Bayada Nurses or PSA Healthcare

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I have interviews next week with Bayada Nurses and PSA Healthcare and would like any and all feedback anyone has on either of these companies. What is the interview like? Is the company flexible? How is the pay rate? Basically, would you recommend working for them and why or why not? Also, if you work for another pediatric private duty nursing company that you really like, what is the name of that company? I am from Pennsylvania, but would like to receive feedback from anyone who has information.

Thank you SO MUCH for your help!!!

oh, and i forgot to mention that when i went in to the HH agency to quit the DON was completely RUDE and unprofessional! She started off by asking me "what the heck is your problem?!" Strike one. Then she tells me that she has "chingos" (im in south texas, chingos means a lot) of applications, so i thought "why so upset that i'm quitting then?" strike two. finally, she proceeds to tell me that "real nurses like whatever they do wherever they are" strike 3. I wasn't happy there, and I knew that the pts mom ( pt was 7 mo old) was really looking for someone to be a permanent fixture, and I knew that wasn't going to be me, so why waste mom's time and my own?? If i was a nurse that only cared about a paycheck, then i would've stuck around, but i have morals and a conscious. I thought she was completely and utterly unprofessional.

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

So you have had problems finding a nursing job and when you finally get one you quit on the first day on the job. Sure it might have be "unprofessional" but even having a little experience will give you an advantage.

I'm not really seeing what was unacceptable about asking you to administer the medication. Sure you had medication administration at school and you could have always verified with the mother. When I did pediatric home health I never had a preceptor. The parents give you the run down on the case and the first day is always the hardest but it's not complicated.

Also I would think not administering the medication as order when you are on duty would be more ricky than administering them without a preceptor there. You have a license you are qualified to administer medications within your scope of practice.

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I have other offers, and am actually starting somewhere this coming week. I wouldn't quit if I didn't have a back up plan. I did do med administration in school and yes mom could give me a rundown and I know I am qualified, but I was taught to not administer meds or even touch the patient without researching first. Atleast knowing something about the patient, SOMETHING about the meds being given. Excuse me for wanting to protect my license. With everyone I spoke to, they all told me I did the right thing by not administering the meds. (all nurses) I am lucky enough to not have to worry about the financial aspect of it all. I didn't "need" the paycheck. I do it because I love it. I wasn't happy, so I quit. I do believe that's my decision to make and not have to worry about someone calling me out on it.

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

To me you complained about your workplace being unprofessional yet you abandoned a patient after accepting the assignment. To me that is unprofessional.

You "research" the patient by assessing them and you "research" the medications by reading the MAR. You should have a good enough knowledge of pharmacology to safely administer medication. Your never going to be able to do med cards on a patient the same way you did in school. You had the mother there for a secondary source of data. In pediatric private duty that's about as good as it gets. Most agencies promise orientation on the case but never actually provide it.

You posted your decision on a public bulletin board. If you didn't want to be called out on it why post in public. I understand it wasn't a good case. I've been there turned down a case but not on my first day on the job. and I never left early from a shift.

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ok. i did NOT abandon my patient and i did NOT bail early. I went in after my 2nd day and resigned my position. I stuck to the 2 days of training that I had been given thus far, and at that point, I already knew that I did not want to be there. Yes, I posted on a public bulletin and I understand that you can say what you wish. I was simply venting.

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

fkpecina- obviously you and the person who interviewed you were talking about two different jobs and somehow got all the way through the orientation process and out to the patient's home without having the confusion rectified.

I see the communication breakdown on both sides. The reason she kept mentioning "shifts" is because she assumed you knew the job was taking care of the patient for a shift, not a visit. Two completely different jobs.

The way you were interviewed, sent to orientation and interviewed again is actually quite a bit less slipshod than my interview process for private duty. They do expect that you know what they are talking about, which is why I'm glad my first job out of the gate was not in a Home Health Agency. There are too many gaps that you will be expected to fill, they will not do it. It can be very much "sink or swim" with some agencies. She should've taken into consideration you are a new grad, but I got no form of hand-holding whatsoever when I started that type of job.

In an ideal world you will have an orientation by a nurse already on the case, but it can be done by a parent who is the child's primary caregiver. There should be a chart at the home with the Plan of Care in it, which in about 20 minutes will tell you their diagnosis, history etc. Since your DON thought you understood that it was for a shift, that meant that for those hours the parent will have to scramble to find care for the child with no notice. That's why she was rude, I imagine- but her rude tone was uncalled for as well.

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I know and understand that I should have been a bit more vocal in the hiring process. I should've asked more questions before accepting the position (which was never really "offered" ) I just feel that if I knew that I wasn't going to stick around long, and mom was really looking for a permanent nurse, then leaving when I did and allowing the agency to find someone who was/is going to be that nurse was the best thing to do. The patient wasn't going to be without a nurse. The nurse I was precepting was actually the nurse who's shift I was going to take over, she just didn't know it yet. (this told to me by DON at interview) Apparently mom was unhappy with her or something. But she was there, and the weekend nurse was there. I was an extra body for a few days.

In my opinion, it wouldn't have been fair to mom for me to stick around for a while until another opportunity came, then leaving her, and the agency, looking for someone else. I don't know, maybe Im wrong, but I acted on what I believed was the right thing to do.

I interviewed with PSA and I'm really excited for it! I know what i'm walking into this time. I know as a nurse I'm going to face many, many, maaaaaaany difficult situations and i just need to learn how to handle them in a better manner. I love nursing, i always have. I plan on learning from this experience and making myself a better nurse out of it.

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

I'm not critical of that choice at all. I've been lucky to have the same patient for most of the hours I work. That means I'm rarely asked to be a last minute fill-in. Some nurses just roll with that and don't mind it. You're right that most patients/families don't want to take the time to orient for just a day or two of work with them. I like getting to know my patient over a longer period of time, too. Best of luck to you!! :)

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

Ok start a new leaf with your new job. You've gotten a taste of what it's going to be like the second case will be a lot of easier than the first.

But there's always going to be a level of dysfunction and your never going to have enough info going into a case. The schedulers just want you to take the assignments and you'll be told the patient has "some" wound care = multiple and complicated dressing changes or the family is bilingual = PCG speaks no english and will translate through a 8 year old.

The trade off is that's it's not fast paced you do have some breathing room.

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Specializes in Pediatric Private Duty; Camp Nursing.

I know this is an old thread, but I feel that the agency had no business hiring a new grad at all. Fkpecina was set up for failure before she even entered the home. The client was greatly disserviced and should find a new company. I worked in LTC when I started and it took me about 8 FT weeks to feel like I sort of knew what was going on. I recently started HHC and if it wasn't for my time in LTC I would have been absolutely lost. Even the paperwork, from reading the MAR to understanding how to process doctors' orders, takes time to learn. I was able to recognize everything on my first shift and even know that I was supposed to refuse to increase a dose as per the mother's demand. Fkpecina was so overwhelmed by the process that she didn't even recognize when she should have asked questions, so I'm sure she would't have recognized other red flags like that.

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

Yes but unfortunately the reality is HH is one of the few places now that WILL hire new grad. I started in pediatric home health and didn't have an orientation with a nurse. My pt had contractures to the point where she would snap crackle pop and I spend most of the first shift thinking I had accidently broken her neck.

Would I have preferred to start in an LTC sure was it possible no.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

I have an interview with Tryus healthcare services next week. They are in New Jersey. I've heard from a couple of my friends who work for them that they pay well and treat their nurses really well. Is there anyone who can give me some advice on them?

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