Refusing a case in home care

Specialties Private Duty

Updated:   Published

I have a question. I have just finished applying at Maxim healthcare and after orientation they wanted me to do a meet and greet with a family. Well, after the meet and greet I knew it wasn't in my best interest to take the case. I felt uncomfortable, long story short I told one of the coordinators at that agency that I was not interested, and he was VERY upset. Proceeded to tell me that "as a nurse you're going to be put in situations like this". To my knowledge, and hearing from other fellow nurses who work home care, I was under the impression that If I did not want to take a case, I didn't have to.

Just wondering if that is true, if I do not want to work a case, do I have the right to refuse?

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

You have a right to refuse any case you are not comfortable taking.

Stand your ground; if they act like they don't want to give you any cases (that happens) find another agency. :yes:

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Katesp91 said:
I have a question. I have just finished applying at Maxim healthcare and after orientation they wanted me to do a meet and greet with a family. Well, after the meet and greet I knew it wasn't in my best interest to take the case. I felt uncomfortable, long story short I told one of the coordinators at that agency that I was not interested, and he was VERY upset. Proceeded to tell me that "as a nurse you're going to be put in situations like this". To my knowledge, and hearing from other fellow nurses who work home care, I was under the impression that If I did not want to take a case, I didn't have to.

Just wondering if that is true, if I do not want to work a case, do I have the right to refuse?

Is it a home care agency where you stay the full shift with one client?

If you are talking about a case manager position in home care - it can be hard to drop a case but I believe that in the other kind of home care you can decline a case.

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Hello! its a home care agency where I would be taking shifts with one client.

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Katesp91 said:
Hello! its a home care agency where I would be taking shifts with one client.

I think you should be able to decline. Perhaps the coordinator tries to push you into taking a case that nobody else wants. Don't let them push you around. If you know that this case won't work out it is better to say it right away. You can always apply at a different agency if they now do not give you any patients.

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Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.
Katesp91 said:
Hello! its a home care agency where I would be taking shifts with one client.

We call that Private Duty Nursing (versus home health, which is usually just short visits in multiple homes per day), and there's even a separate forum here on AN for it: https://allnurses.com/private-duty-c168/

And you definitely have the right to refuse to take a case, and the agency has the right to not send you on other cases if they want to be pissy about it.

This is different than working in a hospital where you just have an undesirable assignment for one shift and then you're done. In PDN, if it's not a good fit for you, it makes life miserable on a recurring basis.

Sounds like there is a problem with that case and they're just trying to get ANYone to cover it. Walk away if they try to guilt you into it -- it's not your responsibility to make sure that case has coverage.

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

Hello! What you're describing is private duty nursing!

Katesp91 said:
Hello! its a home care agency where I would be taking shifts with one client.
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Specializes in Peds Homecare.

Hello, in NY State we all call it Home health, just because you call it private duty, which we use for nurses who do Medicaid nursing, see each area has their own definitions. If you are not comfortable with a case, you have the right to refuse. I bet no one else wants the case, or they've kicked all the other nurses to the curb and you're the next to be sent.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

You have the right to refuse, and your employer has the right to terminate your employment for refusal of delegated job duties.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.
LadyFree28 said:
You have a right to refuse any case you are not comfortable taking.

Stand your ground; if they act like they don't want to give you any cases (that happens) find another agency. :yes:

Maxim needs nurses. That's why they pressured you. But you know what you're comfortable with and what you're not comfortable with.

It's better to not accept an assignment that you're not comfortable with than to have accepted an assignment that you're not comfortable with.

I do have a few friends who work for Maxim and like it. But they have told me about their challenges there. Just like with any nursing job, you need to find a setting that works for you!

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Specializes in "Wound care - geriatric care.

You did very well in refusing. Don't ever take an assignment you don't feel comfortable with. You have every right to refuse a task assigned to you. Bosses will take advantage of the scope of responsibilities and authority nurses have and push it on you parts of the job they are responsible for and don't want to do. i.e. instead of hiring more nurses they want you to work as 2. If it's unsafe don't do it because once you take an assignment you are responsible for it.

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Maxim coordinator is not a nurse. S/he is trying to strongarm you into making money for the "company".

RUN from Maxim.

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