I started home health case mangement last year, in December. I am so burn out that I am quitting. they want me to stay part time or PRN and say I'm doing great, but I am so tired, stressed, and feel so over worked I think I want nothing more to do with this company.
Is this normal? We have no social worker, so I do that stuff. I do my own SOC's, ROC's, recerts, plus routine visits. Also, all the "CM" stuff, phone calls, doctor's (who don't return calls). Med recs are a joke when doctors don't call back, or won't until they see a patient. I drive about 100 miles a day because I cover 3 different territories for our company. I am salary, and when I missed a day lost pay. To keep up I had to chart every night and all weekend. The last weekend I worked on call, I had 3 scheuled SOC's, and a ROC. She moved the evals so I could chart on Sunday. Monday I had 2 more SOC and and eval, and drove 125 miles. I also almost drove into a tornado. No warnings about storms in the area were given out. Our admin said she was "too busy" that day. (if you aren't from the midwest, by the time you hear a siren there is a tornado on the ground). My husband helped redirect where I needed to drive. I could see it from where I was.
I am tired of either working 70-80 hours a week, or being totally behind. things get missed or not done because I cannot handle a caseload that was up to 28. No matter how many starts there are, I still have a full visit load daily. If a visit cancels, they want us to call and see someone else's patient, or move another to that day so they can add more later to mine. I'm being taught by another RN who says to just move missed visits so they can't overload you later in the week. Why should we have to do this???
Also, and more seriously, I found orders put in with my name on them. That I did not take. I may report this to the BON. this is more serious.
I have a job to do private duty. I did this 20 years ago, and some how the pay is the same. I am sick of hospital work after 22 years. I am frustrated at how nurses are treated and overworked. Other industries don't overload a new employee for over a year until they get better at it. I did 17 years in labor and delivery. I know how to manage time and multi-task, and I've always been good at documentation. I can't work somewhere I don't feel like I can do a good job.
I see my clinical manager work every night for a couple hours, and do scheduling every Sunday. I am not working anywhere I need to do nothing but sleep and work. I am too old for this. I lasted 3 months. I had many talks with the manager in the office that I can't work all day (8-6), and then chart every night and every weekend. And take call at least 5 weeknights a month and 2 weekend days every month. And the weekend call is almost guaranteed SOC's. like 2-4.
I wish I had started with a different agency. I don't mind some driving and enjoyed my in home visits. The rest of this has been ridiculous. I'm starting to make myself physically ill from all the stress.
Specializes in Maternal Child, Home Health, Med/Surg.
On 3/30/2021 at 8:45 AM, caliotter3 said:
In my state at least, there is a labor law/regulation that limits the number of consecutive hours worked straight or with a limited "down time" between the end/start of two work periods. Believe the latter is called a split shift. Just like screwing workers out of overtime, I am certain the agency employers have figured out how to massage the system to make it look like it is "legal". I just don't see the on-call baloney. Hire someone to be on-call as their "shift", and let the fully employed day nurses get their rest.
THIS! My agency just recently decided they were going to give us oncall rotations. I asked if we could get a day off in the week following if our weekend was full. Which it's likely going to be. I was told no. I was told I could schedule my Monday later so I can sleep in.
Idiosyncratic, BSN, RN
712 Posts
THIS! My agency just recently decided they were going to give us oncall rotations. I asked if we could get a day off in the week following if our weekend was full. Which it's likely going to be. I was told no. I was told I could schedule my Monday later so I can sleep in.
Not worth it IMO.