Reasonable expectations in HH?

[Elpeon75]

Hi all!

I'm an lpn working weekends in HH. My schedule usually starts with insulins at 0530 til 1230, break for a couple of hours and then I do my evening insulins from 1500-1800(I squeak my SN/WC visits in my break). For example my patient load is 14 patients in 11-12 hours and approximately 12 points(12 of those patients being insulin). I had a situation happen recently that really left me baffled and feeling taken advantage of. I saw a woundcare patient that required a call to the doc because of a change in wound condition. Doc wanted a C&S with Gram stain. It was right before I was to start my evening insulins and I couldn't get to it. I called the on call admin and was told that if they couldn't find someone to go do it that I would either have to find someone to go do it or have to get it after my insulins(we also have an oncall RN). I had been working since 0530 and it was 1500. When I asked for clarification I was then told I was expected to cancel any personal plans after my last scheduled patient to obtain the C&S because it was considered a continuation of a visit and it was my day to work. I walked away from that conversation feeling discouraged, taken advantage of and confused. Is this really how HH is? When is the workday supposed to end?

[caliotter3]

I think that you need to reconsider your relationship with this employer if this situation continues to present itself. Yes, unreasonable expectations exist for the most part, but so does the individual's ability to change the face of who is presenting them with those unreasonable expectations. I don't doubt that your employer will make a habit of doing this to you if the "need" arises.

[Kaisu]

This is BS. 12 points a day is ridiculous. Our expectation is for 6. You are doing the work of two.

[WoundNP20, ADN, BSN, MSN, RN, NP]

I am a branch director of local HH and that is a lot of visits. If you are weekend only and being paid a salary that may be one thing. The RN should have been made to go to the culture. We work together as a team. But I dont do all of those insulins either. They must be doing them as an outlier.

[Elpeon75]

I'm hourly. Insulins are outlier.

[KalipsoRed21, BSN, RN]

Interesting, we don’t do insulin at my home health. Like we teach patient/caregiver to do it, but if a patient is not capable and has no caregiver s/he is not eligible for home care.

6-7 visits is 8-10 hours work, so you have to many. And I would bring up to your employer that these work terms are not acceptable. Putting your foot down is the best course of action. They won’t stop here.