Told to work 7 days/week or lose job

Nurses General Nursing

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I work home health and being new to home health I still don't understand a couple things...

#1- I was told for patients needing 7 day a week visits I MUST see them 7 days a week or lose the case. Is this right? I can't work 7 days a week for possibly months without going crazy and...

#2- How do home health nurses make any money? Lets say I get $50/hr. I see the pt one day a week for one hour. It takes me 7 days of work to get one day of pay. I really hate that I have to give up my weekends and any life I may have because I will always be working.

Help! I need to know if I should tell my boss to "stick it"! Normally this would not be thought twice about, but since I am a new grad (graduated last year), that can't find a job along with all the other thousands of new grads, I am soooooo desperate for work it makes me consider doing anything for nursing work.

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That sounds tough! Sorry...I don't have any answers for you but I thought if I replied it would get your post to the top of the list again!!

Good luck!! ;)

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Specializes in ICU, ER, EP,.

NO I don't know how home health works, but perhaps you can ask for a case that is less intensive? In tough economic times, you may need to do this to pay the bills. Sometimes as these patients recover, the amount of nursing days decreases. Might be a possibility. Keep looking though, now that you are employed, you look more appealing to future employers.

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Alot of agencies do rotating call for weekends. Ask the other nurses what they would think about doing this and then talk to your boss. When I did home care, we had the choice of doing our weekend pts or we could give them to the on-call weekend nurse. That person also did all the opens, anything nurse related that had to be done Sat and Sun. You might post this on the home health forum for more response!

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Specializes in Psych, Onco, ED, Tele, Med/Surg.

I do home health care; that said, if you are full time, they probably signed you up to work 8-5 M-F, with on call responsibilities on an occasional weekend. I work PRN; I take what I want to and decline what I don't. Some of this may involve boundaries, don't allow your personal time to be taken away. The need for good hh nurses is great, but set aside time for you and your family, and make your coworkers aware when you are and are not available. JMHO

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Seven one hour shifts? Beat feet out of there!

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Think it, but don't show it. As in all things, if you show your desperation , people will take advantage. Not everyone is nice enough not to.

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Specializes in home health, neuro, palliative care.

Are you only being hired to see one pt a day? Most full-time intermittent hh nurses see 4-6 pts a day, five days a week. We have LPNs that see our daily wound care pts on the weekends, but every place is different. I would get more information.

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Specializes in home health, dialysis, others.

Does this agency expect you to work every day? Where is their weekend staff? Like it was stated before, can you get people to swap with you? And why is this pt on 7 day/week wound care? Is there no one at home who can be taught?

Something is not right here - I have worked many years in home health, and never had to work 7 days/week without a break unless I chose to - a quick visit close to home, etc. This makes no sense to me.

And most RNs cover between 20-30 patients to get their 30-35 visits/week for full-time pay. Some patients are only seen once/month - like long term cath changes, or B-12 shots. Others are obviously more frequent.

You need more info from your employer.

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Nothing new to add but I wish you the best in getting this clarified. You might have to do it for the time being.

Will you get OT? In most states, employers must pay you OT after 40 hrs per week. In some states, it's after 8 hrs per day AND after 40 hrs per week. Check on this with your state labor board.

I wish you well.

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Specializes in ICU, ER, EP,.

Out of curiosity, what is your back up system if you become ill? Can you ask for other nurses phone numbers and try to coordinate your cases? ie... "you take my sunday and monday and I'll cover all your tuesdays?". Sometimes nurses can network and fix their own issues because it is not a priority for managers. Is there a posted nursing schedule with their clients and visits? If there is, that may be a place to start.

In addition, I'd be asking for the next case that the agency gets to get your case load hours up to more than one a day.

Take all these suggestions with that proverbial grain of salt, I've never done home health except a few weeks as a PCA. It only took one cockroach infested visit to change my tune. :cool:

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sounds like you've only been hired for a particular case and you're in a area where it's hard to find a job. you may want to take it to wiggle into more shifts and so you have a job. it always seems easier to find a job when you already have a job.

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