SDALPN

Big agency. Agency is great, its the current office staff.

Uugghh. Nothing like a bad group of office staff to ruin things. Had a great set of staff for years. Here and there a bad apple, but they didn't last. Now we have the staff from ****. The shady stuff, favortism, game playing, etc are really frustrating. Trying to hang in there until things get better. But its awful. Lots of backstabbing. Nurses in the field are all talking about the office staff like never before. Parents keep complaining about scheduling issues, communication issues, etc. Any suggestions? Ways to handle it? Are there ways to speed up the turnover process?

I've seen this a few times. Same with the hard chair. I blame the agency. The agency needs to speak up. If all agencies did this, families would have nowhere to run and there would be less nurse turnover.

I think it depends on the school/teacher.

Weekends are typically hard to staff. Especially weekend nights. Being that we tell them when we work, most nurses don't want to work those shifts.

So does anyone have suggestions on ways to prevent the schedulers from manipulating?

I think that PDN is better for nurses with boundaries. I don't think it is a good fit for those that have trouble saying "no".

It sounds like you have experience to handle the case. Sounds like the pt will be fairly easy. But sounds like there is a reason the case is wide open. Typically agencies put new hires on the worst cases because that is all that is available. Nobody wants to work those cases so they get the new hires to do so before they find out. I would suggest floating to easier cases and work your way up to more complex. Floating will keep your skills up and you will experience the different dynamics of every case which will help you gain experience in PDN.

If you are a new nurse, PDN isn't for new nurses. You will be putting your license at risk. Some states require a minimum of a year of nursing experience. Agencies will overlook it, but if you get caught you could be charged with fraud. Sounds like a picky parent who only scratched the surface with complaints. If they talk bad about the current nurses, what do you think the parents will say about you? The parents who complain about interaction usually micromanage and insist on constant interaction. As far as the nursing side of things, you should be discussing your lack of skills with your supervisor. Your supervisor should be aware.

It's typical. It sets up nurses with boundaries for failure. The agencies only care about the money. So if the family is happy, the agency turns their heads. I've lost plenty of cases for keeping boundaries.

New grads don't belong in private duty. Ask your supervisor. Your supervisor should be aware of the areas that you need more training in.

If you are bored, it may not be the right job for you. There is downtime on most cases. Most of us bring stuff to do for those times. The nurses that complain of boredom never last in the job.

I have been in that situation. The agency doesn't care what is on paper. They will tell the families one thing in writing and do another. When this happened to me, I called the agency. They told me that if anything happens to the pt to the point I call 911, to let the police handle it then. You are putting yourself at risk by staying. The agency will only get away with what you allow them to get away with. You can also call CPS and the case manager. Let them know the mom threatened to change agencies because of it. That way they know she is manipulative as well. That statement will also make CPS and the case manager keep a close eye on things if they do change agencies.

Don't get in the middle of it. The nurse always gets thrown under the bus. Let the supervisor handle it. Keep doing your job. Your documentation covers you, so keep documenting as usual. You may lose the case, but at least you won't be burned. They will find a nurse that will do what the school wants (even though its wrong).

Give it time. If its not working for you after a couple of months, it may not be for you. Oh yeah, avoid caffeine so you can sleep when you get home. I'd have a soda when I got to work. After that, no caffeine so I'd sleep when I got home. Good luck!

No judgment here on the ethics. To me, its business. If a family chooses to follow you, they have the right to choose their provider. You aren't taking them from the agency if they choose to follow you. If the agency was really worried about losing the case, they would get their act together. The non-compete agreement isn't worth the paper its written on from what I've heard. An employer can't keep you from working. Lets say the agency has one case. The case leaves for another agency. You leave because the agency doesn't have other cases. You both end up at the same new agency. Are you not allowed to work and pay your bills? I can't see any reasonable judge allowing that. If an agency doesn't provide what the family needs, you shouldn't have to suffer for it. I get the business side of it. If you work two agencies just to take cases from one agency to bring to another, that is sabotaging the agency that you take cases from. To me, that would be unethical. I get the business has to protect themselves. But a good company realizes they need to do what they can to keep good employees and cases. Don't forget the politics. If you get a bad reputation because of a choice like this, you may hurt your ability to work long term over a short term choice. The boss you cross, may be the hiring manager at your next job. The nurses you work with will remember the work they lost if you take the case. Those nurses could be your next boss or could influence your ability to get another job.

