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.

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Maybe mom has OCD.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

That agency must be pretty hard up for cases!

And for the record - it'd be a cold day for me to sit on the floor.

And as for rewriting nurses notes ?????

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I had a nurse once that was new to us ask where she should sit (we had two chairs and a rocker/recliner in our son's room so that seemed like a pretty obvious answer to me) and I said "a chair" and she looked excited. Then she told me she was on a case where the mom had only a little wooden footstool (the kind a toddler/small child would use at the sink to brush teeth/wash hands) for nurses to sit but then she was mad and took it away.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Excuuuuse me, but as I said, it'd be a cold day before I'd sit on the floor !!!! I'd be on the phone calling my agency within 5 minutes to report such an unacceptable situation. And unless it was resolved before the next visit, there would NOT be a next visit. Where do some people get off?!?!?

I understand it is their home, but this is a professional work relationship/situation. They expect professional caregivers; I expect to be treated as such. Do/did they not sit appropriately while they (or family/partner, etc) were employed? Would they accept such a gesture if they had to go to some professional appt/meeting etc?

And for the employing agency to condone such a blatant disrespect for its employees is also unacceptable. I realize agencies don't want to lose cases because it is $$$ lost, but...

PS - Sit on the floor and then do trach care or IV care or wound care. Real Infection Control conscious!!! Oh yeah!

:madface:

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Not only just the hygiene thing. I kept my son's bed at the perfect height for me. We did have two nurses that raised it but they were both over 6' tall. Even at the height I kept it at, I can't imagine that a nurse on the floor could actually have her eyes on him without suffering neck damage and how long would it take her to hoist herself up when he went from pink to blue? A nurse sitting in the chair and writing on the desk would merely have to flick her eyes over and see that all was well with him AND with his equipment.

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Yes, this is a very toxic environment. Mom does not respect her nurses as professionals. The little girl does not have a bed, there is a mattress on the floor (with toddler bedrails, she rolls around ALOT). The family is just odd. Another nurse who tried the case said that she is the reason nurses are not allowed on the furniture. She accidentally made a pen smudge on the couch and Mom had the agency professionally clean it. From then on, no nurses on the furniture. They family is very wealthy and could hire a cleaner.

Not sure why they keep the case, the agency is very busy.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

To OP - is the family private pay? That may make them feel privileged & entitled. And you're just the hired help!

Maybe if enough staff refused to take on the case your agency might take a different approach with that family.

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Specializes in Home health.

That is just ridiculous. I work for home health and while some patients do forget to offer you to sit down, most are very nice. If I had to sit on the floor while taking care of someone I would not be coming back. I did have to deal with family members who watch your every move, and that could be so so frustrating.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

I had a case where the baby LIVED on the floor- the crib was upstairs but they didn't want to bring it downstairs. Vent kid. She was bathed, trach changed, everything on the floor. I BEGGED for the crib to come downstairs- but until I informed mom that I was giving up the case because I could no longer tolerate being on the floor all the time, (I'm in my late 50s, as were most of the other nurses) nothing changed. After I told them I was quitting, they 'decided' it WAS time for the crib to come downstairs. We lived happily ever after.

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

I have a case very similar to that (not the same case as mine due to a few differences). I don't go to the case unless I absolutely have to. The Dr and agency are aware of the demands of the family...and it gets worse that just being forced to sit on the floor. I can't really offer advice. But I can relate. I can't understand why the agency keeps the case. The nurses are "the help" and nothing more. I wish you lots of luck with that family!!

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The case is not private pay. Mom thinks everyone is her lowly servant.

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