurses and long-term retention will be more than happy to give you time to see if it's where you want to work.

[CapeCodMermaid]

Originally Posted by jjjoy

Shadow!!! And on more than one occasion. Ask to witness a med pass. And that will also give you a chance to see who you'd be working with. A place that is serious about hiring conscientious nurses and long-term retention will be more than happy to give you time to see if it's where you want to work.

Sounds good in theory, but be careful if you're the facility offering the shadowing experience. I think you would be violating HIIPA laws by letting someone who wasn't employed view and patient/resident information.

[iwanna]

But, could I not just sign a confidentiality statement? If memory serves me correct, we signed one in school and it pertained to all of our clinical sites.

[jjjoy]

This is my understanding of HIPPA.

The main point of HIPPA is about taking REASONABLE measures that patient information is kept private. It is REASONABLE for a potential employee to be privy to patient information *relevant to the job role* for which they applying. If that potential employee sees an acquaintance as a patient and then goes into the medical record because they are CURIOUS about the patient's medical history... THAT is a HIPPA violation. If a person poses as a potential employee in order to access information about a particular patient (eg a family member who isn't communicating with them).... THAT is a HIPPA violation.

People get so paranoid about HIPPA and I can only hope the legal system will be more reasonable about it. There ARE specific statements in HIPPA, for example, that note it's NOT a crime if someone inadvertently overhears health professionals talking about a patient as long as reasonable measures were taken to protect privacy... eg NOT talking about the patient in a public elevator, talking in low voices, etc.

[CapeCodMermaid]

When we send our patients to the hospital and call to get an update, we are told it would violate HIIPA rules for us to get any information. I try to explain to the dimmie on the other end of the phone that it is OKAY to share information with health care providers who are responsible for patient. They seem to disagree. I've never known a facility to allow someone to shadow a nurse to decide if they want to work there and I've worked in 10 different places....maybe it's just Massachusetts.

[jjjoy]

Originally Posted by CapeCodMermaid

When we send our patients to the hospital and call to get an update, we are told it would violate HIIPA rules for us to get any information. I try to explain to the dimmie on the other end of the phone that it is OKAY to share information with health care providers who are responsible for patient. They seem to disagree. I've never known a facility to allow someone to shadow a nurse to decide if they want to work there and I've worked in 10 different places....maybe it's just Massachusetts.

I've heard SOOOOO many nurses say things like "aren't double rooms a HIPPA violation? The other pt can't help but hear some info about their roommate" or "I overhead one doctor talking to another about a patient that the second doctor wasn't working with... wasn't that a HIPPA violation?"... so there's LOTS of misinformation out there. And I think the legislation isn't clearly written either.

I think many facilities just tell their managers "here's this new legislation. Make sure we don't violate it" and since they aren't lawyers and since they have a zillion other things to take care of and since they don't want to be sued for an alleged HIPPA violation even if it is eventually thrown out in court... they just tell their staff to not let ANYONE get ANY information ANYHOW that they aren't directly responsible for.

Anyway, I have the experience of one facility saying flat out "No shadowing because it would violate HIPPA" and another facility in the same city saying "We'd love to have you shadow. How about tomorrow?" Was the second place breaking the law? I already gave my own interpretation as to why I think not. And I don't think I'd want to work under a manager/facility that so strictly interprets such policies, since it's a disadvantage to the unit/facility, ultimately, to not allow shadowing under any circumstances.

By the way, if in the future judges interpret the HIPPA law so strictly as to be a hinderance to good patient care (which includes the ability to quality staff that will be a good fit with the unit), I will lobby to change that legislation to more reasonable.

[danmcb26]

I became a home health/hospice/LTC consultant to hospice concepts which is a recruitment and consultant company.. Take this advice......Keep any and all personal info private unless it is neccesary to share. I have seen companies hold disabilities against applicants and just use other reason for not giving someone a job. there are interviewing tips at hospiceconcepts.com