Night Shift PDNs....

Specialties Private Duty

Published

I've worked nights most of my nursing career. I rarely have a problem staying awake at work. Yes, I often get very tired but not to the point that my body is actually trying to go to sleep.

My current case is killing me. Regardless of how much sleep I get during the day, I often find myself fighting so hard to stay awake.

The environment certainly doesn't help! The parents want all lights of except for a tiny little lamp. The vent is making that lovely white noise. There is no TV for me to use. I could watch movies on my phone (Netflix) but my data plan isn't large enough and they won't allow the nurses to use their Wi-Fi. I'm a coffee drinker, but there's no coffee maker to use. .. actually they really don't want us using their kitchen after 11pm so that the house remains quiet. My thermos only holds so much... not that there is much room to put put my personal items without their dogs dragging it everywhere.

Any suggestions? Please and thank you! :)

Most people do not have limited data on home internet. If they do not then it is simply rude to expect a nurse to sit in a dark room, no tv, no lights and no internet.

More and more I am seeing people who refuse to offer common courtesy to home nurses.

With that said does anyone know of any forums where parents with nursing care for kids frequent?

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

I can accept no internet/wifi access but no light bright enough to work by is over the top. You can't work if you can't see. Even the most nocturnal person would be hard pressed to stay alert and awake in near total darkness.

Very few of my patient families offer wifi access to the nurses. So I guess I just don't see no wifi as a deal breaker. They have tv access for the nurses but I'm not a big watcher of tv in fact Im more likely to fall asleep watching tv. But the option is there for those that want/ need it.

Not all my patient families have wifi nor do many have multiple TVs.

One family put a microwave in the patients room because the kitchen was under a sibling's bedroom. The sibling was a light sleeper. This was an easier solution than having nurses wake up the sibling, a $39 microwave from a big box store. They don't have wifi and have no intention of getting it. They got a small room divider so that the nurse could have a brighter light but it's blocked from disturbing the child. If more light is needed the divider is easily moved. There is also a task lamp on the makeshift desk for the nurses to chart at and store the patient chart.

One family didn't want a tv in the child's bedroom but got a video monitor so if no skilled tasks had to be done and child was stable the nurse could go in the next room and watch tv while still able to see & hear the patient.

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Ha,i am working right now,and trust me,it COULD be worse.

Kid is an infant gt,trach,and vent.

Mom does not want ANY lights on except for suctioning.

She also does not want any O2 on,and has taken the tubing and the tank away.

She also does not want us to suction at night at all.

Even after giving Xopenex.

You should tell mom that it's less disruptive to have low-lighting all the time than to be turning lights on and off to suction.

She needs to bring the O2 back. That child NEEDS the O2 if you have to bag her up from a desat.

Suctioning is a LIFE SAVING action and needs to be performed AS NECESSARY.

This family needs some better education.

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That family kind of sucks to work for.

We have the middle tier of cable internet service. It has a cap. Not once have we ever, ever come near it and we did allow our nurses to use wi-fi whenever they wanted.

I am firmly of the belief that low-level lighting is far better than turning a light on and off all night to complete tasks.

I still don't understand families that treat nurses like garbage and expect them to be happy and want to come back.

We don't have coffeepots or a Keurig but nurses were allowed to bring their own or instant coffee and use the microwave. A microwave that is remotely from this century isn't THAT loud considering the noise of compressors, suction machines, vents, that annoying rhythmic feeding pump noise, and alarms.

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Specializes in Pediatric.

I agree especially about this no microwave nonsense. Don't like that one bit! I've never been given a WIFI password, but if I had to work overnights I might really want one. I feel your pain. Sounds like a case that will eventually just not work out- due to them, not you.

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Specializes in Pediatric.
That family kind of sucks to work for.

We have the middle tier of cable internet service. It has a cap. Not once have we ever, ever come near it and we did allow our nurses to use wi-fi whenever they wanted.

I am firmly of the belief that low-level lighting is far better than turning a light on and off all night to complete tasks.

I still don't understand families that treat nurses like garbage and expect them to be happy and want to come back.

We don't have coffeepots or a Keurig but nurses were allowed to bring their own or instant coffee and use the microwave. A microwave that is remotely from this century isn't THAT loud considering the noise of compressors, suction machines, vents, that annoying rhythmic feeding pump noise, and alarms.

Vent mommy, LOL at "a microwave from this century." Hehe!

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Specializes in Pediatric Private Duty.

You could pay the ten bucks a month to turn your cell into a hotspot, that makes your own wifi.

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You could pay the ten bucks a month to turn your cell into a hotspot, that makes your own wifi.

My carrier doesn't provide that service for ten dollars. I'd have to increase my data package and in order to stream movies I would end up paying more than fifty dollars extra each month.

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use droid tv app for $8.99 every 3 months, you do not need internet. have the shows download at your house and you can watch them internet free at the PDN. I LOVE this app. I think its on google apps now too. try it.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.

I read with interest these posts on Ped Home Nursing. They bring to mind my days as a licensed child care provider. I believe parents focus their frustration with their children's medical problems on the caregiver/nurse. I think often they feel out of control of so many things that they seek to control whatever they can, by insisting on controlling seemingly minor issues.

Some parents have valid reasons for being picky but sometimes, they are in emotional pain and need an outlet, in my observations.

My hat is off to those who work in this specialty.

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My current case is killing me. Regardless of how much sleep I get during the day, I often find myself fighting so hard to stay awake.

I feel your pain. The other night at work I dozed off for a second and inadvertantly ordered something I had been looking at on Amazon! :confused:

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Sometimes, if you want good help, you need to go a bit out of your way. If it's affordable, and won't be a major inconvenience to the family. Most things you listed are not major inconveniences to many people, but I guess it would depend on the family and their individual needs and resources.

With that said, we always provided a Keurig, K-Cups, snack basket, mini-fridge with bottled water and juice inside, microwave, TV, digital cable, Wi-fi, Netflix password, glider with ottoman, etc. to the nurses. Not a huge deal to us, but we chose to be in a situation that warranted having nurses in the home, and thus, we prepared adequately to provide a warm and welcoming workplace. Yes, the home is a HOME, but it's also someone's workplace and we wanted our nurses to want to come to work. We budgeted for the extra snacks on the bill, the faster internet, and the extra microwave and fridge in the home. We didn't notice a difference in the electric bill, but then again, when you're running a vent, compressor, feeding pump, and charging backups around the clock, you probably wouldn't notice the small bump in usage from a MICROWAVE. And honestly, I never heard the microwave over the compressor. EVER. How could you?

Perhaps, and I don't know this family's story so this may not be possible, you can discuss your concerns with your agency to see if there are reasons WHY this family is being so unaccommodating? Is there a negative nursing history? Are they fearful of possible distractions? Are they just woefully ignorant in regards to how difficult staying awake in these conditions can be? Do you have the rapport to bring it up to them in a non-threatening way? Personally, I think access to WIFI isn't necessary, but I do think it's standard, at least in these parts. It's not difficult to setup a guest account and post the credentials for the nurses to use. When or if you feel like it's being abused or misused you change the password or lock it down fairly easily and quickly. Idk... I feel bad. In my humble opinion, this family is not working in the best interest of their child. Good nurses often seek good cases where they feel appreciated. It doesn't take much to show a nurse that you appreciate their worth...

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