Questions for new hh nurse

[Aviationurse]

I recently joined this one new home health agency but left. the job was to do visits in assisted and independent living facility by one rn, open and recert cases,do skilled visits, wear a business suit (no scrubs/crock /nurses shoes) , market with doctors, no office, no lunch/pee break, no cell phone allowed while in building except use cell only in bathroom, no parking (have to take train/bus/park car in train station/ taxi on one occassion) ,no side street parking (this is downtown), no 485, no referral form, no other nurse available except one home health aide from agency, no walkie talkie , do on call work for half of the state twice a month with a 200 dollar call fee pay rate, etc....all of the hh stuff /office supplies are placed in a rollie pollie bag ie ns sterile bottle, blank forms..bec there is no office/locker available for the hh nurse working there.

i quit because i feel this was unsafe. anybody been in this situation? the job was salaried position at 60,000 dollars a year to do all this....? on top of the above work...do ppd to different clients to be in different regions in the city...do first aide to the residents/clients in the building....and attend once a week interdisciplinary meetings with staff with assisted living...

can hh nurses do visits without 485? when my DON was confronted by assisted living staff "why not?".. my DON said she was busy and had " no time to breathe?".....i just followed my gut / inner voice and left..i am new to home health and my other hh agencies were not like this...we get referral letter/ nurse to nurse report / 485 before we do skilled visit.....by the way....this is not computer based hh agency...everything is paper charting... thanks in advance for your kind advice and thoughts....

[LadyT618, MSN, APRN, NP]

What can I say, except thank goodness you got out while u still could. Those working conditions are insane. How can your DON expect you to treat patients without orders, i.e. the 485? I would've done the same as you, GET OUT!!! Try to get with a legit agency, who actually follows the rules, preferably with computers :)

[caliotter3]

Sounds like way too much for the job, besides no 485. I currently work for an agency that does not provide 485s even though I hound them about it. I am currently looking for another agency as I don't like being without signed doctor's orders on board. Just too risky in my eyes. I asked my staffing coordinator each time I've requested a copy of the 485, how am I to answer in a lawsuit if I was following the doctor's orders, when I don't even know what the doctor's orders are? No answer to date. I guess they think if they ignore me enough I will stop asking. Yes, I'll be taking cases from another employer.