UA specimens

[paddler]

I recently started working for a different HH agency and they do things a little funny. Maybe it's just me but there is a lot of extra uncompensated work to do... but I shall not digress.

For example, I discovered that after collecting a UA specimen the lab requires us to transfer the urine into two different tiny test tubes. This takes time (granted only a few minutes, but seriously my day is full of little extra tasks that "only take a few minutes" a piece), and never in my 7 years a s a nurse, having collected hundreds of urine specimens, have I had to do anything other than complete the requisition, label the cup and stick it in the fridge for the lab to courier or deliver it to the lab myself.

Do other agencies/labs require you to do this test tube transfer thingy too?

[homehealth_rn]

Never heard of that! I know what you mean though about the "little things that only take a few minutes." Due to job cuts, our secretary was laid off and now we have to do our own faxes and I swear the fax machine hates me. So I spend a good ten minutes each morning standing at the fax machine and it drives me crazy.

[paddler]

Yep, it drives me nutts to have to drive to the office for no other reason than to fax something. Stupid.

[nicfish]

I just started at a HHA and she was showing me that little dinky tube to transfer the urine to. Not the one we used at the hospital for C&S that sucks the urine into it. No you have to pour the urine into this dinky test tube without making a giant mess. I was like REALLY! Whatever. I can see myself being nickled and dimed about weird little things too. Now I am nervous.

[Isabelle49]

Collecting specimens and delivering them to labs is not a skill, not covered by Medicare and probably the hmo's and private insurers. It's a freebie, i.e., the nurse does it for free! I refuse to do those jobs, except in the case of a patient who is absolutely unable to leave the home by any means other than ems. I've been in HH for 9+ years and don't give it away anymore. Am semi retired, still seeing a few patients a week and have never had a raise, except for the one coming in January from Social Security.