Just like I do with days, I Jeep a regular sleep schedule. On nights, I sleep at a regular time during the day even on nights off. The flip flopping is what makes it so hard. If you are on a regular sleep schedule, your body will adjust. Get a good routine down before you sleep and minimize noise and light. When I worked nights, I'd come home and drink a calming tea. I'd make sure I turned the phone off and make sure the room was dark. I'd set my alarm so I would get up at the same time each day. I also used ear plugs during the summer (mowing season). I was just as wide awake at night as I am in the day by just staying on schedule.

Its a game. Some get bonuses based on the percentage of shifts covered. They certainly don't do it because they feel like it. They have motivation. What irritates me is that they think we are that stupid. They think we don't talk with the families. The truth comes it even when we don't dig for it. I've had tons of families say the scheduler told them things that weren't true. It leads the families to distrust everyone. I will never understand how someone can go to work and spend all day lying, manipulating, and misleading people that depend on honest scheduling to pay bills. It says a lot about the character of the schedulers for sure! I have learned to make it clear that I'm not a doormat. I don't give in. If they use dishonest tactics, I call them out on it. When I get the rare, honest scheduler (they never last in the job), I go out of my way to cover shifts to help them out. If they do me right, I make sure I look out for them. Dishonesty and games don't motivate me.

I'm done with you. I stated fact and it's very clear. There is no point to continue the conversation with you. Law is law, plain and simple. Aside from law, it is dangerous practice for a new grad to do PDN. Again, done discussing that with you. Others have opinions that are the same as mine, yet you choose to attack me for my opinions. Not worth going in circles for.

Angry much? A subject can be debated without attacking. I simply stated fact. You may disagree with it, but you still have to follow the law. If you don't like it, talk with your law makers. Attacking me isn't going to change the law. As far as my opinion, it won't change. New nurses don't belong in PDN. Others have said the same thing, however you choose to attack me. Seems like you have some issue with me, rather than the topic. Jesus wasn't liked by everyone, but it didn't make Him wrong (making a point, not for religious debate. Believe He is real, or believe it's a mythical book. It's simply to make a point and not to discuss religion).

That would be why the word "some" is there. I did leave out the word insurance though...now that I'm looking at it again. I never stated "all". It may vary state to state. Either way, obviously there is a reason or it wouldn't be a rule in SOME places. Also, reputable agencies (no matter what the insurance rules are) won't hire without experience. It is just not safe.

New grads don't belong in PDN. It's also fraud, since some require you to have a year of experience. What you asked about above is typical. PDN agencies will also promise you the world, but rarely deliver. Sure, they have plenty of work...but other nurses already have those shifts. Get experience first! You will need it. Read through the forum to see why experience is necessary.

You should be asking your supervisor. You can't verify that we are nurses. Also, agency policy will be your answer and policies vary by agency. Good luck.

It's against my agency policy to use a phone or electronic device at work. However, we are told that we can do so if the family doesn't have an issue with it. Many families don't expect us to just sit there when everything is done. So I guess it depends on the agency. In my opinion, I don't see the difference between reading the news on a phone (since cartoons are on TV all day) and watching TV. Downtime is downtime. As long as the kid is monitored constantly, I don't think it matters. Now, if there is work to be done, it needs to be done first. But I refuse to do cleaning that isn't related to my work. I have no problem telling a parent that I won't do their laundry and then going back to whatever I was doing.

A calendar. Write what you did on the day. Write the appointment on the date it is made for. Dry erase boards/calendars are my favorite.