I looked in here, and other places, and didn't see a sole thread dedicated to the madness that is PDN. As PDN's we go through... Well, a variety of experiences. Let's just say we could write one heck of a book.
So this thread is for:
1. Your wildest, craziest, saddest, happiest, most psycho private duty nursing/homecare stories (Pedi or Adults)
2. Venting about frustrating parents, cases, patients, etc
3. Advice on "should I stay in this case VS that one, etc."
I hope lots of people participate, I feel this is going to be helpful.... We can feel isolated out there in the field. I personally love sharing stories with other nurses. I'll go first, but I'll wait til I get home and can really type out some doozies. :)
In nursing school they tell you not to get too attached, to maintain professional distance, but sometimes you don't realize just how close you are getting, until something happens.
I remember going to the Peds floor, to meet my new little patient. My first look at the tiny little one will be forever in my mind. She was so small, and my heart melted when I looked into those beautiful dark eyes. Her mother came into the room and shook my hand. I remember thinking this is going to be a great mom, something about her just made me smile.
A few days later my patient was discharged to home. The first shift I spent putting the phlethora of equipment together that was needed at home, and fending off the brisk case manager who kept making me feel like I was back in school. The mom kept grinning at me, as if to say, it's going to be okay, she can't stay here forever.
Finally it was just me, my patient, and her mom. I just love my new patient, I love her baby smell after her bath. I hug her and kiss her, she's so much fun. Every day she gets stronger, smiles, and eats so well. She's getting bigger, and mom's memories of the little ones heart surgery and subsequent 4 month hospital stay start to fade. She's doing so well, learning all that her wonderful physical therapist is teaching her. Her appointment at the pulmonologist goes well, maybe soon she can get rid of her trach. Laying on her belly still makes her sad, but she rolls over and over, holds her little rattles, and smiles. She has 4 brothers, and her mom waited so long for pink.
She's getting used to being suctioned, just gives you that look like, will you hurry up and get it over with, I have lots to do. The days pass, I am excited to go to work, for the first time in a long time. Her mom and I love to dress her in pretty little outfits , and put her hair in little pony tails that stick up from her head, and we both smile and tell her how cute she looks.
This winter has been mild, we talk about taking her out for a walk soon, when the weather gets warmer. She loves to sit in her pink bouncy chair, and is happy when the vibration is turned on. So quickly she learns how to pull the little pink handle and make the music play. It's like she is in a hurry to accomplish all the things she should be doing. She learned long ago how to roll her foot and pull the wires to make her apnea monitor alarm, and we pretend to scold her when she does it for the 25th time in one day, but usually we just laugh.
One of her diagnosis is Downs, but I study her beautiful face when I hold her, and I don't see it. I study her little hands and don't see the creases either. Work is so fun, I just love taking care of her, and I bring her a red teddy bear with hearts on it for Valentines Day, she's not allowed to eat chocolate yet...ha ha! One day I bring my camera and we take pictures of her, beautiful pictures, she smiles and makes funny faces, and we laugh.
Every day, I bound up the stairs to their 3rd floor apartment, hearing the morning sounds of their day starting. The compressor humming, her brothers laughing at morning tv, and the who is it when I knock on the door. Until the day I am walking up the stairs and wonder why I am not hearing the familiar sounds I hear every day........I start to knock and a police officer opens the door. My eyes fly to her crib, it is empty. I ask what happened, they say I'm sorry, she didn't make it, she's gone. My heart falls to my feet, and it is broken. They ask me questions, what are these machines for, how was she when you left yesterday. I answer, but it's like I'm dreaming, or someplace else.
