Home visit safety

[Zorra]

Hello-  I have worked in multiple jobs as a nurse or an NP making home visits.  I have realized that there were few if any safety precautions put into place by the agencies to protect their staff's safety.  It usually consisted of video trainings on basic precautions we should take ourselves (where to park our car, always have access to the door etc).  Does anyone have experience working for an agency that did better than this to protect their staff, specifically from violence?  I.e panic buttons, criminal history or sex offender screenings of patients, GPS tracking, cell phone apps, providing pepper spray etc?  Thanks in advance for any info you can share.

[Juniper369]

Our home hospice company takes on active meth users and criminals. Our staff have been placed in many a dangerous situation, it's especially scary when you're on call and have to make a visit in a very dangerous neighborhood by yourself alone at night. Nothing life threatening has happened yet but there have been many close calls and I just feel like it's an accident waiting to happen. I have expressed my concerns and been told that I just need to check my priveledge and stop worrying. Think I have to leave. 

[JKL33]

abbyjomn said:

I have expressed my concerns and been told that I just need to check my priveledge and stop worrying.

"Consider it checked. I quit."

Part of my opinion is based on this post in combination with your other one about this place. They are a crazy money-hungry outfit willing to literally commit fraud.

Gooooood riddance. And also report their fraud after you resign.

[Juniper369]

JKL33 said:

"Consider it checked. I quit."

Part of my opinion is based on this post in combination with your other one about this place. They are a crazy money-hungry outfit willing to literally commit fraud.

Gooooood riddance. And also report their fraud after you resign.

Not sure who I would report them too. I figured other hospice companies were like this. But yeah, I don't like the responses I've gotten from them. It's not about privedlege it's about basic safety. 

[Calliecat]

If you have the clients address with the zip code you can do an internet search for registered sex offenders in a 5 mile radius for free. The agency I worked for provided nothing for our safety. I carried pepper spray and a small pocket knife in my purse at all times. And I never let my cell phone run down.

[Zorra]

Calliecat said:

If you have the clients address with the zip code you can do an internet search for registered sex offenders in a 5 mile radius for free. The agency I worked for provided nothing for our safety. I carried pepper spray and a small pocket knife in my purse at all times. And I never let my cell phone run down.

I now do check the sex offender registry prior to visiting a new patient and I wanted the company to advise all staff to do this but they haven't.  I also carry pepper spray.  I would like a silent panic button supplied to all staff that would send coordinates to emergency response.  I was hoping to hear that there is an agency out there that is taking some responsibility for the safety of their staff but I haven't heard of it yet.  It seems it's on the nurse to protect themselves- which of course to some degree it always will be, and I accept that.  But I also feel that there are some measures that agencies can help with.