RN1263

Boy I just had hospital orientation today, haven't worked in a hospital in a while. And they shoved those surveys down our throats! I wanted to puke it back up!

I think discrimination against anyone is wrong, unless what you are doing is illegal of course. I'm not overweight, but I am a smoker who is trying to quit. Haven't smoked in 2 weeks. I agree that smoking and being overweight is unhealthy, but to deny employment for these reasons is discrimination and I hope the laws are changed to include these and other issues. I recently was looking for a new job and 2 out of 3 hospitals systems in my area do not hire smokers, even if it's nicotine replacement therapy you are using. So, I did get employment at the hospital system that is non smoking on there grounds, but smoking doesn't prevent you from getting the job. However, they do test you for nicotine and if you test positive you pay a higher premium for insurance. So, perhaps someone who is obese should pay a bit higher insurance premium, but not be excluded from employment. I really don't agree with anyone paying higher premiums, but it's better then not getting the job at all.

One of my nursing instructors was a very large lady...probably 300lbs easy, possibly more. However, she physically could do everything she needed to do and then some. She had already had one bariatric surgery and obviously it didn't work long term. She was a great teacher and I couldn't imagine her being denied a job in nursing because of a high BMI. I think when you put a face and name to this topic it changes how you feel about it.

It's ridiculous! Even in home health care families can and do treat you like poo and your suppose to smile and take it and mind you, you are in "their" homes, very uncomfortable! That's just one of the many reasons why I got a new job! I start this next week and I will have little patient contact!!! Good thing too cuz I was on the verge of telling some of these people they could eat sh*t.....

Not necessarily, a realized the more and more I complained that I was not wanting and not happy with my job anymore! I tried to make it work and it just no longer fit what I wanted for my career and happiness. I refused to be miserable the rest of my career. Self evaluation is the only way you're going to know if you are happy and satisfied or not. Good luck to you.

I also saw no light at the end of the tunnel....also my company started adding additional stuff to be done by field staff (not patient care related) that just made my day and life harder then it already was. So, I decided I had enough! All the things I could think of to "manage" my time was always squashed by management adding additional patients to my schedule. I tried only working 9 or 10 hours per day and letting my charting back up...that didn't work cuz by friday then they wanted me to work all weekend catching up. I tried talking to management and that didn't work. Then when I finally put my 2 weeks notice in they seemed shocked... What did they expect? I'm sick of the abuse!

Today is the last day of my field home health RN position and I couldn't be frinkin' happier! After almost 5 years of late night charting, weekend work, nasty homes, ect.....I'm OUT! And if you are with a busy company NO it doesn't get better, the better you time manage the more work gets dumped on you. At least that's what I have experienced, can't speak to all HHA of course. I will still be in home health but doing referrals out of a hospital with very little patient contact and no management responsibilities...yey!

I went back to have my TB read and they couldn't find my chart....it was in the medical directors office. She came out to get me to have a "chat". After hearing what I had to say she signed off so I could pass my physical even though I had a maniac episode 6 mos ago. So, guess it depends on the medical director, but I was relieved to not have to jump thru another hoop. Not that my psychiatrist wouldn't give me the letter if they wanted, but I just didn't want to deal with it.... Thanks for the reply

Hi, I'm an RN with Bipolar disorder. I had a pre-employment physical yesterday and the MD stated she "might" put my file on the medical directors desk for review. How do I know if I passed or if they will need a letter from my psychiatrist? Should I call them? or wait to see if anything comes of it? ....I didn't hear anything today and am feeling anxious! Any thoughts?

I don't know if you've found employment yet, but I have had MS for 20 yrs, since I was 21 and I'm 41 now. This is what I wound do in your situation. I would say that you took FMLA for a "family issue" that took awhile until it was "resolved" leading your employer with no choice but to fill the position. You can say that the issue was resolved awhile ago but you chose to take a break from working, but are now raring to go!

So sorry you went through all that for nothing.... What test did they have for knowledge and psych? ...just curious?

OMG....I'm in shock! What the HELL... That is ridiculous and I'm outraged they can do that....period! What did they tell you? that you didn't try to throw out your neck or back enough? Geessss

Video? .....What???

Csherrn, 11-15 patients???? how long are your days? Sorry but that load is ridiculous in my opinion.

I have charting almost every night! and I've been doing intermittent HH visits for 4 1/2 yrs., the problem is once the higher ups know you can handle a lot, then you get a LOT or I do. It doesn't stop, unless the agency slows down for whatever reason. I want to work an actual shift when I know within a 1/2 hr or so that I WILL BE OFF WORK. I'm burnt out! The grass is not always greener is all I can say.

I also say take a vacation, but also could you step down back to community based disease management, instead of supervising? Whatever you decide hope you're happy.

