Nurses aren't maids!

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · May 17, 2011

Perhaps you should have offered a very friendly clarification: "I have not been hired, recruited, or trained to provide laundering services. However, I am very competent and capable of handling any healthcare issues that may arise with your child."

AnaCatRN · May 17, 2011

Perhaps you should have offered a very friendly clarification: "I have not been hired, recruited, or trained to provide laundering services. However, I am very competent and capable of handling any healthcare issues that may arise with your child."

I know, in hind sight, I wish I had done that. I was just so shocked by the whole encounter that I froze and couldn't say anything. If my agency doesn't intervene tomorrow, I will talk to her myself when I've calmed down.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · May 17, 2011

If my agency doesn't intervene tomorrow, I will talk to her myself when I've calmed down.

I certainly hope that your agency intervenes swiftly. I hope that they are not into the new trend of 'customer service' so deeply that they would overlook something of this nature.

AnaCatRN · May 17, 2011

I certainly hope that your agency intervenes swiftly. I hope that they are not into the new trend of 'customer service' so deeply that they would overlook something of this nature.

I was assured by someone at the national corporate office when I first took the job that corporate doesn't tolerate local offices expecting nurses to do household chores, and to report it to them if I am asked to. If the agency tells me tomorrow that they told her I would be doing laundry, I will report the office to corporate.

I'm tired of hearing about customer service! Someone has to say enough is enough with the customer service garbage. They're PATIENTS, not customers! And how can they be all about customer service when the state/Medicaid is paying the bill? Having a kid who needs private duty nursing they can't afford without government assistance does not equal winning the lottery and getting free maid service. I'm actually really here so mom has the free time so she can work, sleep, and do her own housework. Sigh...

LoveMyBugs, BSN, CNA, RN · May 17, 2011

I did pedatric home health for awhile too and it depends on the company and the parents.

I had 2 cases that I worked, one was great all that she asked other then care for her child was to help organize the medical supplies, as she hadn't had help in years and her house refeclted it, as I was there more, the house became cleaner and cleaner as mom now had the time.

The other one there was a huge language barrier and my company does advertise housekeeping services when you have a compainion, but I am a nurse and was there to provide medical care to her child, but she too wanted me to fold the laundry and finish the loads of laundry and the dished, how can I keep an eye/ear out for your child if you want me in the kitchen doing the dishes!?!? Didn't stay on that case for very long.

Mike A. Fungin RN · May 17, 2011

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.

If my agency doesn't intervene tomorrow, I will talk to her myself when I've calmed down.

I understand from your second post that when this happened maybe you didn't trust yourself to address the issue directly. That was probably a good idea if you were in danger of losing your temper, but there's a happy medium between losing it and your approach.

Being passive aggressive isn't likely to help you build a good rapport with these clients. How do you think the patient's mother is going to feel when she gets blindsided with this by your agency? Unless you left some details out for us then as far as she knows you folded the clothes, it's part of your job, and everything is fine.

Consider also that this might give your clinical director the impression that you're unwilling or unable to resolve minor conflicts on your own. If I were in his/her shoes as a manager then my first question would be whether or not you spoke with the client already and what was the outcome. I hope they give you that chance, because it's not too late.

lulu67, LPN, LVN · May 17, 2011

Hello,

I'm an LVN not an RN ..but I thought of replying to your thread....I couldn't agree more!

Here in Idaho, however, we do their laundry or dishes because it is an item that belongs to the pt. and needs tending to(per my manager). I have complained but to no avail. They said it is my responsibility- especially if the client's clothing is saturated with body fluids. I too have worked with home health peds --and in my most recent case..the mom put me to the laundry task immediately. I was offended as well, but realized that my pt wasn't able to do it and the mom wouldn't...so ergo..it seems to have fallen to me? I was very appalled. ..but i did it anyway...the kid(16yo) had no support of any kind really.(so I felt it would help her self esteem to have clean clothes for school and smell like fresh laundry instead of urine) I only did HER laundry and no other family members laundry.

However, after that..the mom directed me to cleaning out her closet! I said "no, sorry, but I have charting and other things to do. I was able to redirect that instance but otherwise we do have to do their laundry and dishes here in Idaho anyway. I am curious how it turns out for you.

I do not agree with us being maids as well as health care professionals at all!

AnaCatRN · May 17, 2011

I understand from your second post that when this happened maybe you didn't trust yourself to address the issue directly. That was probably a good idea if you were in danger of losing your temper, but there's a happy medium between losing it and your approach.
Being passive aggressive isn't likely to help you build a good rapport with these clients. How do you think the patient's mother is going to feel when she gets blindsided with this by your agency? Unless you left some details out for us then as far as she knows you folded the clothes, it's part of your job, and everything is fine.
Consider also that this might give your clinical director the impression that you're unwilling or unable to resolve minor conflicts on your own. If I were in his/her shoes as a manager then my first question would be whether or not you spoke with the client already and what was the outcome. I hope they give you that chance, because it's not too late.

