Do you ever feel like you have to defend your position as a PDN?

Published

Specializes in pediatric.

I am a new LPN (almost RN), and my first (and current) job as a nurse is as a private duty nurse for a medically intensive peds patient. However, I constantly feel like I have to "justify" my position by telling people how medically intensive the pt. is (listing all the diagnoses), or I feel I have to say that this is temporary until I get my RN and move on to bigger and better things. There seems to be this culture (at least where I am) about home health nursing that it isn't "real" nursing, and I have somehow gotten caught up in it (as evidenced by my need to justify it to people who ask what I do). Whenever I tell someone I'm a nurse, they say "what hospital do you work at?" When I tell them I'm a PDN, they say "so you have just one patient?" or "oh." What, do I have to work in a big hospital with 6 acute patients on a med-surg floor to be considered a real nurse?

I know that what I do is valuable, I know that I am a darn good nurse to my patient, and I know that I make a positive difference in many people's lives by doing what I do, so why do I feel like I have to justify it?? Does anyone else experience this? Thanks for sharing any thoughts on this.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Give them: "Yeah, it's so smart to get paid about the same to take care of just one patient." The other person will have to acknowledge this fact or look harder to denigrate what you do.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds Homecare.

"[h=1]“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.”[/h]

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds, developmental disability.

Some nurses love to put down or dominate any other nurse they meet. But I like to remember the response of my friend, the critical care nurse, who said to me, "The skills you use in your job are different from mine. But they are skills!"

When I tell the average inquiring person that I work shifts in the homes of kids with disabilities, they seem to be, well, satisfied. Obviously it is good work, helps someone, makes an difference, and might not always be all that easy! Are they impressed? Who cares. I know what I do!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Yes, I have experienced that. Still experience it. Experience it in my own home, in fact. I think people just are not aware of how many ways there are to be a nurse. Not their fault really, when you think about how nurses are portrayed in the media.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatric Private Duty; Camp Nursing.

When I describe how PDN is working smarter, not harder, they usually end up jealous!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Yes, my sister is a CEN in an emergency department. She says/thinks that I am not a real nurse.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Yes, my sister is a CEN in an emergency department. She says/thinks that I am not a real nurse.

Wow, your license is just as real as hers.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I've been told PDN is not REAL nursing. I've also been told I'm not a REAL nurse (I'm an LPN). Whatever. I have a REAL license and I make REAL money that pays REAL bills for my REAL family.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Here are some REAL skills that the "not real" nurses (LPN, RN, Diploma, ADN, BSN, MSN) did at our house:

TPN administration

IV site care

Trach care

Trach tube changes

Endless suction of nose, mouth, trach

Emergency trach tube changes

Mic-key button changes

Mic-key button care

Emergency Mic-key button changes

G-tube feedings

Ventilator circuit changes

Ventilator troubleshooting

Feeding pump troubleshooting

Pulse ox troubleshooting

Medication administration (through the g-tube, nebulized, IV, rectal)

Foley catheterization

Manual ventilation via Ambubag

Charting

Oxygen administration

Constant patient assessment

CPR

I guess the "not real" skills would be:

Bed bathing

Diaper changing

Sheet changing

Helping me check-in and put away supplies

Coming with us to doctor appointments

Applying lip balm and eye drops and those lemon-y mouth swabs so my little one was never "dried out"

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

Great post, ventmommy! mluvsgnc . . . I discovered this site 10 years ago. I've learned lots of valuable things, made friends and noticed some patterns. One of them is that certain of our job choices (or more recently the only job that was hiring) have been told they "are not real nurses". This list includes LTC, psych nursing, addictions nursing, and people who work in cosmetic surgery centers. In all cases, it's complete bunk.

It takes a while sometimes, but you will find your center and that stuff will start to roll off. In the case of PDN, we are solely responsible in many cases for those who are dependent on a machine and constantly at risk of losing the first sign of life in the ABCs. Lately I hear the term "stable vent patients". I understand the meaning of that but these kids and adults can turn on a dime and we have nobody but ourselves and 911 to cope with it most of the time. I'm actually proud to be doing this type of care, and I have worked in pediatric ICU stepdown in the past.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

All the time,especially if the pt goes to the hospital.

The other nurses will call me the home health aide or nurse aide even AFTER I hand them the 485.

As if a hha can admininster gt feeds,manage a trach and vent pt,and admininster tpn.

It gets on my nerves,but it really pushes me over the edge when other nurses should know better.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion