Informed employer I was going to NYC to help with COVID crisis and was threatened to be reported for pt abandonment

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Hi, this is my first time posting. I worked in home health and decided to pick up and leave to go to NYC to help with the COVID crisis. When I contacted my employer and informed them of this, I was told that if I left, I would be reported to the VABON for patient abandonment. Now I had not been working that day, and have never abandoned a patient while working. What do I do now? Any advice is appreciated. I have been told By fellow nurses that he does not have a case and this was an empty threat. I’m disappointed in my employer’s response to say the least.

Specializes in Peds.

Just because she works hh does not mean she won't have experience.

We shift/pdn nurses are EXACTLY what they need.

We work with vents /trachs all the time,without an RT available.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

Although HH Private duty work with trachs and vents, you do not work with critical care IV drips, prone your patients, interpret EKG's, most do not use EMR, nor access meds from computerized drug cabinet ---skills one needs to quickly jump into an ICU/COVID unit without more than a 4-8hr orientation.

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I do extended care home health work with trach and vent patients. There is no way this side of heaven I could work with ICU/COVID patients at this time for all the reasons Karen mentions and then some.

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Specializes in Dialysis.
1 hour ago, NRSKarenRN said:

Although HH Private duty work with trachs and vents, you do not work with critical care IV drips, prone your patients, interpret EKG's, most do not use EMR, nor access meds from computerized drug cabinet ---skills one needs to quickly jump into an ICU/COVID unit without more than a 4-8hr orientation.

In the FB posts I read, some travelers not getting orientation. Just hit the ground and run ?

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Specializes in Peds.
1 hour ago, NRSKarenRN said:

Although HH Private duty work with trachs and vents, you do not work with critical care IV drips, prone your patients, interpret EKG's, most do not use EMR, nor access meds from computerized drug cabinet ---skills one needs to quickly jump into an ICU/COVID unit without more than a 4-8hr orientation.

Well,you are right.

There was actually a hospital that asked Bayada to send trach/vent nurses.

The trach/vent nurses would do all things vent related,and the actaul ICU nurses would work with everything else.

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Specializes in Dialysis.
4 hours ago, Runsoncoffee99 said:

Just because she works hh does not mean she won't have experience.

We shift/pdn nurses are EXACTLY what they need.

We work with vents /trachs all the time,without an RT available.

Not 10 and more at the same time, with multiple drips, without assist, PPE, etc. ER and ICU are a whole different ballgame than HH and PDN. I've done all of the above. Not all HH and PDN nurses have trach and vent experience. See below

41 minutes ago, Runsoncoffee99 said:

Well,you are right.

There was actually a hospital that asked Bayada to send trach/vent nurses.

The trach/vent nurses would do all things vent related,and the actaul ICU nurses would work with everything else.

if thats the case, great, but if not, bad situation

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7 hours ago, Runsoncoffee99 said:

Just because she works hh does not mean she won't have experience.

We shift/pdn nurses are EXACTLY what they need.

We work with vents /trachs all the time,without an RT available.

Yes, but not hospitals with 10 plus patient load with rapidly changing status. I have worked both ends of the equation-they are very different

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4 hours ago, Runsoncoffee99 said:

The trach/vent nurses would do all things vent related,and the actaul ICU nurses would work with everything else.

Why would they do that when there are respiratory therapists who are the experts in that arena? Also, ventilation management of a critically ill patient is entirely different than managing a chronic patient on relatively benign settings. Doesn't make any sense to me.

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On 4/26/2020 at 4:25 PM, Butterflygrl38 said:

Hi, this is my first time posting. I worked in home health and decided to pick up and leave to go to NYC to help with the COVID crisis. When I contacted my employer and informed them of this, I was told that if I left, I would be reported to the VABON for patient abandonment. Now I had not been working that day, and have never abandoned a patient while working. What do I do now? Any advice is appreciated. I have been told By fellow nurses that he does not have a case and this was an empty threat. I’m disappointed in my employer’s response to say the least.

Next time be creative, don't tell them what you are doing...

"Jealousy in the air tonight I can tell."

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On 4/26/2020 at 7:08 PM, DesiDani said:

When are you going to leave? Since you are working home health and the clients are assigned to you, if no one has been assigned to take care of those client you are abandoning them.

If she has no patients for the day and informed her employer, it's their responsibility to find a replacement. It's not her responsibility to keep the agency staffed. You aren't bound to any employer.

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ICU.

Many contracts are currently being canceled or changed into float pool positions. I signed up for a crisis position specifically at a field hospital recently. This was changed when I arrived for my first day, switched to their dedicated float pool at a different location, and I was informed I would not have an n95. Nope'd out of there the next day.

Keep in mind, many hospitals have up to 9 different units travelers are expected to float between. There is generally a clause within travel contracts allowing the hospital to float you when needed, as with any hospital, but expect so your "dedicated COVID unit" or whatever you sign to be anything else the hospital has to offer. Neuro med-surg with post-op laminectomies? You'll get 'em. Post-op heart caths and TAVRs? Yours too! No experience? No problem for them!

Beware what you sign up for.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.
2 hours ago, Wuzzie said:
7 hours ago, Runsoncoffee99 said:

The trach/vent nurses would do all things vent related,and the actaul ICU nurses would work with everything else.

Why would they do that when there are respiratory therapists who are the experts in that arena?

RT are swapped responding to codes and setting up new vents. Not all hospitals have RT on 24/7 either.

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