I leave, go to my car, and sit there, still not believing what I know has happened. Crying I call my agency and tell them the news. My cell phone rings, it's her mom, she says, "This wasn't supposed to happen!, Please come and tell her goodbye." I drive to the hospital where it all began, but this time, I go to the Peds ER. I am ushered into the room, she is in her mother's arms looking like she is asleep. We cry together, tears running down our faces, then her doctors and nurses, who cared for her in the hospital, come in to say goodbye. They too are in shock and tears are falling from their eyes, no one can believe it. I finally go home and cry some more. I get the pictures made we took that day, they are the only pictures her mom has of her. The day of her services, her mom comes running to me the minute I drive in. More tears, and her brothers all look so brave, they are 2, 4, 6, and 16, she was only 8 months old when she died. I just never saw it coming.
I've been doing private duty nursing a long time, but this little one will always be in my heart.
Well written! I understand how that feels to go through that. I think this story would be great for other nurses to read when considering doing PDN. Its also a great reminder to us seasoned nurses. Its so easy to get comfortable and happy with a case. Sounds like you gave that child the best that you could. :-)
I recently spoke with a nurse manager who told me this:
"I used to work at an inner city PDN agency. One day we got a call from a woman complaining that the male nurse of her neighbor's child owes money for adult services (prostitution). She wanted us to withhold the amount from his paycheck. We thought this was a ridiculous prank. However, when we spoke to him about it, he admitted that it was true and he would pay her right away and tell her not to call the nursing office again."
I recently spoke with a nurse manager who told me this:
"I used to work at an inner city PDN agency. One day we got a call from a woman complaining that the male nurse of her neighbor's child owes money for adult services (prostitution). She wanted us to withhold the amount from his paycheck. We thought this was a ridiculous prank. However, when we spoke to him about it, he admitted that it was true and he would pay her right away and tell her not to call the nursing office again."
:***:
would that be a pre tax withholding?
I just know that nurse was the infection control officer of that agency
The Girlfriend on my Peds case is working my last nerve. She recently lost her job, and Mom recently found one, so Girlfriend is home most of the time. She doesn't talk to me unless it's to criticize. Last week while I was getting the girl settled in bed, right after changing her, Girlfriend walked in, picked up the girl's shoes from the floor, put them in the closet, and said "Everything has a place!" She resents me for not carrying the girl up the stairs. I'm not allowed to because she weighs 80 lbs and it's a flight of stairs.
Girlfriend's son recently moved in, and brought along a large, active pit bull. It's friendly enough, but I've been attacked by 2 "friendly" dogs, so I'm wary. Girlfriend and Mom fight constantly; I do my best to stay out of their way. Today, when Girlfriend was out, I went downstairs to heat up dinner. I noticed that the oven was on, and turned it off. Girlfriend didn't like that. Winter is coming, and I don't think they have any heat.
I just had to drop a case due to distance, and I can't afford to lose more hours. I have a very per-diem job doing flu shots, but I'm pregnant (and had to tell my boss last week, though I don't think the clients know), so I'm not in a position to look for a new job.
I recently spoke with a nurse manager who told me this:
"I used to work at an inner city PDN agency. One day we got a call from a woman complaining that the male nurse of her neighbor's child owes money for adult services (prostitution). She wanted us to withhold the amount from his paycheck. We thought this was a ridiculous prank. However, when we spoke to him about it, he admitted that it was true and he would pay her right away and tell her not to call the nursing office again."
The Girlfriend on my Peds case is working my last nerve. She recently lost her job, and Mom recently found one, so Girlfriend is home most of the time. She doesn't talk to me unless it's to criticize. Last week while I was getting the girl settled in bed, right after changing her, Girlfriend walked in, picked up the girl's shoes from the floor, put them in the closet, and said "Everything has a place!" She resents me for not carrying the girl up the stairs. I'm not allowed to because she weighs 80 lbs and it's a flight of stairs.
Girlfriend's son recently moved in, and brought along a large, active pit bull. It's friendly enough, but I've been attacked by 2 "friendly" dogs, so I'm wary. Girlfriend and Mom fight constantly; I do my best to stay out of their way. Today, when Girlfriend was out, I went downstairs to heat up dinner. I noticed that the oven was on, and turned it off. Girlfriend didn't like that. Winter is coming, and I don't think they have any heat.