AMN74, If I didn't know better I'd think we worked at the same company! More and more work is added to a visit that same visit 2 yrs ago would have taken "x" amount of time and now it takes that amount and a half, but that doesn't get added into the productivity. Now that lap tops are in the field (with cameras to boot) the field nurse is expected to due more and more of "office" work that use to be done by office staff or was just easier on paper. Example- Now we have to order patients supplies online in the home...but first we have to get "on-line" which could take 10 minutes just doing that, then log in to supply link, put in patients ID #, then figure out the dollar amount they have left or get pre-approval from administrator, ect, ect....And that's just ONE example. Also, one minute I'm told to do the Oasis in the home to increase productivity, then the next minute they want the patient to feel like the most important thing even if no computer charting gets done in the home trying to increase patient satisfaction scores- talk about mixed signals! I call them on it every time also and they try to side step what they just said, then talk in circles, cuz they know it's different from what they said the week prior. Home care has changed in the 4 1/2 yrs I've been in this field....and it's not for the better. I use to think home care was the best kept secret in nursing....not anymore. Now it's the best way to have a nervous breakdown!

Hey sorry for my negative post earlier....bad week, bad month.... well you get the point.

You need to hire another nurse! this is not a "personal attack", however it is not acceptable to give an employee 50 patients if you know the max should be 40 and I think that's high actually. The problem with this business is that the "well its unfortunate, but...." situations seem to fall on the field nurse. My company has added more and more and more duties just in the past few mos. to my regular work I can't really keep up any longer therefore I am forced to find another position and I don't want it to be in the field. Oh- well sucks to be at the bottom of the food chain!

1- You will be loaded up with tons of paperwork 2- You may drive 300-400 miles per week (I do) 3- You will most likely not know when your day will be over til' it's over 4- You will be exposed to disgusting filthy homes that make your skin crawl 5- Bring a medication book with you on visits 6- If your patient is a psych, sit in a chair closest to the exit! I think that's enough to chew on.... and yes, I've had it. After 4 1/2 yrs I don't think I can do this anymore. I'm looking for another job but it's not easy. After 12 applications I got one call back and interview last week, but still waiting to see if I got it. Good Luck to you

I have Bipolar disorder and also have worked in Home care for 4 1/2 yrs. It's tough, tougher then people think. Especially, if you have BP disorder. The change in schedule, the late hours charting, numerous calls, visit changes in mid/late day, on-call, late vists/admissions etc, etc. I took FMLA in Sept. for 7 weeks do to a manic episode and now have taken 3 days off before the weekend for a few "mental health" days. I really am quite tired of being a field nurse and have applied for a home health coordinator position that I interview for on Fri. I want to try the office environment, no late nights, no weekends and no on-call....most important to me a routine of some sort where I'm not a crazy woman in the morning because of schedule changes and trying to find supplies and work regular hours with....A LUNCH BREAK!!!! Don't know about you but those are tough to come by as a home health nurse. Sorry to get off topic but I saw the post and well started rambling....

My HHA has expanded their territory and I just drove 75 miles one way yesterday. They've expanded in all directions and we don't have territories. I had all Oasis visits yesterday and drove 130 miles. How many miles do you drive in a day?

Don't forget what you said above which is a tell tale sign that they just need a warm body, RN license and a car...In my opinion. They were probably going to let you sink or swim... My company does that to nurses all the time, unfortunately.

Thanks to you all for the replies. I have applied to another job today as well, figure I'll start with 2 applications and go from there. I want out..now, but I don't want to make an unwise choice in the move I make... Don't want to go from one bad place to another!

Some things about my current employer has been urking me lately, but now I've had it. In the same breath however I'm afraid of change and this is a big step for me to leave... However, for one, I have no retirement- which many of you may be in the same boat (don't know), then in a few weeks we will no longer be using time sheets and our pay will be determined by computer (I'm hourly) which would be ok except, for the computer to acknowledge your earnings per visit you have to have locked/signed the visit. We are not allowed to lock/sign (except a routine visit- which I hardly do) until managers in the office review chart, then it goes to outside coders, then back to managers, then to me to be signed- this will be effective in a few weeks and I'd bet when the managers get behind, I won't get paid, not on time at least. Then, the straw that broke the camels back happened the day before yesterday. My boss calls me while in the field and says my admit for the afternoon was cancelled by the patient and I'm being "written up". I said for what? and she says, because the patient called in and told her I was rude to her on the phone. I told her that I was relaying our company dog policy to her (which is that any dogs have to be put in a room or outside during SNV) and the patient did not want to put the dogs away that were in her home, because she was saying they weren't her dogs and I had to state 3 times to this lady that it was company policy. Somewhere in all that she thought I had been rude, but I don't believe I was... So, the DON said the decision was already made to write me up for it (without even asking my side of the story). She said, "the marketers work really hard to get referrals and since you were the reason we lost the MCR admit...you are being written up for it". Well, that doesn't fly with me! I work very hard for this company and my reputation, have trained the last 6 RN's that have been hired in the past 7 mos., because and I quote from the DON "you are the best nurse we have", however this is what I get for it. Even if they thought I might have been rude (which I wasn't) what ever happened to verbal warnings, when you have absolutely no marks on your record? So, I applied on-line to a different HH yesterday WITH a retirement plan. I'm a little nervous but I think it's time to get out of there. In a few mos. we are getting a new DON and I'm told this person will not have HH experience- Yeh, that'll be great! As it is our administrator isn't even a nurse- she is ALL dollars and cents, has no idea what we nurses deal with daily. Thanks for listening to my rant.