Lying to new clients!?

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Specializes in PCU, ICU.

Hello, I just moved to Ohio and obtained a new position at a Home Health agency, I've never worked home health before and they are trying to get a new client who is allergic to animals, they want me to talk to her on the phone and to tell this client that I do not have a dog and hope nothing happens. I don't feel comfortable doing this and if i am not mistaken I could lose my license if this client goes into an asthma attack ( in which she stated she would due to allergies ) and I had lied. Not sure what to tell my new job, afraid to lose my job though very confused is this normal in home health?

I forgot to mention I've had a total of 3 hours of training and had to provide all my own supplies they provided nothing. I get no mileage coverage either.

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Run. Fast. This company does not sound like a good place to be. I also would not lie about your pets, not in the best interest of the patient. Best of luck to you!!

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Specializes in ICU,CCU,Med/Surg,LTC.

I would immediately start looking for another job! I might also be inclined to make a phone call the your states Department Of Health about them. That agency sounds like a nightmare. Get out quick!

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Specializes in Pedi.

No, this is not normal.

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I agree...run!!

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Hello, I just moved to Ohio and obtained a new position at a Home Health agency, I've never worked home health before and they are trying to get a new client who is allergic to animals, they want me to talk to her on the phone and to tell this client that I do not have a dog and hope nothing happens. I don't feel comfortable doing this and if i am not mistaken I could lose my license if this client goes into an asthma attack ( in which she stated she would due to allergies ) and I had lied. Not sure what to tell my new job, afraid to lose my job though very confused is this normal in home health?

I forgot to mention I've had a total of 3 hours of training and had to provide all my own supplies they provided nothing. I get no mileage coverage either.

First, let's not grossly exaggerate how you could lose your license. You are not required to disclose to anyone, your employer or anyone else, that you have a pet. It's nobody's business.

Second, I would have no issue with this (yes, this is going to be an unpopular answer) and here is why.

If you have a patient that is THAT sensitive to things like dog hair and dander, the most simple cure for this is for you to take your scrubs straight out of the dryer, into a PLASTIC bag and take them to the home care site and change there. The plastic bag is necessary because you may carry dander and hair into your car.

Your patient, is a little over-the-top. Now, she may have had nurses in the past to come into her home that had pets at home that were covered in dog hair, cat hair, dander, etc. I can ALMOST believe that. However, if you change clothes at work, all should be ok.

I don't see anything unethical about what they are asking you to do (yes, this is the unpopular part of my answer), because the patient is grossly over-reacting. Her concern should be not if a nurse owns pets, but if it's on the CLOTHES of the person that cares for her...that is a legit concern. The agency just isn't going to feed her delusion, which I agree with.

You are more likely to lose your license by taking care of patients as a new grad with only 3 hours of training. That is the craziest thing I have ever heard of.

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I agree with Jory but I would tell the agency you are not going to lie to the client.

Unless she is incompetent and or disoriented about her health care, her living situation, then maybe the agency, nurses, do need to lie in order to care for her. It is not always true that we should orient a disoriented patient.

Otherwise, if she is competent and oriented, lying is not a good idea for a myriad of reasons.

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You won't lose your license. We don't make enough money to remove clothes from the dryer and put them on, before going to a patients house. Your manager should have another nurse take the patient who has no pets. If this is not possible, find the patient a different agency, with a nurse that has no pets. The patient may be agreeable to this.

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

As one who is severely allergic to animals I can tell you that dander is very hard to completely get rid of. In some people it doesn't take much to trigger a reaction.

I think you owe it to the client to be honest even if you do decide to work for an agency who tells you to lie.

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Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.

RUN! RUN! RUN AWAY

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Specializes in Oncology, Med-Surg.
Your manager should have another nurse take the patient who has no pets. If this is not possible, find the patient a different agency

I would seriously question working for an agency that needs to lie to get business, have you lie for them, and gives you only a few hours of training! If this is your first client, what might they want you to do to get other ones?

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