Less verbal abuse on night shift?

Specialties Private Duty

Published

You are reading page 2 of Less verbal abuse on night shift?

Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

I spent a fair number of years doing private duty. It is absolutely unacceptable to be treated in a disrespectful manner. I have resigned cases over these types of issues.

HOWEVER, I cannot imagine the tremendous amount of stress it is to have strangers in one's home with no privacy or boundary between them and you. So I always tried to be forgiving of the occasional lapse. But repeated abuse > I'm gone AND they know why.

Specializes in Pediatric.
I worked nights as a private duty nurse. The good thing about nights is that the parents are sleeping most of your shift. You have a lot less interaction with the family. The hardest thing about home care is family dynamics in my opinion.

Good point. I'm sure it's just as stressful for the parents too.

CloudySue

710 Posts

Specializes in Pediatric Private Duty; Camp Nursing.

I guess I've been really, really lucky. I've worked with over two dozen clients in home health (my agency cross trains everyone and bounces them around) and I think I've only come across two clunkers where the mother was unkind. There have been quirky people where I have to tailor my personality to fit the situation, but I've only actually been shouted at once and it was the first case I've ever been on. The other mom just spoke to me like I was a piece of dirt on her shoe. I left both cases.

I guess I've been really, really lucky. I've worked with over two dozen clients in home health (my agency cross trains everyone and bounces them around) and I think I've only come across two clunkers where the mother was unkind. There have been quirky people where I have to tailor my personality to fit the situation, but I've only actually been shouted at once and it was the first case I've ever been on. The other mom just spoke to me like I was a piece of dirt on her shoe. I left both cases.

I called the agency about the case I was on recieving verbal abuse. They said this case was a problem and I am getting a new case starting Monday. I started thinking about the way this woman was speaking to me and realized the tone, words as well as physical movements in her communication would never be tolerated in a business setting. She works in a business setting and is apparently successful in it, therefore indicating she has knowledge and ability to conduct herself differently than she was treating me! I also work PRN in corrections (formerly FT), and realized that we (nurses and security staff) would never talk to inmates the way I was being talked to!! The agency apologized to me for this experience. They told me this is the only case they have where this a problem. It's a tough situation.

So, I got a new case. Much better fit for me and the family is very nice. In spite of the conflict with the caregiver in my former case I really enjoyed nursing the little patient I had. I am enjoying my new charge also. I am at Level one right now ... an important asset to the nurse and patient in PDN is time. We have the time to develop the nurse-patient relationship with the patient and family, do the comforting and therapeutic things. I am really enjoying it. It is a luxury to be able to do this work as the money is not the greatest but because I am actually retired from another career this is a great fit for me. So happy I can use my nursing skill to make this contribution to the patient and his family.

+ Add a Comment