[renerian]

NOt safe and I hope your managers don't ask that of you and others. Not safe at all. If it was an urgent need I would hear ER calling the patient's name.

renerian

[RN92]

Hey, this would probably make a great topic for a TV series...Home Health Nurses and what they encounter. Maybe ya'll should pitch the idea to TV.....anything that helps the public understand what we do is important to our profession

Great idea, as long as it doesnt do for nursing what Reno 911 does for law enforcement!!
Ross, I do see your point. Anytime I do something, I try to imagine defending it to a judge and the Board of Nursing. We only tell the police what area we're going to - by street name, for instance. They will patrol the area. Just make it known that they're in the neighborhood. I guess "escort" is the wrong word. We dont give out addresses or names - and they dont even know what kind of vehicle we drive.I always carried a cell phone and mace. I do agree, that if its that bad, we shouldnt even be going. However, its not neccessarily the pt or pts family that we're scared of. Its their neighbors or the thugs hanging out next door. I loved some of the older, sweet pts and its not their fault that they cant afford to live in a nicer neighborhood.
I miss my elderly pts. A lot of them were lonely and just needed someone to talk to. Even if it was about CHF. I also miss the canned preserves and fresh garden vegetables. So, I would risk a little more for them.

[renerian]

Your post was very kind. I can tell you really care for your patient's.

renerian

[finn11707]

How timely I found you!--I have worked since 1988 visiting patients in the home--both daytime-and night call. This past week, I received an assignment to case manage a patient living in a apartment complex where 2 homocides occurred 2 weeks prior. Per the local police, there is not escort availability and they cannot advise safety guidelines;there are 8 pages of reported crimes in this complex since jan 08--even after all this safety risk info, our manager wanted to offer a scaled back plan for one RN visit per week (throw me under the bus). It is high time we respect our nurses by providing a look at safety and crime. I recently participated in a new study assessing safety risks for nurses visiting in to home. It assessed some but not all potential risks. It did not even ask if the management supported or practiced assessing area safety...but it is a beginning

[cookie102]

how nice of your manager to pick the one day of the week for that RN visit when she knew there would be no crime!!!!!!!!!!! i know there has to be some agencies that take staff safety into consideration, we just need to find it!!!

[finn11707]

What are our right regarding safety and refusal of visiting in an unsafe area and what it the suggested procedure...so as not to 'abandon' the patient. Are managers supporting this right of individual nurses to decline an unsafe visit area? Does anyone have stories on this? My direct manager was very glib about the issue of my safety--with the "...we can't abandon her...she needs us..." comment first and foremost. I love my work, but I am not prepared to face this risk. Our safety must come first or our ranks will dwindle or be filled with martyres

[Rachel712LPN]

Just started a new case at new agency, and had an incident with a son of the patient I care for throwing a fit and breaking their door while I was there. A lot of yelling and stomping. Luckily this happened at the end of my shift. I called my agency next day and explained situation. I was a little scared to go back and Im a tough girl. Basically, all they did was notify some people in the office, were going to send out RN supervisor 2 days after incident, and talked to wife of resident. That didnt make me feel any safer! The agency said, if anything happens walk out of the house and call us from your car. AND dont hesitate to call the police. My feelings: should I be even going to a house where this is a possibility? The wife was mad too after the agency's talk with her, which made my situation even more uncomfortable. Not even much of an apology from the previous day. AND the son was back at the house the following day after the incident! Luckily, he didnt get angry. All weekend I was very depressed and upset, and dreading going back. I went back today and wife talked about the situation with me more and I feel better. Im still debating about this agency...is there an agency that actually cares about their nurses' safety?

[finn11707]

Rachel--We are in the same process right now at my agency. Though our managers did look into safety considerations by going to the local police to look up the crime history of the building where my assigned patient lived (prior post---2 homacides in the same complex 2 weeks prior my patient admission.) They were still insisting we needed to offer a scaled back plan which was directed at 1 RN visit per week. I declined the assignment as still too unsafe given the several pages of crimes at this complex. I am being called in to talk with my manager this week about "some of her concerns..." I know what is coming.
Still, we have the right to decline an assignment--then it is not abandonment if we did not accept it--and we also have the right to not visit when there is significant safety risk.

This is new territory---staff safety. It will only change if we field nurses insist our safety is paramount.

Advice--contact your Employee Assistance program coordinator and verbally document all your perceived threat and safety risk, lost sleep depression, each conversation you have to address all with your managers and their responses. You have the right to have your MSW manager address things with the patient and son before going back. Insist they make policies--beginning with this case. We had one similar to this one--except it was the husband--and the s---hit the fan eventually and all was investigated...you know who they blamed for not enough reporting the problems??? you guessed it--the nurse.

We all can address this with the American Nurses Association, the Board of Regisiotered Nursing and whoever else has the power. If we don't, you can bet, they won't---it is a tight budget! Good luck