Did anyone ever refuse a trip w/patient?

Crystal-Wings, LVN · May 6, 2019

I finally was found a new case! I no longer have to put up with that family anymore ?

caliotter3 · May 7, 2019

10 hours ago, Crystal-Wings said:
I finally was found a new case! I no longer have to put up with that family anymore ?

Congratulations! It took almost three months but at least it happened. Most agencies just dump the nurse if they can't find them a new case within days or, at the most, two or three weeks. Hope your new case turns out to be good, or at least tolerable.

Crystal-Wings, LVN · May 17, 2019

On 5/6/2019 at 9:05 PM, caliotter3 said:
Congratulations! It took almost three months but at least it happened. Most agencies just dump the nurse if they can't find them a new case within days or, at the most, two or three weeks. Hope your new case turns out to be good, or at least tolerable.

Sent you a PM

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · May 24, 2019

On 6/22/2018 at 8:45 AM, Elektra6 said:
Just need some advice. A coworker nurse of mine continually shows up on my day of work to help take the patient out on outings. She doesn't get paid, so family and patient are thrilled. For reference this patient cannot be taken out by one person any longer, needs at least two people. I did do a vacation with them eight years ago and things went ok but I don't want to go away again. Now she wants to do a loooong day trip, 3hr drive each way, to a Nascar race. I do not think this is appropriate for him nor do I want to be working 24 hrs straight. They say since I am scheduled I have to go where he (really her) wants. Anybody have any experience dealing with a bossy, overstepping nurse? I hate to leave this case.

Who is "her"? Do you mean the other nurse, who would more correctly be called "she"?

I always accompanied my patients to their appointments when I did home care, but I didn't drive them in my car.

I would find out what the agency says you are to do about this situation. You might not want to say anything about the other nurse. That will probably come out soon enough.

I wonder if this other nurse is trying to get into the patient's/family's finances. Some people do sometimes get into the checkbook and help themselves. Or into the will or whatever. All probably unethical, although if the patient and/or family want to put you into their will, I guess you can't force them not to. You can decline gifts, of course.

What are you doing while the family and other nurse take the patient out?

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · May 24, 2019

On 2/4/2019 at 4:27 PM, Crystal-Wings said:
Oh man I know! And I hate to sound prejudiced, but I've only seemed to have this issue with families that weren't raised in a western country. It could be a cultural difference, but I honestly don't know. It's just what I personally have experienced over the years doing this job.
As for the cams, I don't really think it's so much of a privacy issue that I have with it (after all, its their house they can do what they wish. It would only be illegal if the cameras were in the bathroom), but a trust issue. If you don't/can't trust the nurses that come to your house, don't have nurses. Period. Nobody likes to be micromanaged.

Not all nurses are trustworthy. I would have cameras if a nurse were alone with my loved one, in my home, nurse or not.

I know it's not pleasant to be on camera, but it does tend to keep people honest.

I was in the store yesterday and heard this beeping and saw a sign telling me I was being recorded. I didn't like it, but they must have a lot of theft.

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · May 24, 2019

On 6/24/2018 at 6:54 AM, Elektra6 said:
I am 100% sure she works for free. She has no family and is bored. Plus the patient's family is destitute.

You might be surprised. How do you know what anyone else's finances are?

**Elektra6, ASN, BSN, RN** · May 25, 2019

19 hours ago, Kooky Korky said:
Who is "her"? Do you mean the other nurse, who would more correctly be called "she"?
I always accompanied my patients to their appointments when I did home care, but I didn't drive them in my car.
I would find out what the agency says you are to do about this situation. You might not want to say anything about the other nurse. That will probably come out soon enough.
I wonder if this other nurse is trying to get into the patient's/family's finances. Some people do sometimes get into the checkbook and help themselves. Or into the will or whatever. All probably unethical, although if the patient and/or family want to put you into their will, I guess you can't force them not to. You can decline gifts, of course.
What are you doing while the family and other nurse take the patient out?

Yes, you are right, I meant “she”.

I go with them on the outings. The mom has expressed concerns about her maybe trying to get control/custody of the patient?!

Weird, weird situation. Agency is fine with her being there all the time. Actually agency is fine with just about anything as long as client is not complaining. I give up.

caliotter3 · May 25, 2019

I have found that bossy, overstepping nurses usually were on the case before me and have been ruling the roost for quite some time with the agreement of the agency. At some point in time it gets to be too much and the one gone from the case is me. Most of these bossy nurses know just what to do and say to insure that they are the ones left on the case after the dust settles. They solidify their prominence and their bank account flourishes. The rest of us can go pound sand as far as the agency and the client family are concerned.

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · May 29, 2019

On 5/24/2019 at 7:37 PM, Elektra6 said:
Yes, you are right, I meant “she”.
I go with them on the outings. The mom has expressed concerns about her maybe trying to get control/custody of the patient?!
Weird, weird situation. Agency is fine with her being there all the time. Actually agency is fine with just about anything as long as client is not complaining. I give up.

The Mom has expressed this concern to you directly? I wonder why Mom doesn't tell her to stop coming to the case? Mom is likely desperate for help, despite her fears.

Sounds like a real mess. Good luck.

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · May 29, 2019

On 1/22/2019 at 4:43 PM, caliotter3 said:
Ha, ha, ha! One of my last clients used to say there wasn't enough room. I have never been to an appointment anywhere with any patient, where there truly wasn't enough room. If that were the case, I could have stepped out of the "crowded" room after interacting with the provider. However, the clients always insure the nurse is never allowed to interact with the provider.

It's a sad commentary on the state of health care in America that home care patients and their families are afraid of losing their staff, likely because there isn't really a reason for them to have staff.

Crystal-Wings, LVN · May 29, 2019

8 hours ago, Kooky Korky said:
It's a sad commentary on the state of health care in America that home care patients and their families are afraid of losing their staff, likely because there isn't really a reason for them to have staff.

A lot of them don't truly need all of the hours they are getting. I had a patient that was g tube only and was getting over 80 hours of nursing a week! Parents gave all of the meds and made the nurse do everything non nursing related. How medicare found that acceptable, I have no idea.

tinky471 · Aug 4, 2019

On 1/22/2019 at 5:37 PM, Crystal-Wings said:
I'm going through that right now on my current case. I'm not even allowed in the exam room. Parents always claim "there isn't enough room".

It seems they're using the nurse as a "nurse babysitter" :-). As for me, I work at nights so I'm not usually asked to go to the doctors or other trips but the family that did ask me asked me to go with them to Las Vegas so that they can be there on Christmas Day. I guess I could have told my little ones that we'd celebrate Christmas on a different day ...