Car or Public Transport

Specialties Private Duty

Published

Hi everyone,

Im just curious.

Since Private duty nursing doesnt require multiple visiting patients, is it acceptable or convenient to use a public transport (bus or train) in traveling to your patient's residents ?

I would like any feedbacks. thanks

Most localities have online resources so you can find out the owners name(s) of any property so a kid with CP and an address would likely be able to get you the family's name.

Specializes in Peds(PICU, NICU float), PDN, ICU.
Most localities have online resources so you can find out the owners name(s) of any property so a kid with CP and an address would likely be able to get you the family's name.

But the kids name wouldn't be listed on the property (assuming the nurse does peds). With technology these days, if someone wants info bad enough, they can get it even without us sharing anything. They could go to a trach board and see pics, names, diagnosis, location, etc. Or follow someone home from the hospital. To me, it boils down to common sense by parents and nurses. We can't protect ourselves or anyone else from everything that could happen. Human error and bad people will always exist. I'm all for privacy...I think too much of our info is already out there. But if someone is willing to look up an address and other info, I'd bet they would follow a nurse to work just as easily without the nurse getting a ride. :-(

I don't really know what the right answer is. Our agency had no signs or stickers on their work vehicles but one of the hospital based home health care agencies has their name and number on every side of their vehicles (and on the trunk it says THIS VEHICLE HAS NO MEDICATIONS ON BOARD) and I always thought that was odd. I understand they want to drum up business/name recognition but it also calls attention to the fact that there is a person, traveling alone (and likely a woman) that has expensive medical equipment and medical records that include SSNs and birthdates.

Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.

the right answer is: whatever works for you (families as well as staff)

if you or any family doesn't feel comfortable with nurses being

dropped off then the agency should ensure it doesn't happen

personally, if someone coming to my house associates with

shady characters, I'd wanna know

if my employer asked me if i was interested in a case, with

the stipulation that no one could drop me off

i'd decline and i don't recall someone ever taking me

Are you referring to the AZ case? She left her boyfriend. & child in the car while doing a skilled nursing visit. The boyfriend came to the door asking to use the bathroom. This wasn't a PDN and she had multiple other issues.

No,I'm in Nj and this happened on one of my cases.

I also had another case(nurse has since been fired) that would bring her boyfriend with her so parents could sign off her timesheets.

I remember a nursing agency wouldn't give me any work because I had lost my car due to transmission issues

Now I am curious how many nurses here can say that they have never told another person a single thing about any patient that when paired with the address would not be a HIPAA violation?

How many nurses already give out the address of where they are going to a spouse/family member for their own safety?

I don't discuss my cases with my husband. We live in a small town and I don't want to take any chances that he might slip up and share details with his co-workers.

I do, however, give him the address of every case I work. If anything were to happen he can find me.

Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.

actually i'd be hard pressed to violate HIPAA

it seems all my recent PCGs are facebookies

and it is i who has to ask not to be mentioned or

pictured or talked about

Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.

another thought

what if someone had a personalized license plate

" NURSE "

another thought

what if someone had a personalized license plate

" NURSE "

I have nursing plates...so far it hasn't been an issue.

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

what if someone had a personalized license plate

" NURSE "

But that doesn't mean they are going to work. Could be a friends house or a family member. Neighbors typically know from word of mouth by neighbors and the family why the home gets freq visitors.

Specializes in Pediatric.
actually i'd be hard pressed to violate HIPAA

it seems all my recent PCGs are facebookies

and it is i who has to ask not to be mentioned or

pictured or talked about

The PCG's are face bookies, meaning what? And you have to ask, meaning they've almost posted pics of you? Yikes. That would make me so uncomfortable.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.

meaning they're on face book a lot (word play on face book and bookie)

i've had one photo of me and one of my pt's

posted on FB (that i know of)

a teacher at school took a photo (i wasn't aware of it)

sent the photo to the mother who posted it

i don't do FB, but one of the teacher's aids said, " hey that's

a good picture of you guys" - whaaaaat?

the mother removed the picture when i asked her to

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