PD is like the armpit of nursing

[ceebeejay]

Went to a "career fair" recently, which really was just a college recruiting event for RNs. There were, unfortunately, a large number of my graduating cohort there as well. Many of the ones I spoke with were working in Private Duty Home Care as well. However, I was struck by how they said it. Like it was the armpit of nursing and something to be ashamed of. I am proud that I am a private duty RN and I was annoyed when they would get that grimace or you could see the effort to control an eye-roll. The only reason I want a hospital position or any institutional type position is because I need some years of acute care bedside experience in order to be a viable NP. More importantly, I need to try it just to KNOW if I should even invest that much money at 45 to become an NP! Maybe I stop at the BSN and then do specialty. Guess what? I still need X amount of bedside acute care experience to specialize. So, it's a means to an end, but I digress. I don't get it, private duty is the ORIGINAL nursing. Why so much disdain? It just annoys me.

[nekozuki, LPN]

I am really grateful for choosing Pediatric PDN, because I feel like I'm getting better experience than I would scrambling around on a med-surg floor somewhere with an 8:1 patient ratio. Throw in all the ventilator knowledge, development of assessment skills and ability to keep calm and function independently when a patient starts to go downhill and stops breathing, and damn, I feel pretty freaking competent. When I do transition into a hospital someday, I feel like I'll have some handy skills to bring to the table.

[bb007rn]

I'm gonna share a bit (for the first time on AN, as I tend to be a "lurker") My first job as an RN was in the ER of a smaller community hospital, the only one in that county (why they hired a new grad, I will never know), and I excelled,"treat'em and street 'em was great! I loved starting IV's, didn't matter how tough a stick the pt was, I was the go-to-girl, and I loved it.Then after 4 years, I got sick of the same NSTEMI's, STEMIs, OD's, ETOH's, fractures, sore throats and the general misuse of the ER by non-emergency patients. So, I looked into ICU and ended up at a University Hospital in Michigan...Neuro ICU, in fact. 4 years there and what a learning experience! Then, I chose to do travel nursing, still in neuroICU (but was floated all over and hated that). Then I found my current job, private duty for a trached/vented and wheelchair completely dependent adult patient with Duchenne's. I LOVE IT. No more dealing with the angst and drama of co-workers, no more fighting over schedules, no more begging for a certain night off. The parents are wonderful, supportive, to both the staff and their son. The patient has a great sense of humor and has a zest for life that sometimes even I envy! I am almost stress-free when it comes to work! (I sometimes tell my patient, I come to work to relax) I am proud of the work I do. I truly believe that while some consdier PDN's the "armpit of nursing", if you thin k about it, we are the head.... we have little "safety net", with no other RN's on shift with us to fall back on, we work independently, yet as a team. We are COMPLETELY responsible for our patient for the time we are with them. We have learned to rely on ourselves, to trust our instincts and our gut-feelings, our training, and previous experiences. PDN's ROCK! (and yes, I do miss ER and neuroICU sometimes, but then I think about the drama, the administration/management....and then I don't miss it so much)

[CloudySue]

Welcome, bb... please don't lurk any longer, I'm sure you have more insightful and awesome things to say here!

[bb007rn]

I am trying to be more, um, "engaging", but, I am at heart, an introvert, and just recently started coming back to AN, despite being a member here for 4 years....plain and simply, life and career got in the way of ever posting anything.