Is home health nursing considered safe? A little nervous....

Sostuckrn · Jun 17, 2015

There are safe and unsafe environments just like any other area of nursing. There are plenty of small nurses in pdn. Your employer should know about the specific cases and you can ask about the environment.

caliotter3 · Jun 17, 2015

It is as safe as any other activity in any given neighborhood at any given time. If you are asked to go into bad areas and you do not want to take the risk, you have the right to refuse that assignment, just as you have the right to refuse an assignment for other reasons. Be aware that if you turn down too many cases, eventually the agency will go to other nurses to fill their staffing needs.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Jun 17, 2015

It is as safe as any other activity in any given neighborhood at any given time. If you are asked to go into bad areas and you do not want to take the risk, you have the right to refuse that assignment, just as you have the right to refuse an assignment for other reasons. Be aware that if you turn down too many cases, eventually the agency will go to other nurses to fill their staffing needs.

This.

When I worked in Pedi Home Health, I worked in the more safer neighborhoods, as well as checked out the houses before accepting an assignment; if it looked shady or in one case, had an infestation, etc, I told the case and let them know I was not comfortable working that assignment; it helped that I ha an additional job to make sure if anything happened-including potential hospitalizations-I always had a job somewhere else.

toomuchbaloney · Jun 18, 2015

Your employer should have P/P which intends to create a safe working environment for you, even in a patient home. Use those policies to improve your sense of security.

If your small size is a source of insecurity for you I would recommend taking some courses in self defense or similar.

Adele_Michal7, ASN, RN · Jun 18, 2015

I almost died a few times.... Of boredom.

MrChicagoRN, RN · Jun 18, 2015

Here's another similar thread. https://allnurses.com/home-health-nursing/home-health-rapes-982079.html

Wandbarb · Jun 20, 2015

I've been in home for many years and not have any issues except with family members stealing patients medications. We do have police escorts if needed into certain homes but usually families are very kind. Some of the homes are very dirty but otherwise patients and families are happy to see you and appreciate the care

Sostuckrn · Jun 20, 2015

I almost died a few times.... Of boredom.

Good one!!! ðŸ˜‚ðŸ˜‚ðŸ˜‚

Adele_Michal7, ASN, RN · Jun 20, 2015

Good one!!! ðŸ˜‚ðŸ˜‚ðŸ˜‚

Haha, thanks. :)

Libby1987 · Jun 20, 2015

I wonder the data on violence to HH staff compared to inpatient.

All my years, one dog bite needing prophylactic abx.

nutella, MSN, RN · Jun 21, 2015

I feel that it is safe to provide home care. Having said that of course there are areas or perhaps families where you feel something is "off" or a situation escalates. Those are the rules I go by:

- always wear nursing clothes visibly - people in general like nurses because we do something good and possibly perhaps to them.

- always pay respect to everybody, know cultural specific rules about who is head of household and how to behave - will make your life easier

- always be sincere no matter what house - true I am not a big fan of hoarding, bed bugs, trash everywhere but well - I do not judge

- potential unsafe areas I visit in the early time of the day when it is not dark, especially in winter when it gets dark early.

- if I stand in front of the house and feel something is off I pay more attention to what is going on. For example if you visit a patient and there are several men sitting in the living room drinking and nobody else - it can be debatable if that is safe. If in doubt play it safe and just say "oh my pager just went off - I have to make a call" and get out , or say " i forgot something in the care". You can call the manager at that point and discuss steps

- no visible expensive jewelry

- no super tight nursing clothes - especially when you are young - go for something more loose and covering.

- if your agency has a code word use that in situations where you can not call the police because you got trapped. Make up an excuse to call the agency and use the code word. They should call the police for you.

One time I went to a house with a prescheduled time. When I knocked at the door and rang the bell nobody came to open and it looked rather dark from the outside. Because that was already scheduled as a visit I thought ok , I open the door and yell in because a bunch of my patients leave the door open and want me to come in. I still yell before I come in something like "Hello, it is the visiting nurse" and usually you hear somebody yelling back "come in". So I yelled in, nothing happened but I saw an empty recliner, a full ash tray and a small light. The whole house looked "spooky" to me and I did not enter. I closed the door went back to the car and called the contact person for that pat. who told me that she was on the way to the house. I called the manager and told her I had a not good feeling and I would be waiting for the caregiver to arrive before getting in. Turns out the pat was unconscious in bed and I called 911 to get him right back to the hospital.

So sometimes you have to make up the solution as you go.

I do not think you have to be overly concerned as long as you keep common sense. You will get more comfortable as you keep on going to other people's homes. There are so many professions who do home visits - from nurses to plumbers and carpet cleaners... being courteous will go a long way.