Homecare nursing job at risk?

[Trisha.S.RN]

I'm a homecare nurse in Michigan. No one wants a homecare nurse right now. I wonder if nurses in areas that have been hit harder than Michigan so far have any insight. Are other homecare nurses finding they are not working as much or as this virus progresses are you getting more work? I'm a single mom with 4 boys. I may need to consider applying at the hospitals where I may be more needed. Id appreciate any insight on the matter. Be safe, stay healthy.

[caliotter3]

Clients are both concerned their nurses will bring illness to their families and that they will lose their nurses to illness. They are refusing to let the clinical supervisors enter their homes to do supervisory visits. I figure that if my client family gets ill, or if I get ill, either way, that will be the end of my job for the foreseeable future. Trying to pay down debt and prioritize who gets first dibs on current income while it lasts.

[toomuchbaloney]

Contract your local health department and ask about contract work during the pandemic...?

[Kitiger, RN]

I will work with a sick client, but I need to figure this out.

I work for 2 companies, one client per company. One company says we do not go in if the client is suspected COVID-19. The other company says we do go in.

One client has older parents, but more nurses (for now). Right now, they have better coverage, but most of their nurses are at least 60. I work very few hours there.

The other client has younger parents, but only 2 nurses, and no night shifts covered. They have been asking for more help since last August. I work 30 hours/week there.

Obviously, if one has it and the other does not, I can't go house to house.

The parents at both homes are afraid of the hospital, and would refuse to let their child go unless they could stay at the bedside 24/7. From the stories they've told me, I don't blame them. These kids require constant monitoring by someone who is ready and able to quickly intervene, something a nurse with 2 other patients cannot do.

[caliotter3]

I would think that between the two patients, your decision will probably be made for you when one becomes sick first, or you become sick. Otherwise, you must be leaning with either the case that you feel more "drawn" to, or the agency that you like better. Or use some other criteria, like which pays you better, which is providing or going to provide you with more hours, which is closer to your home, which agency has more business, and thus more opportunity for additional work, or even which case provides you with easier parking, etc. There has to be one or more criteria that set one above the other.