Nurse or Nanny?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in subacute.

This is my first job as an RN. I work in NYC for a homecare agency.

They told me there are no RN cases so I would be getting paid

as an lpn at 20/hr. Some of my lpn friends are getting paid 23/hr

as a new grad. so, already not too happy but beggers cant be choosers.

The only homecare case I have is a 14 month old boy.

My job says that I work 7days a week, no days off, no holidays,

no benefits from 8am-4pm. When I received my first paycheck I also noticed that they

didn't take any taxes out. The baby doesn't really need much of my nursing

care. Just g-tube feeding, diapers,meds and bath. The rest of the time

i feel like a babysitter.

In the beginning the mom would ask me to do some laundry and

vacuuming and when she noticed that I would ignore her requests she

got the message. But, when I had mentioned it to my boss, the boss

told me that its not a problem to help her with a little bit of house work.

what the h#ll!!! I did not go to school to clean homes and to be a babysitter!

Where do I draw the line? The economy is terrible and no one is hiring new

grad RN's. I am sooooooo tired. I just don't know how much longer

i can do 7days a week. Once in a while I request a couple of days off, but

I only get 1 day off a week, if possible. It also takes me 2 hours to get to work and 2 hours to

go home because of nyc traffic.

So I need input and advice from people who know how to handle

this situation. I am obviosly desperate for work. I have a 2 year old son at home

to support who i barely get to see. I feel like Im being cheated by the

agency and a bit taken advantage of by the mother of the baby i take care of.

I was never given a job description. There is just so much playng I can do with

a baby. I feed him, bathe him, diaper change n play. But god help me if the

mom hears her son crying. She thinks im not doing my job

Please help me,

0 Votes
Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

They don't sound legit. They're not taking out any taxes? If that's the case, then you're being paid under the table, which is illegal (and also means that if you get injured on the job, you're screwed).

I know you're desperate, but you're being taken advantage of in a heinous way. I would run, not walk, from that job.

What the hell is the mother doing all day? Does she not interact with her child?

0 Votes
Specializes in School Nursing.

7 days a week, no benefits, getting paid below your qualifications, and being treated like a nanny by not only the baby's parent but also the agency. I'd be running as fast as I could in the other direction.

The 7 day workweek is what bothers me the most. You're not a servant. 7 days a week, every week is absolutely unacceptable. Even live-in nannies get a day off.

0 Votes
Specializes in School Nursing.

Also- why exactly does this baby need home health care? A dear friend of mine had a special needs baby who needed special meds a tube feedings. This baby was a twin (her brother perfectly healthy but still a baby with needs). My friend had no home health agency working for her. She did her child's tube feedings and meds without help of a nurse. Not only that, but her older children also knew how to do g tube feedings. They were all perfectly capable of bathing and changing diapers too. This mother was able to manage this with another baby in diapers, and three other children. (yep, 5 kids).

I guess I'm somewhat confused why this woman needs a NURSE and not a nanny trained in tube feedings. All the other stuff, is moms job.

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I would quit. 20 dollars an hour for an RN in a place like NYC? Im sure if you look hard enough you'll be able to find something else. Asking you to do the housework is ridiculous...that just makes me mad.

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There are laws--labor laws and they pertain to the number to days you can work in a row. So they can't make you work 7 days a week--this I know as I also live in NY--upstate NY but still in NY and what they are doing is illegal. I am not sure why you would take a job working 7 days a week and for such horrible pay. And ONE patient? Um.......sounds totally not legit to me either. I am in the Rochester NY area and if you are able to move there are quite a few jobs up here--likely in Buffalo and Syracuse and maybe Albany too. Let me know if you want some info--and actually they need home care nurses up here in my area pretty bad--offering $5000 sign on bonuses. A friend of mine just started on Monday with VNS. Not sure if you want home care as a first choice or just took what you could get.

0 Votes
Specializes in subacute.

Im so happy to hear the support and feedback. I was concerned to sound like I was whining.

I don't understand why they aren't taking the taxes out, but they did tell me when i do get my taxes done in april that I will have to pay back the government. So I assume they must be reporting my wages to the government.

Another fact that I forgot to mention. This agency told me to get for nurses. So I got that too. Ofcourse Im paying for it at $45 a month. Not through them.

I am desperate and I was looking for 7months for any legit RN job, not being picky in anyway, but HAD NO LUCK. The mother of the baby specifically told me that the only reason she got lucky with a nurse is due to fact that her baby has a g-tube. and that was it.

I am doing this job because I want to put recent RN experience on my resume, so that when I go back to looking for a job again (in a month....or when I get a day off) i will hopefully get hired. Jobs like looking at RN experience.

Im writing this through my smartphone. Its the only thing that keeps the day going.

Thank you for the replies and input. I very much sooooo appreciate it.

0 Votes
Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
Im so happy to hear the support and feedback. I was concerned to sound like I was whining.

I don't understand why they aren't taking the taxes out, but they did tell me when i do get my taxes done in april that I will have to pay back the government. So I assume they must be reporting my wages to the government.

Sounds like you have independent contractor status.

0 Votes
Specializes in School Nursing.
Sounds like you have independent contractor status.

Yeah- that is what it sounds like. They will issue an I-9 instead of a W-2 at the end of the year. You will be responsible to pay taxes up front to the IRS. It sucks!

You should definitely run away- quickly. Why the heck can't mom take care of her baby herself? Geeze- nothing like taking advantage of the system.

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9 months wow......like I said if you are able to move upstate I am searching as we speak so to say--daily--as I am out of work as well. However I have some restrictions so my search is a bit harder, but.......there are jobs for new grads, in the hospital.

0 Votes
Specializes in School Nursing.

and Upstate NY is beautiful with much less traffic! ;)

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Run!!!

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