I kind of understand what you're saying, but she did take a condescending tone about it, so I had to keep my mouth shut to avoid getting angry with her. She won't be blindsided if the agency tells her politely. I was blindsided by the announcement that I will be doing the laundry, and here's how the washer works. Why is that ok? Why doesn't the mom have to worry about building a good rapport with me? Management needs to do something to earn their pay. It can't be up to the nurses to fight every battle, especially if someone in management thinks they're being funny and is now offering housekeeping services. They can deal with the obnoxious and ridiculous fantasies of parents who think the state paying for private duty nursing includes free housekeeping services on the tax payers' dime. I'm not ok with customer service in healthcare. It's total bull hockey. So, yes, that may be passive aggressive, but that's how I roll after having been taken advantage of so many times before. I'm not going to be the one to address this if the office did indeed say we now do laundry, because they can't do that, so they will have to retract that statement. I'm not getting guilted into doing housework for my patients, and believe me, some people in the office have noticed I can be guilted into things, so I have to protect myself! They need to take responsibility for any misleading promises they made to my patient's parents. That's not a minor conflict that I need to prove I can deal with, it's a major problem they have to deal with if they aren't able to accurately convey to patients' parents what services are actually offered. I'm not going to be held responsible for explaining services. My lower-than-average nursing pay only covers my doing professional nursing. I don't get paid enough to do administration and public relations, too.

AnaCatRN · May 17, 2011

I did pedatric home health for awhile too and it depends on the company and the parents.
I had 2 cases that I worked, one was great all that she asked other then care for her child was to help organize the medical supplies, as she hadn't had help in years and her house refeclted it, as I was there more, the house became cleaner and cleaner as mom now had the time.
The other one there was a huge language barrier and my company does advertise housekeeping services when you have a compainion, but I am a nurse and was there to provide medical care to her child, but she too wanted me to fold the laundry and finish the loads of laundry and the dished, how can I keep an eye/ear out for your child if you want me in the kitchen doing the dishes!?!? Didn't stay on that case for very long.

Organizing medical supplies is a reasonable request, I think. I wouldn't complain about doing that. I've read my company's info on the web and what they gave the parents. Nowhere does it offer housekeeping. I really don't know where she got that idea from. If my office thinks I'm doing this, I'll be looking for a new job. You're right, you can't be a nurse and pay attention to the kid if you're doing housework, which is why we exist! So mom can do her housework! D'oh!

allnurses Guide · May 17, 2011

It's unfortunately a game parents will play - and I can assure you there are many posts here detailing families wanting the nurse to clean the bathrooms, do the family dishes, and/or babysit for the other siblings.

Many of them have the belief that since it's 1:1 care you have a "cushy" job and if there are HH aides in the house who do housework they will compare you to them and what hard workers they are while "nurses just sit around". They have no grasp at all what critical thinking or assessment skills are.

Even with a family I got along wonderfully with for years - muttered something under his breath about nurses, and I said to myself "no more". I'm a human being, too - and when I can't afford the insurance I pay taxes so you can get for free. No. Not happening anymore. I felt myself getting very close to the edge of losing it with them.

However, I don't feel this falls in line with the "customer service" trend exactly, but what happens is sometimes the agencies side with the families if the families threaten to change agencies. My agencies did not have that type of dysfunction going on, but it is not all that unusual from what I can tell.

I wash the dishes I use for the patient's meals, the DME and associated tubings and supplies, restock suction catheters or other medical supplies the patient uses, and sometimes put a stained sheet to soak but that was as a favor for the daytime caregiver and not something I felt obligated to do.

I certainly have felt the same frustration! Hope it works out for you. :)

AnaCatRN · May 17, 2011

Hello,
I'm an LVN not an RN ..but I thought of replying to your thread....I couldn't agree more!
Here in Idaho, however, we do their laundry or dishes because it is an item that belongs to the pt. and needs tending to(per my manager). I have complained but to no avail. They said it is my responsibility- especially if the client's clothing is saturated with body fluids. I too have worked with home health peds --and in my most recent case..the mom put me to the laundry task immediately. I was offended as well, but realized that my pt wasn't able to do it and the mom wouldn't...so ergo..it seems to have fallen to me? I was very appalled. ..but i did it anyway...the kid(16yo) had no support of any kind really.(so I felt it would help her self esteem to have clean clothes for school and smell like fresh laundry instead of urine) I only did HER laundry and no other family members laundry.
However, after that..the mom directed me to cleaning out her closet! I said "no, sorry, but I have charting and other things to do. I was able to redirect that instance but otherwise we do have to do their laundry and dishes here in Idaho anyway. I am curious how it turns out for you.
I do not agree with us being maids as well as health care professionals at all!

I don't agree with your manager. If they really need those services, they can pay for home health aides. It is never the nurse's (RN or LVN - a nurse is a nurse) job to clean the patient's dishes or clothes (or anything other than the patient or his or her actual medical equipment). Since mom doesn't have to do the nursing stuff, she has PLENTY of time to do the cleaning! If she won't, that's child neglect and she should be reported to the authorities. It was sweet of you to do it, though. Bull snot about the body fluids, by the way. Do nurses in hospitals do laundry because it's saturated in body fluids? No! It's just greed. They'll say and make us do anything to keep that account, won't they? I'm hoping my agency didn't tell the mom I would do laundry. Yes, they've taken advantage of me in the recent past, and they could be doing it again, but I want to believe it's just a weird fantasy mom has that my agency (who has lately promised to make up for past issues) will make go away. Other than the maid garbage, I like the family.