Perks of the Job???

Specialties Private Duty

Published

What are some of the little side perks that individual families bestow upon you? Another thread started touching on good things when it was a thread for crazy stuff, so I thought I'd post a new topic.

I have a family that throws parties sometimes, real good ones, and I always get leftovers! On my overnight shift, I feel like Templeton at the fair!

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

Today is bring your own gloves day here at work. Apparently, gloves must be a perk of the job too!

The best perks of the job that I've had...the family that provides a Netflix account to the nurses to order and stream movies to keep us awake at night and keep a low turnover. Another family provided fresh coffee and tea all day for the nurses as well as TONS of movies and a big screen TV with cable along with a couch and Ottoman. That family felt that the better they treated the nurses, the better the nurses would treat their child...however when they cooked rat, it would bother me. Had a case where we got the entire upstairs and the family who was never around stayed downstairs. That was nice to be left alone to do my job.

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I could maybe, if I try really, really, really hard, see a case where a family could not afford the expense of buying toilet paper for an additional person but then I feel it's the agency's job to take care of the nurses since the home is a workplace.

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Specializes in Peds(PICU, NICU float), PDN, ICU.
I could maybe if I try really, really, really hard, see a case where a family could not afford the expense of buying toilet paper for an additional person but then I feel it's the agency's job to take care of the nurses since the home is a workplace.[/quote']

I get that. But I've only seen one agency pay for tp for a parent. But the parent could afford $20 in lottery tickets each week. With all of the families I've worked for that can't keep or afford tp, they have all had the money to buy it and choose to buy lotto tickets or alcohol with the money instead. For the family that truly can't afford tp, the agency should pay for it.

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Specializes in Pediatric.
Our nurses could use our wi-fi. They could eat anything out of the snack drawer or the snack bins in the fridge/freezer. We had a rocking chair and a straight-backed chair. We had a little table for writing and we had a hospital type table as well. We had cable TV with movie channels in his room we just asked that nothing that was inappropriate be watched (there was nothing wrong with my son's hearing). We included nurses in holidays/parties. If we went out to dinner, we always paid for the nurse and we asked them to wear civvie clothing so they didn't stand out. I was very willing to take good nurses that were inexperienced and train them.[/quote']

Thank you for how you've treated your nurses. You've made a difference.

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Specializes in Pediatric.

Good topic. I worked full time (and now part time) for a family of billionaires... So to echo others, the leftovers, going out to eat ALL the time and getting paid for (nice places) The father bought me a ridiculously expensive wireless phone charger, other stuff like that.

I'd say the perks mainly would be having the privilege to be part of someone else's family for however short a period... Taking care of their child... Having that chance to make a difference, to educate the family.

I'll add more cuz this is a good topic.

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Specializes in Pediatric Private Duty; Camp Nursing.

One of my clients' parents owns a paint store... and they gave me my own purchase order number so I can buy paint at wholesale! $12/gallon for professional quality paint!! Half my home has been repainted so far!

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Specializes in Pediatric.
One of my clients' parents owns a paint store... and they gave me my own purchase order number so I can buy paint at wholesale! $12/gallon for professional quality paint!! Half my home has been repainted so far!

That is very cool.

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I'm still waiting to get assigned to a case that had perks. I always carry a box of gloves and a roll of TP just in case.

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Specializes in Pediatric.
I'm still waiting to get assigned to a case that had perks. I always carry a box of gloves and a roll of TP just in case.

I'm hearing more and more about this no TP conundrum. I am surprised the agency doesn't force the home to at least provide TP and antibacterial soap.

The agency I worked for in CT would provide (to the nurses only) unlimited Dial soap, gloves, Purell, masks, gowns, and similar type items.

The agency I'm with now in CA does none of that. Oh wait, they provide gloves.

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Specializes in Pediatric.

I've had PDN friends who said parents let them leave early here and there; but time out at their scheduled time. (Either because it was beneficial to the nurse or to the parents.) I've cautioned them AGAINST doing this, as its fraud... However, they claim its a "perk" in the case of these families. I'm sure someone will chime in on this. My friends who do this feel justified because the agencies don't offer paid sick time or vacation.

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I'm hearing more and more about this no TP conundrum. I am surprised the agency doesn't force the home to at least provide TP and antibacterial soap.

The agency I worked for in CT would provide (to the nurses only) unlimited Dial soap, gloves, Purell, masks, gowns, and similar type items.

The agency I'm with now in CA does none of that. Oh wait, they provide gloves.

My agency provides paper towels, gloves, hand sanitizer and hand soap - when it remembers to restock us. We have to go by the office and bug them to get just enough to get by until their next re-cert visit and supply delivery. I had one case manager tell me " it's just a baby, what germs could it have?" I don't care. It's not MY child so I refuse to change a diaper or suction without gloves!

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I've had PDN friends who said parents let them leave early here and there; but time out at their scheduled time. (Either because it was beneficial to the nurse or to the parents.) I've cautioned them AGAINST doing this as its fraud... However, they claim its a "perk" in the case of these families. I'm sure someone will chime in on this. My friends who do this feel justified because the agencies don't offer paid sick time or vacation.[/quote']

No way would I do that.

The mom on my case was running 15 minutes late recently, so I came 15 minutes late. She offered to sign me in at the original time and to leave at the original time (because it was her "fault" I had to come late), but I insisted on signing in at the correct time and staying the extra 15 minutes.

Fraud is not a job perk!!

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