Feeling overwhelmed

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Just kind of ranting. I know my HH agency is short some nurses(and have been since i started in November)This is my first job as a new grad. I am just mentally and physically exhausted!!! I normally have 8-10 patients a day, milage is typically 50-100miles per day? I just want to know if this is about right and with in the norm? Mix this all in with blood draws the 2 two hour case conferences we have every week and being on call every 3rd week. Today just kinda pushed me over the edge. Was on my last patient and had to draw blood, so i offered to take another nurses lab work to the hospital with me, the nearest hospital is 20 minutes away and i was a couple block from it when the nurse called me back and said she drew the wrong tubes. So i dropped off the lab work i had, drove back to draw the other lab work , couldnt get it so had a RN come get. Ran the lab work back, then had to come back to the office and wait till about 8:30pm for the result so i could call the doctor. Finally got home at about 9:00. To top it all off I am payed per visit, so i didn't get anything but the milage, the nearly 2 hours in the office i didn't get payed at all. I'm really just frusterated! anyone have these kind of problems?

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

Why are you spending your unpaid time in the office waiting for lab results?

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Specializes in LTC/hospital, home health (VNA).

I dont mind helping out other teammates - but I would not be running back to another nurses' patient to redraw labs that she did not draw correctly to begin with - or have her call doc and see if could be redrawn tomorrow. And like Tewdles said - why are you waiting around the office for results? They can be done the next day or by an office person - called to you or even the docs directly.

Sounds like you are working for a very unorganized office or maybe they are taking advantage of your kind- heartedness? 8-10 is definitely on the heavy end of patient loads as well. A full day for us is 7 - and often 5 or 6. SOC counts as 2 - and usually ROC and recert they weigh higher than 1 visit as well. If you like HH, keep with it, but either changes need to be made or new agency needs to be found. I love HH but would not work under those circumstances. Good luck to you!

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Why are you spending your unpaid time in the office waiting for lab results?

This is why I do extended care. I do my eight hour shift and my nursing note gets completed during my shift. When I go home, my time is my own.

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