RN duties

[cincin1222]

I have a question as an RN, do anyone ever worked a shift case where you have to be the one doing the patient's laundry, washing their clothes, taking them to their appointments, then taking the patient anywhere that he want to go like shopping? I just wanted to know if this is normally for Home health Registered nurse job descriptions.

[ctrn3478]

nooooo way. RN's should be doing skilled nursing work..wound changes, med teaching and admin, bloodwork, assessments, while aides and homemakers would take care of those things. if you are full time you could never have time for that. and from what i understand medicare will pay only for skilled nursing usually about 45min-1hr visits and would not want to pay for SN for those things which take up a lot of time. talk to your administrator, DON, or other nurses at the agency about it if thats what youre being asked to do by your pt and get the appropriate staff sent in.

[turningred15]

That's not typical or expected in home health. Private duty nursing may be different.

[salvadordolly]

That is the job description of a PCW (personal care worker). RN's that do intermittent home visits do only skilled nursing tasks and assessment. RN's that do private duty can sign a contract that includes PCW work if they so choose. I did do that once as a private duty because I was running out of work, but I got paid less than when i was managing vents, Gt's etc.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

That would be a resounding no. I do not work private duty but my agency has many private duty patients and the nurses are specifically instructed NOT to do these things. The patient has a private duty NURSE because they need nursing care and payors will not pay for nurses to do household chores. It sounds like this patient needs a PCA or Home Health Aide.

[cincin1222]

Thank You all for your response, I thought the wife of the patient was just way too demanding and wanting a new grad RN to do cheap labor, the agency actually called back to tell me that the lady really like me and it was a great opportunity to learn since I'm going to be there for 12 hours that's why laundry and feeding the patient was also included I told her last time I checked under a RN job description that I signed with them it did not include doing house work and she wanted to convince that other nurses that there are doing it, so I just said well for me it's a NO THANK YOU.