odd case

Specialties Private Duty

Published

I oriented on a case I am not accepting. The Mom doesn't want nurses to sit on her furniture. We sit on the floor or stand. The patient plays on a blanket on the floor, once her diaper leaked and Mom had the agency pay for her carpet to be professionally cleaned. Mom has had the agency repaint her wall because a nurse smudged it. Nurses are not to give patient any med and Mom has had nurses rewrite notes in the past.

Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.

yet, they need the lesser ones.

0 Votes
Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

...and I wouldn't even do fill in :no:..I do a orientation and interview before I go into a house...once I ask where to sit, put my belongings, etc...she probably would say NO to me, lol :whistling:

0 Votes
Specializes in Pediatrics.

Sitting on the floor? Ugh, harsh. Yesterday I filled in on a case while my usual patient was out of town for a family vacation. Two hours into a 12.5 hour shift, the mom comes in and says "I just got my AC bill, and it was really high, so I'm turning it off."

...Turning off the AC

...Patient on a vent who didn't wear clothing because he sweated through them even with the AC and two fans running on full blast

...In the middle of the day in Florida

...IN JULY

At the end of the shift, she told me how wonderful I was and asked if I would come back. I smiled, shook her hand and told her the agency handled my scheduling. And then I went back to my car, cranked up the air and laughed hysterically.

Maybe it's just my agency and location, but just about all the cases I go on end up with parents trying really hard to impress me so I'll come back. Big comfy chairs, internet access, private fridge, offering food/drinks...anything to get a nurse willing to stay. If the parents scare off nurses, they get no coverage. I guess I lucked out!

0 Votes

Ugh. I don't keep cases with no A/C. I guess I have become picky. I need a chair to sit on and air conditioning.

0 Votes
Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Ugh. I don't keep cases with no A/C. I guess I have become picky. I need a chair to sit on and air conditioning.

That's not too much to ask...a heat stroked nurse does not make an efficient nurse.

0 Votes

I had a case in which the child was on the floor most of the time, although did have a regular bed too. I was told in an unpleasant manner that "Nurses do not belong in this room (lfamily) and should never sit on the couch." The child and nursing rooms were therapy room (tiny den, small and cramped), bedroom and bathroom for the bath. The nurse would have to move the child's furniture out of the family room into the rooms we were allowed to be in. This was a small house too - maybe 1000 sq ft. The entire day working with child was on the floor. Could sit for charting in the kitchen on a wooden chair but, one day I was told, "I'm getting rid of that table and chair soon; I don't know what you nurses are going to do then." There was a rocking chair in the bedroom but I'll tell you , I wasn't entirely sure I was allowed to sit in that chair either because it had child's clothes and blankets on it and caregiver would often flip out unpredictably about things being moved, etc. I would work there two days a week and when I got there after a week of absence she would have a tirade about things that were out of order and demanding if I did it. "No, I don't know about that, I just walked in and the last time I was here was 6 days ago." That case didn't work out for me, thank heaven, and now I have a wonderful case with a very hospitable and charming family. I was willing to be patient with the other one though, and allow for the stress it must be to have people in your house all the time. But I would never treat or talk to anyone the way that woman did me. And no surprise, they are always needing caregivers for this case and I am thinking this woman doesn't always make it to work everyday because of her terrible temperament with the professionals who care for her child.

0 Votes
Specializes in Peds Homecare.

Sit on the floor? UM........NEVER! A lot of these are fine examples of PARENT BULLYING, and stupid agencies thinking that nurses will put up with it. No parent can act that way unless they are allowed to treat nurses that way.

0 Votes
Specializes in pediatric.

It seem to go against basic laws of decency, basic courtesy. Ok, you don't want the nurse on the furniture (weird), but at least make some other provision- a "nurse-designated" table and chair or something. It is unrealistic to demand that we do all our care from the floor (!). I often sit on the floor with my ped patient, but I sit on the couch, at the dining room table, the chair in his room, etc. as well. And the family I work for has been called difficult, by the agency and other nurses, but they're not inhumane or lack basic respect for the people taking care of their child!

Good for you, OP, for declining the case. Like others, I don't understand why the agency has let this go on... do they know?? I suppose I'm lucky that the place I work for is supportive of their nurses, and for that I am thankful.

0 Votes

I think I would ask to be placed on a different case. I had a case once where there was no set up for the nurses - no chair, desk or even a light. The agency was in a bind and I agreed to pick up the case at the last minute - night shift, weird hours from 7pm-3am. The whole family went to bed & I was expected to sit at the bedside of this child on the floor & in the dark. I ended up pulling the wooden chair from dining table and popped a video tape into the TV for light - it was a long night & I told the agency I would not go back there.

0 Votes
+ Add a Comment