Home Health Nurses Assisting Pt's in School....

[yaddadoit]

Hi folks, need information please. Was just told by my home health agency that I cannot assist my client with school work, ie note taking, etc. That is considered a non nursing function. Was told that the client would need to have a separate person, apart from the nursing staff to do the note taking and dictation. Client able to speak-vent dependant, not able to use hands.

Per agency, there is a regulation that prohibits nurses from providing this assistance currently in legislature. Can anyone please provide me with additional information on this?

Thanks, Darla

[kids]

I am about 99% sure your agency is incorrect in sayng there is a regulation barring you from taking notes for your patient at school.

I was clinical coordinator at a Peds PDN agency in Vancouver, WA for 3 years up until 1/03. I/we had several clients who were care planned for the nurse to take notes, type homework, etc. The agency went through several State and Federal surveys without a hitch, each time the client with the "biggest" school assistance care plan was targeted (due to some unusual circumstances).

Ideally your patient's school should be assigning an aide to assist with note taking and such. I am wondering if your agency is caught up in a struggle with the school district and is trying to pressue the district into supplying the classroom aide. I do recall that there is some sort of regulation about district employed private duty nurses not being used as a replacement for educational aides but it is my understanding that this rule does not apply to PD nurses provided by the client (tho if you want to get really technical school districts are supposed to be providing the nurses at school...not the client.)

The reality in home care is that *we* do a lot of "non-nursing" tasks, off the top of my head laundry and meal preperation comes to mind.