New to peds PDN

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Specializes in NICU, telemetry.

Hello! I am a full-time NICU nurse who has picked up a PRN position in pediatric private duty nursing. Does anyone here have a position in peds PDN? Any tips for me? Likes and dislikes about the position? If you've gone from the hospital setting to the home, what were your biggest challenges you had to face? Any words of advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

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I would rather have a pediatric pen case over an adult case any day! Only downfall I've come across is it's so easy to get attached and if something happens it takes it's toll on you.

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I love PDN. The biggest concern of mine is if the home is safe? Clean? I was at a house in July and there was a triple homicide three doors down. I left that case because it was a very very very bad area in Dallas. Other than that, its pretty much fabulous.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

I LOVE my PDN prn jobs (I'm a full-time Peds ICU nurse). It is very satisfying to me to watch the same patient progress and develop and finally not need me any longer. I stay PRN so I can have complete control over the case and hours I work. I only take one client at a time. I only do vent cases.

I have three times now taken a kiddo on their first night home from the ICU as a vent patient all the way through off the vent, decannulated and living happily ever after.

My advice is this: Do not stay on a case you don't like. Life's too short.

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Specializes in NICU, telemetry.

Thanks for the replies! I'm excited! I'm excited that a few of the patients I'll be seeing are also babies I took care of during their NICU stay :) it's cool to get to watch them continuously make progress!

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Specializes in Peds(PICU, NICU float), PDN, ICU.

Its very different from the hospital. Probably the biggest and hardest thing is not throwing away anything. Supplies are hard to get and we reuse everything. When I train nurses from the hospital, we have the hardest time getting them to stop throwing things away.

You'll have the assessment skills. But learning the equipment well take a bit. And you are the code team, IV team, respiratory therapist, assistant PT/OT/ST...as well as babysitter. But the families just think you are an overpaid maid.

Its usually slower paced than the hospital. But I've had days where I never made it to the bathroom or got a lunch break just like the hospital.

Some nurses will be intimidated by you because of your experience or even jealous. The good families will appreciate your experience. Politics exist in PDN unfortunately. If you find the right home and nursing team, you can avoid the above.

I've seen some hospital nurses that feel the need to be doing something constantly because that's what they know. This job isn't like this. Some families get annoyed by this. I've seen nurses rearrange furniture in homes for something to do...that never goes over well. And if the supplies and equipment are moved, we can't find things easily. In an emergency seconds count when finding stuff in a home. Its ok to slow down, take your time, and even sit when work is done and you are simply monitoring.

Hope that helps!

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^SDALPN lol @ moving furniture. I always ask before I touch anything! After the PCG give the a ok, I happily rearrange non essential equipment to make better storage room. Lol!

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