Driving

I drove over 700 miles this week. Our agency is in rural East TN and the people are far a part and very poor mostly.

~Willow

Our agency provides us with cars so mileage isnt as big a deal to me. It was when I was driving my own car. Yes I got paid 0.45 per mile, but once my car wears out, that mileage reimbursement wont buy me another car. I stay within my county. I average about 50-60 miles per day, unless they need help in another county.

I live in Columbus, OH and I've never heard of someone giving you a car let alone mileage. I work for 3 agencies trying to get it down to an area of town, or going to one area and staying there for a day. I love HH but the driving is getting old.

I'll bet rural in TN can be interesting.

It is very interesting. Lots of our territory falls in Appalachian Mountains. I love it though I feel like I am doing a service to these people that need it so much.

~Willow

I sincerely bet it's beautiful, rewarding and maybe a little scarey at times. But I go to the inner city and it's scarey at times.

I drive all over the county and it sucks! My car is less than two years old and has 50k miles. we have company cars but they are not very dependable and where i go, i get no cell phone service. I go waaaayyyy up in the mountains so i drive my own car due to its dependability. We get paid 0.375 cents/mile and i log up to 1100 miles/two weeks. would love to work just in the town (i live in rural OK) but noone else will go that far north. like i said....it really sucks. Especially when you call before you leave town...Yeah, i'll be home.....you drive 60 miles one way to see them and guess what? no patient. Ticks me off!

wow, that's tough. I still like home care better than being stuck in a facility though.

If a patient pulled that with me, after the second occurrence, they would not have me as a nurse. And if the agency didn't like it, well, they didn't care to back me up as an employee, so obviously they didn't care that I was an employee, so I probably won't be an employee. Everyone should have their limits. The agency is lucky to have one nurse that will drive to these places. They should make an effort to keep you somewhat satisfied.

I am in Michigan...certified home care agencies, particularly the larger for-profits, fire nurses like teenagers spit out gum. I am thinking your spunky attitude might might cause you some trouble in these parts. Makes me chuckle though...

Well, if you want to let them walk all over you, then that is ok. But then there should be no complaining about it. Agencies fire nurses all the time here too, for no reason at all and any reason at all. So, what difference does it make to let them know that you don't consider yourself to be their doormat?

lol...

that attitude cost me 2 jobs in 18months...:monkeydance:

Wow! Is there a shortage of nurses where you are? There is not a shortage here. But it seems the agencys keep nurses, burn them out and the nurses quit and the cycle continues. Seems like if you're fulltime with benefits they really use you up.

RN's here get 30 a visit, 35-45 for recerts and 55-60 for opens. Then all the freakin' paper work when you get home.

Why do they keep saying 1 bad day in home care is better than a good day in hospital????