tami2017

Thank you all for your responses. Looks like as long as nurses keep flocking to PDN, agencies will have no incentive to increase pay. Only a shortage of pdn nurses will make agencies offer better rates. Or if we speak up collectively.

Damn. I had a feeling. Why is this particular line of work in nursing so below par compared to others?? Other specialties lure nurses in with thousands of dollars sign on benefits, high hourly rates, tuition reimbursement, the whole nine yards, whereas PD just say " this is what we pay, thats it" and its a take it or leave it kind of attitude.

Not only is the hourly pay low, it seems like you're stuck with it forever. When, if ever , are you eligible for a raise?

Calliotter3 here in TX at least it is standard practice and ALL families have cameras. We all just have to live with it or we don't have a job. Yes it's unpleasant, and yes, I've had the Nazi mom that had nothing better to do all day than watch my every move from her bdrm, but aside from extreme cases like that it's not so bad.

Training is typically one shift with a nurse shadowing her, here they pay $10/hr, so what they offered you is reasonable.

Very true here in TX as well. It's bad.

Yes, you are right. Its true in this area too. Can take months to get a case that fits your days, times, distance. Finding a good fit is golden. I too would hold on to that, you're in a comfortable routine with the kid, everybody's happy with each other. So due to that i developed a high tolerance for BS theres just no other choice. And due to that I work for 3 different agencies. While working I try to exceed expectations but much prefer if those arent rediculous.

You are right Calliotter. Unfortunately its too late now. I haven't thought of talking about this at the start of any of my cases. Maybe the agency could have mentioned that...One mom is an easygoing parent, lets you work and is busy with her stuff. the others are the ones with unrealistic expectations. They are also the ones that are always home. Lesson learned for next case.

Exactly Alex!!!! That's exactly how I feel. If Jr hasn't responded his whole life than surely I can stop singing for 30 minutes to text my daughter or read a magazine. But some parents expectations are rediculous. They want u engaging with their child hands on all the time. And of course they dont do it themselves. Even when there's no nursing care to be provided for the next hour, you can't go silent, take a break or do your own thing. Big brother is always watching whether by camera or hovering in person and they make you feel like a slacker on the job if youre sitting on your chair and the child is unentertained at the moment, even if he has his tv on or ipad playing songs, its not enough for them. I sing and talk to these (non responsive) kids 9 hrs a day, every day, and need a break or two from old mcdonald had a farm and 5 little ducks went out one day over the hill and far away.

Ventmommy, the thing with "as long as everythings done and the kid is happy" is that there are 2 perspectives on that. In my view , after competing all my feedings/ meds/ shower/ diaper changes etc etc for that hour, and after singing and engaging with the child all day, if the child is happy playing with toys on the floor mat, or ( if lower functioning) hanging out in the wc clean and fed listening to nursery rhymes on his iPad, then I would like to take a peek at my phone, or read a magazine, or eat in peace without having to sing the itsy bitsy spider or Mary had a little lamb. PCG however wants me there on the mat engaging with the child during that time... Why? Every child needs his play time, by himself. I'm sure shes not with him there every minute when I'm not there. Why do I have to constantly entertain for 9 hours on top of all the nursing care? I feel like I do above and beyond. On top of providing compassionate skilled nursing care, Im a preschool teacher with him, a nanny, an entertainer, everything. I need a break too. And im not comfortable going to the parents to ask permission to text on my phone ....or read a little, just cannot picture having that conversation. that is why I'm asking you all.

So Alex , knowing all this do you read/ play on your phone....?

Exactly. She went through a lot of nurses. I was warned but thought I could handle her, I was wrong. She was once furious with me I gave the kid tylenol when he was thrashing in pain. She said you should have come to me and asked me first! I said I didn't know I needed her permission to give tylenol....and of course now I know to ask permission to give tylenol next time... I still stayed after that but another outburst a few weeks later was the last straw for me !

Exactly carliotter3!!! I had a mom from hell who did exactly that, watched me continuously on camera then stormed into the room critiquing my every move. She was a micromanaging dictator control freak.

Are your PCGs home a lot too? I seem to always get patients where mom is always there (weekdays), in some cases many family members there, all the time.

Right, of course not!! I too always feel self conscious if they are observing me. And yes even when charting. You are so right, it literally is "performing". Singing mary had a little lamb,the itsy bitsy spider and old mcdonalds has a farm all day long i feel like a preschool teacher. But worse, cause at least they get responses from the kids.

There's downtime with GB kids where I would have liked to check my phone, read a book etc. They could be napping, feeding, standing in stander etc. I normally try to talk and sing to my pts all day even though they are all cognitively impaired, nonverbal and non responsive. But sometimes i do need a break and just let them feed or whatever. but one of the moms is always sitting a few feet away and i feel bad about reading/doing something not work related since she can see and hear everything ( theres no door to the room, its open to where she sits all day in the dining room). If theres no pcg there, I worry they are watching me on camera. Am I being paranoid...? Do you all talk and sing to the pt all day or also take time off for yourself when there's nothing to do?

Peds private duty is a lot of sitting around too

I did inpatient psych, and now outpatient psych, it's true that its way less stress but i don't recommend it straight out of school because you lose your clinical skills. It's hard after yrs of psych to transition to other specialties in case you get tired of psych. Hard but doable, im doing peds private duty now too. Clinically In psych all you do is administer po meds, IMs, psych assessments.

Hellowish i dont really know, i dont have health insurance since i dont work the minimum hrs required for that, which is i think 32/wk. I work 2 jobs and since each job is only 24 hrs I dont get insurance from either one. Shop around, ask the agencies what they offer. I recommend you sign up with a few, sometimes it takes a while to find a pt that matches your criteria so put your eggs in more than one basket.

Peds homehealth works for me ( private duty) , you chose the length of shifts u want ( 8 hrs, 10 hrs, 12 hrs), the days u want, the pt u want. You can work as little as one 8 hr shift per week and as much as every day. I work 8 hr shifts 0800-1600 and it's not hard and not stressful so you don't come home exhausted like after 12 hrs on the floor. The only thing is that it pays less, and if youre looking for a social workplace environment its not for you. Key is to find a pt home and schedule you are comfortable with, and its smooth sailing from there.

I totally agree with AdobeRN and others who prefer paper charting! On the tablet you have to chart multiple places, have to worry about it syncing, cant see your previous notes, have a 15 min window to chart everything you do, with paper forms its so easy its all spread out right there in front of you and if youre too busy to chart for a few hrs you chart later without needing to put in an error note and explaining why u didnt chart in the 15 min window.

Thats so sad that they operate that way. Im telling them im not interested in the position. I cant do it its way too much for me to handle with my lack of relevant background.

You are right. Thank you! I will ask for those things if i dont run away from this agency first, based on the backwards way they are doing things.

So its not the way agencies are supposed to do things, I had a feeling its wrong. First you get hired, then trained, then sent out To meet the family to see if you are a good fit. Right?

Thanks so much. Is it common practice to send a nurse out to interview with the family before shes hired? They said meet the family first and if that goes well we will hire you and train you. I thought that was weird, as i would feel much more comfortable meeting with the family after being trained. They most likely will ask me things like, ate you familiar with g tubes? Do you have experience with tube feedings etc and i will have to say no .