Life after PDN????

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Hi all-

I'm new to private duty nursing, pediatric cases and also in school working for my BSN and although I'm really pleased with private duty nursing right now, I'm wondering what are a nurses options if they ever decide to leave PDN? I see a lot of agencies want 1 year acute experience to do hospital work, LTC centers want 1 year LTC experience??? What gives, is PDN considered a black hole of nursing, once you enter you're pretty much stuck? Is this an indication that facilities don't appreciate or recognize the work that PDN's actually do? Please help, I'm started to feel discouraged....

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I am getting fed up with home health myself. Not the nursing aspect of it, but the unemployment aspect. I do not want to go weeks and months without work anymore. It used to be that if one were signed up with two agencies, there would be an abundance of cases to choose from and a person could work themselves to death if they chose. Now, I have "employers" who have given me absolutely no work in more than a year. I can't pay my rent on a consistent basis. I will be looking at going back to long term care IF someone will hire me.

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Wow Caliotter, that's scary! My current patient is certified for another 90days, who knows what's gonna happen after that! I hope I still have work! It sounds like maybe you have some concerns about whether your PDN experiences will get you in the door elsewhere, is that correct? I hope I didn't make a horrible mistake switching from the hospital to PDN... I'm really scared now...

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I have been in home health exclusively for more than ten years now. I have LTC experience but that was a long time ago. Am LVN, not RN, so hospitals don't want me anyway. Yes, I feel trapped and I am very fed up with the agencies telling me that they don't have work for me. I've said it before, that I did not become a nurse to be unemployed.

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Specializes in Home Health/PD.

we're getting low on clients too. but i'm still getting good hours since people are on vacation. luckily my agency trains nurses at every client so there is always someone to fill in with that client. i love my job, and right now i'm not thinking of going anywhere. if our client shortage keeps up i might have to go to another home health agency around the area, but i am definitely not leaving my field anytime soon

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