I just had to drop a case due to distance, and I can't afford to lose more hours. I have a very per-diem job doing flu shots, but I'm pregnant (and had to tell my boss last week, though I don't think the clients know), so I'm not in a position to look for a new job.
I wouldn't carry a 80 lbs patient up the stairs
as far as i know im not expecting and 80 lbs is nothing for me
but a patient up the stairs, OSHA would love that
don't know about girlfriend, she sounds like she's miserable
Sorry to hash up an old topic, but this thread kept me entertained for the last ~8 hours.
I'm actually a new grad working private duty nursing. I've been with the company for 6 months and have had a total of 3 cases and consider myself pretty lucky. All the families are super nice, but the environments are like black and white.
One of the houses has no heat or AC, they have 8 kids in the house so it's super cramped until they go to bed (I do night shift), there are mice running around (they try to get rid of them, but no luck). The baby will take your things and lose them, he is super sneaky and I actually think it's pretty funny, now that I know to watch him. One thing that really bugs me though is that the majority of the nurses sleep once the kid goes to sleep. Their driveway has turned into a mud pit and people have gotten stuck before.
Now the other house.... new-ish house, heat and AC, heating blankets, wireless internet that we are allowed to use, free range to the fridge, snacks and keurig. Huge recliners, fake fireplace, hospital style bed.... I could go on. The only physical thing I do for the patient other than my assessment is help them to bed and put them on the vent when they go to sleep and take them off before I leave.
Despite the difference in environments though, both families are so nice and understanding. I have had one co-worker go off on me because I woke her up from her nap, but that is a whole other story.
Sorry to hash up an old topic, but this thread kept me entertained for the last ~8 hours.
I'm actually a new grad working private duty nursing. I've been with the company for 6 months and have had a total of 3 cases and consider myself pretty lucky. All the families are super nice, but the environments are like black and white.
One of the houses has no heat or AC, they have 8 kids in the house so it's super cramped until they go to bed (I do night shift), there are mice running around (they try to get rid of them, but no luck). The baby will take your things and lose them, he is super sneaky and I actually think it's pretty funny, now that I know to watch him. One thing that really bugs me though is that the majority of the nurses sleep once the kid goes to sleep. Their driveway has turned into a mud pit and people have gotten stuck before.
Now the other house.... new-ish house, heat and AC, heating blankets, wireless internet that we are allowed to use, free range to the fridge, snacks and keurig. Huge recliners, fake fireplace, hospital style bed.... I could go on. The only physical thing I do for the patient other than my assessment is help them to bed and put them on the vent when they go to sleep and take them off before I leave.
Despite the difference in environments though, both families are so nice and understanding. I have had one co-worker go off on me because I woke her up from her nap, but that is a whole other story.
I've met other nurses who have felt it is alright to sleep during night shift, and families that don't mind as well, but if I'm getting paid, I'm not sleeping. Why some people think it is okay is beyond me...
I don't understand it either. I'm just not wired that way. I have one vent patient who will clap their hands to get your attention if they need you and they told me that the nurse the other night wouldn't wake up. The patient laid there needing suctioning with no nurse to help them because they were sleeping. I told the patient they had 3 options... talk to the nurse about it, talk to our boss about it or have me report it. They want to talk to the nurse first, but if it doesn't change I will be reporting it. That is just crazy.
So this just happened... My patient's father just told me if I ever need to call out, just let him know and he will still sign my time sheet (we use paper time sheets in homes with no land line) if I needed the money.
Umm. NO! Lol. Generous I suppose, but can you say Medicare/Medicaid fraud!??!
SDALPN
997 Posts
Well written! I understand how that feels to go through that. I think this story would be great for other nurses to read when considering doing PDN. Its also a great reminder to us seasoned nurses. Its so easy to get comfortable and happy with a case. Sounds like you gave that child the best that you could. :-)