Calling all HH Nurses, roll call

Sounds like a nice job hoolahan.......congrats.

Hey, I'm really getting serious about that g&%$d@$! O2 tubing, you guys. Just today I visited a client who had her left wrist casted--I asked her what happened and she said she tripped over the oxygen line that had twisted around her walker. She said she got up from her couch, grabbed on to her walker to go to the bathroom and didn't realize the tubing had twisted. She took three steps and BAM, down she went.

I'm telling you, Hoolihan, if someone came up with an idea for tubing control in the home, he/she could quit work and live off the millions of $$ in patent royalities!
Really! Who in tarnation needs that much tubing??!!?

And another thing, while I'm at it, that's beginning to irk me big time.....a client of mine who is an elderly gentleman, single and alone will be going through a lung biopsy in two days. (I am certain that all of you know that that is not a pleasant procedure at all). He will get a ride to the hospital out-patient department from the woman who cleans his apartment-she works for a community service agency which provides cleaning services; however, since medicaid will only pay for the one ride through this agency, he will have to find another way to get back home. So I asked him how he was going to get back home and he said he'd have to call a taxi. I told him that I didn't suspect he would feel much like calling a taxi when he got through with that procedure; he said, "Well, I don't have much choice, do I?"

Why can't hospitals provide some kind of transportation services for folks like him? Am I off base here? I've had other clients tell me that after going to the ER per ambulance, they had to call a taxi to take them home when the ER discharged them--no matter what time of the day or night and no matter how old they are or what condition they're in.

But, what the hey! They won't have to worry about a ride to their own funeral, will they! How silly of me to concern myself whilst they still live!

Sorry, guys-but I feel a bit better now.

Peace-
Lois Jean

Lois, transportation is one of the biggest needs at the hospital I work for. You would be amazed at how many calls we get for transportation from older folks, and although we do have a contract with a taxi company for very good discounts, most folks are not interested in that. Our hospital will not let us transport or consider making it a part of our program because of liability. We could probably really have a great business just with providing transportation, but it's never going to happen. I wonder how other agencies get around liability when they provide transportation.

Hi, Luvbeinganurse: Thanks for the response. Having had the experience of going to the ER per ambulance, being kept in ER for umteen hours and given this or that only to be discharged home per a taxi cab driver is, in my opinion, the lowest form of indecency perpetrated by any hospital/ED that has the unmitigated audacity to charge the fees that they do. Folks who are taken out in the middle of the night, who have no family nearby and no one who they can call upon, often don't have even the fare to pay a cab.

And, if I were a cab driver there is no way I would pick up a fare who had just been discharged from emergency--no way would I want that liability if the person went sour on me on the trip home.

As for my gentleman who was having the lung biopsy: I called a social worker friend of mine who lives in the next county and pled my case to her-- she was good enough to pull a few strings and managed to find a "kind lady" who volunteered her time to stay with him and take him home afterward...

Know what? If I ran my business the way the hospital here does, I would be charged with neglect, my license would be suspended and I'd be digging dirt for a living. Something is just not right with this--not at all.

Know what I'm going to do? I'm going to check into this patient transport thing. I just might want to look into adding this service onto my business. And you are right! It could be an answer for, especially, our senior citizens and a profitable venture at the same time.

Peace,
Lois

Hello everyone,
I'm a hh nurse case manager for VNA. I love doing home health and have been doing it full time for 3 years. They pay 25 per hour but I don't have to do weekends and only 2 holidays per year. We use laptop computers for documentation. We are given the time we need to finish our oasis which i do in the comfort of my own home. We have to do between 4 to 5 patients per day. which ends up being 23 pateints per week. Yes, a lot of paperwork. at least half of my job if not more is paperwork on laptop, making calls, scheduling, planning and corresponding with other health care professionals on my patients behalf, etc... I get to do this in an office in my own home with my dogs sleeping at my feet and coffee at my side. Who could want a better job. My job keeps me very busy and I've learned so much. I've worked in ICU for years and thought hh care would be simple and not much to learn. Boy was I wrong. I've learned just as much as a hh nurse as i did a icu nurse. My specialties are pediatrics, ob, iv therapy and managed care.

Guess what? OUr productivity is 30 per week. Every other week on call. Working every day on call. Only paid per visit so we are not paid for drive time, phone time or paperwork time and we still do the paper trail OASIS. it is a nightmare. My hourly rate is between 9 to 11 per hour. I have been doing it for 11 years and am going back to the hospital as I work 60 to 70 hours a week. $15 per day on call. WE cover 7 counties. How big is your service area Cheryl?

renerian

Hi, everyone!

I've been a psych RN for six years, all in the hospital setting. I start working in the home health psych program in two weeks. I'm both excited and nervous. Can anyone give some helpful hints to a "newbie"?

Be careful and go with your instinct. I have been robbed three times for someone wanting my nurse bag and had a psyc patient pull a loaded gun on me. You have to remember you are on their turf so it is way different than being on your turf in a facility or something. Go with your gut.


renerian

Not to mention being in a bad area, going out, and finding your car stolen.

Did you have your car stolen???????Holy smokes......and I thought the gun and drugies looking for needles in my bag was bad?????? tell us what happened!!!

renerian