Home Health Nurse Responsible For Other Children?

LPN_mn · Jun 19, 2005

I started working for peds pt. in Home health care and the lady told me right up front that when I was at their house it was expected that I would help them care for the other children in the house. I asked her how much more do I receive when I am watching the others and she said the pay was the same. I didn't take the job and told the lady why I was refusing the job. I don't feel that you should be the built in babysitter when you have your hands full with the patient.

renerian, BSN, RN · Jun 19, 2005

That is not what the benefit it supposed to be about. You care for the patient not their "brood". They are taking advantage of you. Hard to keep good people in home care when that is what happens.

renerian

Chewy14 · Jun 19, 2005

I don't think I've seen this topic dicussed before, so here goes. I've been working in home health for about 4 months doing pediatric private duty care and I do enjoy it, but....
In all the homes I have been it except one, the parents left other children for me to care for besides my patient. I don't mind if they are well-behaved and potty-trained, but one home I was in last week was a nightmare. My 5 yr old patient is almost total care, and they also left 3 little hellions, all girls ages 12, 14 and 16 for me to watch too. The older one is ok, but the younger two fought constantly and had the TV on at an ear-splitting volume the whole time I was there. And to top it all off, when I was forced to take my patient to a bedroom so he could take a nap in peace, the younger one called her mother(also a nurse for the same agency!) who then called the agency I work for and reported ME for being ASLEEP! :angryfire I told my supervisor this was ludicrous and I think she believed me, but still....
Needless to say, I won't be going back there again, and I am also wondering about liability issues. Am I legally responsible for 3 teenage girls who just "happen to be there" during my shift? If I am, then it would seem that if I got sued if something happend to them, then my employer could be too. Yet, the agency didn't seem to have a problem with the fact that I was stuck with 3 extra kids to watch. I don't think it would matter how old they are, I'm no lawyer, but I believe that the only adult on the property would be responsible whether they gave "consent" to babysit or not.
Has anyone else ever run into this problem?

Herein lies the problem...the agency doesn't care!!! The pts family brings them in money, you take it. If you have a problem with it, they will just send someone else out. I have worked pediatric hh for 10+ years and I have experienced the same problems. And I have had them tell me straight up that I will watch all of the kids. If you agree to do so, then you are legally responsible for what happens to them. The agency will usually not back you if something does happen - they are going to save their own skin. I had one home that was a foster home for medically chanllenged children. The foster mother did not touch the babies - ever! She used to stagger her nurses so that she got complete coverage all day for all four babies. She started scheduling me for the weekend shift and I was the only nurse to take care of all four of the babies. I finally went to my agency and complained. They in turn went to her and told her. So I took a lot of smart remarks from her after that. She always waited until I was leaving to say, oh could you stay with them for a few minutes while I go out and feed the dogs. This was also when she decided, after spending 12 hours with me, to start doing personal talk. I would stay over 1-2 everyday, without pay!! I also complained and they went straight to her, for which I paid again. I finally got a backbone and refused to take care of more than my patient, without being paid for the additional. As long as you take it, they will continue. If you stand up to them, you will get the respect you deserve. In some cases, the mom won't have you out there if you don't agree to take care of all of them. That's ok. There's other places to go, but I refuse to allow someone to take advantage of me. One thing always leads to another thing and before you know it, you will be the door mat!!