Dangerous home, what to do?

[latebloomrn]

Hi all-

i am in quite a situation with my current patient's home. I absolutely love taking care of my patient. The problem lies with the patient's family member who has a serious mental disorder which I have just really started realizing is manifesting or getting worse. Without revealing to many details, some of the concerns i have surroung the new appearance of guns and bullets around the home combined with a plethera of anti-psychotic medications and verbal abuse. What do I do? I do feel somewhat unsure about being in the home with this person but im not sure if i am jumping the gun or not and since it is my first case i dont want to seem ungrateful or like a complainer by my agency? Im contemplating even going in tomorrow as i found out there was a major incident that occured last night which no one alerted me to today, which resulted in someone being taken away on a restraining order but not jailed and able to come home at will???

Advise please, i really dont know who I could talk to about this without HIPPA coming into play or facing a raised eyebrow from my employer.

[tencat]

Unfortunately, you have to be ready to lose your job with some agencies because they don't care about the nurse, only the bottom line. I actually resigned from a job BEFORE I started because I was assigned to an unsafe patient with psych issues and guns in the house (other nurses from the same agency had warned me about said patient) and complained about it, got berated and pooh-poohed for refusing the assignment and told they wouldn't schedule me for any different assignments until I did a few shifts with the unsafe patient, so I resigned. I was incredibly lucky to have my old job take me back. But I WILL NOT compromise my safety for a job. Even if I have to go work at Wal-Mart.

[ArwenEvenstar]

I think some of the later posts are perhaps misunderstanding the earlier posts. I do not think being evasive about the problem in the home was exactly encouraged, but the unfortunate reality is that some agencies just do not care, and this was presented for the reality that it is. Someone new to PDN agency work, might naively assume the agency would be totally supportive. For example, someone posted "I actually resigned from a job BEFORE I started because I was assigned to an unsafe patient with psych issues and guns in the house (other nurses from the same agency had warned me about said patient) and complained about it, got berated and pooh-poohed for refusing the assignment and told they wouldn't schedule me for any different assignments until I did a few shifts with the unsafe patient, so I resigned. " Case in point! Be prepared that your agency may not support you at all, and you may have to resign. But, of course, speaking up honestly is the right thing to do!! Do the right thing! But be prepared that you may lose your job. When you are a PDN through agency, you must be very assertive. Often the only one who will care about you, is you.

[carwin]

ArwenEvenstar, I read very well. There were those who said that they don't say anything to anyone. Yes, you may be blown off by the agency but that does not lessen your responsibility to protect and inform fellow co-workers and the community at large? IF YOU DON'T REPORT YOU ARE BLOWING OFF THE SITUATION ALSO!

You are obligated report the agency to local, state or federal authorities yourself or contact your local media. Oh, but that could affect YOUR cashflow. Now whose worried about the bottom line?

[Blackcat99]

It's not so easy to do "the right thing" in today's world. It's very difficult to find jobs now. I have seen nurses who do "the right thing" and they get fired. I have no intention of doing "the right thing" and getting myself fired. I have myself and 2 cats to support. My family comes first.

[carwin]

Blackcat99, who will support your cats when you are dead due to a non-reporter like yourself? Food for thought...

[Blackcat99]

I'll take my chances. There are so many people out of work here in Florida. I don't want to be homeless with 2 cats out on the streets. My cats and I prefer to live indoors. I just wear my nurses uniform to work and it's like on some days I can't even walk from my car to my apt. without someone asking me "Where do you work? I am out of work and I need a job.":crying2:

[carwin]

That's amazing Blackcat. I am always in the position of having more offers than I can choose. I have 5 now but I'm in the mid-west. Still you can't not report trouble. Good luck to you.