Nurses aren't maids!

Specialties Private Duty

Published

I'm sorry. I really, really need to vent. I work for a pediatric private duty nursing agency, and I'm an RN. This is what I wish I could say to my new patient's mom: Why the heck would you ask your child's new night nurse to do her laundry?! When the hell did they put laundry questions on the NCLEX? Oh, yeah, they DIDN'T because NURSES AREN'T MAIDS! I'm not your kid's nanny, I'm a healthcare PROFESSIONAL - just like a physician. You wouldn't ask your pediatrician to do your kid's laundry, so you better not ask the nurse to do it, either! It's not 1950, anymore, Sparky!

Of course, I didn't say that. To be nice, I folded the kid's clothes tonight, but then I sent off an email to the clinical director at the agency complaining profusely about this insulting request. I mean, seriously! Where do people get the brass testicles to ask a nurse to do a maid's job?

Why do people automatically assume when they get private duty nursing covered by the state or their insurance that whoever is paying for it also thinks it's cool to provide you with housekeeping services? Isn't that insurance fraud? THe state doesn't want to pay for someone to do your kid's laundry. You can't ask me to do that! Not only is it DEGRADING to ask a healthcare professional to do laundry, it must be abuse of services. I hope to God above that no one at my agency told this woman that nurses do chores, because I will go all the way to the top of national corporate management if someone did. This better be an unfortunate misunderstanding on my patient's mom's part as to what nurses do and DO NOT do.

Has anyone else had to deal with this? I had one other patient's mom ask me if that was something we do, and she totally apologized for asking when I politely told her no. This new patient's mom guided me to the laundry room to make sure I understood how the machines work because she is assuming it's totally in my job description to do laundry. She didn't even ask, she just started out with "when you do her laundry..." Excuse me?! I clean the kid and his or her medical equipment. Nothing else! I'm not a home health aide (whose job it would possibly be). It's just not *my* job to do household chores!

OK, vent over. I feel a little better. Thanks for letting me vent.

Specializes in Peds(PICU, NICU float), PDN, ICU.
My agency told me it was up to the Nurse of we wanted to do light housekeeping duties. I would wash whatever dishes I used for my client & do another client's laundry ONLY because I had down time. Another client, Im always on my feet doing something for her, the entire 10hr shift. I seriously don't have enough time to do my notes and would often leave late! One day, the mom asked me if I could put away 5 boxes of supplies that came. I told her I didnt think I would have time to seeing how I still had so much to do. She got upset and said, well so & so always does it. When other nurses do that, it puts more of a burden on the fellow nurses, which sucks! So, now, I just stick with totally taking care of the client![/quote']

Wow, just wow. It is our job to do these tasks. Read medicare/medicaid rules. It's not our job to do tasks not related to the pt or their care. I would never tell a parent I didn't have time to do my job. It is part of our job to put up patient supplies as well as order supplies if the family wants the nurse to do it

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Wow, just wow. It is our job to do these tasks. Read medicare/medicaid rules. It's not our job to do tasks not related to the pt or their care. I would never tell a parent I didn't have time to do my job. It is part of our job to put up patient supplies as well as order supplies if the family wants the nurse to do it

Agree. I always put up supplies and keep the area organized, however, if five boxes of supplies come into the home 12 minutes before the end of my shift, I am not going to go into overtime to put them away. The boxes are neatly stacked or put into the closet and I finish with them the next shift or two, if it takes that. Rarely is the client out of something entirely, that it makes it necessary for me to open every box 10 minutes before the end of the shift, in order to find what they need. Sometimes you have to insist on being practical.

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Specializes in Peds(PICU, NICU float), PDN, ICU.

Agree. I always put up supplies and keep the area organized, however, if five boxes of supplies come into the home 12 minutes before the end of my shift, I am not going to go into overtime to put them away. The boxes are neatly stacked or put into the closet and I finish with them the next shift or two, if it takes that. Rarely is the client out of something entirely, that it makes it necessary for me to open every box 10 minutes before the end of the shift, in order to find what they need. Sometimes you have to insist on being practical.

Gotcha! Yep, I've had that happen and been yelled at when I explained that I needed to complete my charting for the day and wouldn't have time to do it. Then got yelled at because I could have at least started it. The parent reported me to my boss and I was talked to. Of course the parent is always right. These parents need management classes and counseling before leaving the hospital and continued counseling after coming home.

