Interview at agency – what questions can I ask about private duty clients?

Specialties Private Duty

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I would like advice on questions to ask during an interview. I am an RN with 3yrs experience working in a group home with 7 residents, and have experience with trach care. I am applying to an agency and they mentioned that they have 8hr shifts available working with two clients. I spoke with someone from human resources who seemed to only know a little bit about their nursing needs. I would like to know more about the clients before deciding whether to consider accepting.

All I currently know is that one is a child and would require 35-45 min driving each way, and the other is an older gentleman on a vent, and the shift for him are overnight and on the weekend. I have no experience with vents, and the resident I work with does not have a canula in his trach.

I want to find out as much as possible, but I don't want to ask too many questions. I suspect the interview will be with the HR employee I already spoke to. What types of things would an agency typically share? Would it be appropriate to ask to see their plan of care with identifying info blackened out? What type of back-up should be available for vent clients, if I need help overnight or on weekends? Who should I be able to call and what kind of help should they be able to provide? If neither of those clients are a good fit, but I am interested in finding out about future clients, is that a reasonable thing to ask? Or would it seem like I am being too picky?

Here are some questions I can think of. Are there changes you would make to any of them?

What are my duties? Would I be driving the client, and if so in what type of vehicle?

What are all of their important diagnoses and their cognitive level?

Their age and living situation

What are their personalities – is this okay to ask? What is a better way to phrase it?

Does the child attend school

Have they had problems with nurses in the past and how they resolved them? How many nurses have left this assignment in the past year or two?

Who maintains the vent –

What are the emergency procedures for power failure in home, dislodged trach, vent failure, can't ventilate by bag through trach, etc.

What are appropriate questions about the case managers?

Thanks in advance for any help

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

Don't take on a vent client without formal classroom education with at least 24hrs preceptorship with an experienced nurse (my agency is 3x 8h per level--infant (to 18 mo) child (19 mo to 17y) and adult (18+) some have a 4th level senior/geriatric (62+)

You need to be able to operate, basic trouble shoot, such to back up power or vent, hand ventilate (BVM), do routine and emergent trach changes. Clinical details come from a clinical nurse manager not HR. You are it. You should have a nurse supervisor on call via phone 24/7 and DME phone support 24/7 (should be able to bring back up equipment within a few hours in case of failure) otherwise you are it aside from phone support. Calling EMS for severe situations (unable to replace trach, power failure with no generator) but need to make sure ALS unit as EMTB cannot manage trach/vent.

How can you monitor a patient if you are driving especially a seizure or critical airway. You can't. Don't do it.

Emergency procedures are not covered during interview but during orientation and formal vent training. You should be offered at least a full day class with practice vents and mannequins. You replace the trach following protocol. Switch to back up for vent failure then call DME. Can't ventilate or replace trach call 911.

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

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Thread moved to Private Duty forum.

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