Is this legal?

[Nibbles1]

I had to precept a nurse tonight. Parents want to replace a nurse that is "bat" crazy. This nurse I just sent home because she fell asleep. That was my breaking point. She told me that she would take the client(s) home with her after parents go to work. She told me she has a sister who lives with her whose a LVN and looks after the client if the hired nurse needs to run an errand. Is that legal to take a client (pediatric) to your personal home? I've heard of a lot of nurses doing this. I know it's illegal for another nurse whose not hired with the company to look after them. But taking a kid home with you? And she admitted that she sleeps with the children at night. She gets in their bed with them. Seriously???

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

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Sometimes,nurses do not know what is wrong when first starting out.

Uh...I wonder what's a person's function if they would want a stranger in their bed sleeping with then, even if they can go into their inner child to remember if they would want that.

I know common sense ain't common, but come ON.

[Nibbles1]

Sometimes,nurses do not know what is wrong when first starting out.

I had nobody to guide me,and my supervisor was new to Pdn too,so she could not help me either.

One of the big mistakes i made was watching the kid in the parent's home while off duty.

I would come and sit with her while the parents went out on Saturday nights.

My work hrs were 3pm to 11pm Mon-Fri.

I did not get paid for the Saturdays.

It only happened twice though.

when I first started out in PDN, I had no clue either. I had one family that was so poor, that when their child was admitted to the hospital, out of state. They didn't have any money. I gave them some money. I told the day shift nurse that the little boy was admitted to the hospital. I told her that I gave the family some money. OMGosh! I almost lost my job over it. I had only been in PDN for three weeks when this occurred. Last March, I got a case that they had NOTHING! I mean not a darn thing. No diapers, no sheets, no food, no dishes, not even baby shampoo. I refused to give money, since I learned my lesson three years ago. I did, however, bring food, clothing, etc... One nurse would take the laundry and washed it at her house. Another nurse gave the mom some money. Come to find out, mom was selling her food stamps, getting a huge check from the state. Mom got mad when I brought Equate baby shampoo to use. Said her baby deserved Johnson and Johnson. I felt used. I quit the case. Live and learn.

I do have a problem with a nurse getting into bed with the child and sleeping. I have a problem with nurses taking the children to their personal homes when the parents are at work. Or to family gatherings.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

Sometimes,nurses do not know what is wrong when first starting out.

Any nurse with a half a brain should be able to figure out that taking a child out of the environment she is being paid to care for the child in to her home is wrong. Anyone who can't figure that out deserves the punishment they end up with.

No one would ever entertain taking a hospital or nursing home patient from the hospital or nursing home environment to their personal home, why are we entertaining that a half intelligent nurse would think this could be acceptable in home health? The work environment is the child's home, not in the home of the nurse's choosing.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

Any professional that takes care of a child needs to at least get permission from the parents to take a child anywhere and this needs to be documented.

They could get in a crash and that's only one of the things I can think of.

I know of NO home health agency that would allow a nurse to transport a child in her own vehicle. The nurse is being paid to nurse the child, not to be a chauffeur. If the child needs a nurse to accompany him to school, the nurse rides the school bus with him. If the child has a doctor's appointment during the nurse's shift, the nurse may accompany him to the appointment in the parents' car, with the parents on public transportation or in a cab or in the state's medical transportation but she may never drive the child. Suppose the child decannulates himself on the ride, or vomits and aspirates or seizes. How is the nurse going to provide nursing care when she's driving? If it is determined during the shift that the child needs to be transported to the hospital and the parents are not home, the nurse is to call 911, notify the parents and accompany the child to the hospital.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

when I first started out in PDN, I had no clue either. I had one family that was so poor, that when their child was admitted to the hospital, out of state. They didn't have any money. I gave them some money. I told the day shift nurse that the little boy was admitted to the hospital. I told her that I gave the family some money. OMGosh! I almost lost my job over it. I had only been in PDN for three weeks when this occurred. Last March, I got a case that they had NOTHING! I mean not a darn thing. No diapers, no sheets, no food, no dishes, not even baby shampoo. I refused to give money, since I learned my lesson three years ago. I did, however, bring food, clothing, etc... One nurse would take the laundry and washed it at her house. Another nurse gave the mom some money. Come to find out, mom was selling her food stamps, getting a huge check from the state. Mom got mad when I brought Equate baby shampoo to use. Said her baby deserved Johnson and Johnson. I felt used. I quit the case. Live and learn.

I do have a problem with a nurse getting into bed with the child and sleeping. I have a problem with nurses taking the children to their personal homes when the parents are at work. Or to family gatherings.

You know, we had a situation with a home health aide who was trying to be nice. The family constantly told their tale of woe about how they couldn't even afford the basics so the nurse bought milk and other basic things for them trying to be a good person. Then came the time when she was working and witnessed the father being abusive and child protective services had to be notified. The parents began accusing her left and right after that, saying that she was selling them food stamps and all other kinds of things.

Refer to Social Work in these instances. Even if there is not a social worker at the agency, these kids are well connected with specialty medical clinics and somewhere there is a social worker who can help them.

[smartnurse1982]

Any nurse with a half a brain should be able to figure out that taking a child out of the environment she is being paid to care for the child in to her home is wrong. Anyone who can't figure that out deserves the punishment they end up with.

No one would ever entertain taking a hospital or nursing home patient from the hospital or nursing home environment to their personal home, why are we entertaining that a half intelligent nurse would think this could be acceptable in home health? The work environment is the child's home, not in the home of the nurse's choosing.

You are right,but some things there is a thin line.

I did not know that providing nursing care off the clock was wrong at that time.

I genuinely thought that i was just being nice,and that they could use some time off.

Of course,common sense should kick in on other scenarios.

Now getting into bed with a pt.....that has never crossed my mind.

I did not even imagine that happens until i read Allnurses.

[smartnurse1982]

I know of NO home health agency that would allow a nurse to transport a child in her own vehicle.

Someone made a post not too long ago on Allnurses that their Pdn agency required the nurse to transport the child to school in the nurse's own car

[caliotter3]

Someone made a post not too long ago on Allnurses that their Pdn agency required the nurse to transport the child to school in the nurse's own car

There are situations where the nurse uses their own car to transport clients, but those are few and far between, and you can bet your sweet bippy that the agency has appropriate waivers in place to limit their​ liability.

[Gooselady, BSN, RN]

I don't know what gobsmacks me more, the idea that some agencies are so poorly managed or some 'nurses' are so lacking in common sense.

Home care seems like an 'area' where a lot of funny business can go down without consequences. It seems like when consequences do happen, they make headline news, like they did in my state where the little Down's Syndrome boy was 'found unresponsive' but had dependent mottling by the time the nurse realized something was wrong. It gives us all a bad name I am just as conscientious about what matters (like airway, breathing and circulation LOL) in the home as I was in the hospital, and I might as well just respect the ground rules and not push them every chance I get.

[Alnitak7]

On several occasions I have been permitted to take a patient out in my own car. I have been permitted both by my agencies and sometimes by the facilities they stay in.

What also comes to mind is that I'm usually threatened at the idea of anyone having to drive my car. If I become a patient and have to be driven I hope to be riding in their car and not mine.