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Specializes in Pediatric Private Duty; Camp Nursing.
Gotcha! Yep, I've had that happen and been yelled at when I explained that I needed to complete my charting for the day and wouldn't have time to do it. Then got yelled at because I could have at least started it. The parent reported me to my boss and I was talked to. Of course the parent is always right. These parents need management classes and counseling before leaving the hospital and continued counseling after coming home.

I'd just tell them that their insurance would kick the extra unapproved time back to them and THEY'D be billed for that time. My agency has been really good at educating our parents about not going over their max hours for the day. My ct parents all seem to "get" that quittin' time is quittin' time. Yabba dabba doooooo!!!!!!!

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Gotcha! Yep, I've had that happen and been yelled at when I explained that I needed to complete my charting for the day and wouldn't have time to do it. Then got yelled at because I could have at least started it. The parent reported me to my boss and I was talked to. Of course the parent is always right. These parents need management classes and counseling before leaving the hospital and continued counseling after coming home.

Some of them need more than counseling!

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Specializes in pediatric.

I put supplies away and restock items; break down the boxes and put them into the recycling bin; make client's bed every shift, change sheets if soiled; wipe down equipment; and rinse out vent tube, syringes, & suction tubing. I do not do the laundry, even if the client soiled it; I don't do dishes or take out the garbage. I did take out the recycling once b/c it was overflowing on to the floor and driving me nuts. ;) I've never vacuumed or swept. And the great thing is, the parents don't expect it of me! They know I am there to take care of their child, and how busy that can be.

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Specializes in Pediatric.
I put supplies away and restock items; break down the boxes and put them into the recycling bin; make client's bed every shift change sheets if soiled; wipe down equipment; and rinse out vent tube, syringes, & suction tubing. I do not do the laundry, even if the client soiled it; I don't do dishes or take out the garbage. I did take out the recycling once b/c it was overflowing on to the floor and driving me nuts. ;) I've never vacuumed or swept. And the great thing is, the parents don't expect it of me! They know I am there to take care of their child, and how busy that can be.[/quote']

Agreed. I DO take out the trash that is in the patient's room and is patient created trash (dirty diapers) to not do so would be a health hazard.

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Specializes in pediatric.

"I DO take out the trash that is in the patient's room..."

That, too! I take out the garbage and replace the bag.

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The closest I come to doing laundry is putting my patient's soiled clothes in the utility sink with some woolite to soak - this was requested of my by the mom and I have no problem with it.

I usually straighten up the patients' rooms, put away folded laundry, and restock supplies. I take out the trash because it tends to SMELL. I work overnight, though, and mostly do these things because I'm trying to keep busy. None of this was ever asked of me. That said, I'd probably be fine with being asked to do these things because they are related to the patient. No way am I going to do the entire family's laundry or do the dishes or anything like that!

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I have a case that IF I could safely take care of my client AND clean the home(or anything else that would help them out I would!) BUT they never would ask me nor probably let me(not that the house was even dirty;) My point is for some parents I would anything within my power to help them out. The family are a wonderful bunch and the circumstances break my heart and mom and dad are so exhausted at times. Does anyone get what I mean???

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I wanted to add my two cents for people who happen to read this thread. I also do home health, as a nursing aide not as an RN. But our job does not allow more than 10% of our time for chores and cleaning. Our primary service is to aide the patient related to medical needs and ADLs. Yes, there is light house work, but that is only if it is for keeping a safe environment when the patient is unable to. I've been on shifts with nurses and we refuse to do cleaning for others in the patient's family, even when there is down time. In all my cases, the nurses and I have made it very clear that our duties are only for the patient. I tidy up areas where the patient frequents, but I put my foot down when they start telling me to clean the whole house.

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I've been tasked with not only laundry but COOKING A PATIENT HIS DINNER. I felt so disrespected. Not only can I not cook well or feel uncomfortable in a kitchen but that is NOT my responsibility! The patients family literally hangs out with friends while I'm in the kitchen cooking?? Excuse me? I so feel your pain.

Medicaid does not reinburse our "maid" services so we are not getting paid to do that. Yet my agency actually "ok"s these client requests and upon orienting with a clinical manager on a new client case they always have me follow through with the laundry and cooking so if the agency is saying it's ok of course the family thinks it is and I look rude for not wanting to comply! But I don't care.

I actually recently tried to decline the case where I'm supposed to freaking cook. Know what they told me? "Oh you don't have to cook, just heat up a frozen meal". Wouldn't let me say no! OK fine well he's getting frozen freaking pizza heated on my shift then cause I'm not cooking a real meal... don't even know how always.

Well, the cooking request and failure to remove me from the case upon request was the straw that broke the camels back for me. I had many reasons for wanting to leave and this pushed me over the edge.

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