Staffing issues

[Kitiger, RN]

Are your private duty home care cases fully staffed?

I work regularly in two different homes. One home has 24-hour coverage approved for skilled nursing, but they cannot fill all the shifts because there are not enough nurses. The other home has less coverage approved. We finally have 2 nurses for the day shift there. I had been putting in 40 hours/week there plus 3 or 4 shifts/month on my other case (different agency).

I don't want to work so many hours, not at my age. 

[Elektra6, ASN, BSN, RN]

Same issues here. Or the nurses don’t show up and you have to stay. It’s awful. I don’t want to work 7 days a week. 

[AdobeRN]

I think every agency has this problem.  You are going to have to learn to say "No" when asked to work extra.  The agency is not going to fire you for not working extra - they probably need you more than you need them.  

I do feel bad for the family I work for when this happens but honestly it is not my problem.  I don't mean to sound harsh but boundries need to be set.  

[Kitiger, RN]

I do say no sometimes, but it's hard to keep boundaries with families that I have known for 25 years. This is especially true for those families where the parents are getting older, the kids are adult-size, and the parents do try so hard.

With no boundaries, I would be working 60 hours/week!

[Kitiger, RN]

The overworked nurses who are struggling to care for COVID patients while short-staffed in the hospital would be most welcome in private duty home care! The pay is less, but adequate.

[soontoretire2020, BSN]

If all the retired nurses would pick up say 1 or 2 days a week private duty, there would be plenty of coverage. With Covid, what is there to do anyway? I should be retired, at my age, but who wants to do nothing all day? Not me. It's 2022 and I am still working!

[guest1171208]

Covid is the problem in private duty. None of the family members wear masks,we are around aerosol nebulizer treatments,etc.

 

You are less protected against Covid in PDN than the hospital. How often are PDN patients and families getting tested? Who is making them test? Yeah.

[Kitiger, RN]

5 hours ago, Iluvnightshift said:

Covid is the problem in private duty. None of the family members wear masks,we are around aerosol nebulizer treatments,etc.

 

You are less protected against Covid in PDN than the hospital. How often are PDN patients and families getting tested? Who is making them test? Yeah.

This depends entirely on the family. Most families are more careful than the general public; they stay about 6 feet away, they mask up if they have any symptoms at all, the house is kept clean, they are fully vaccinated. And - so far - my clients have not had COVID.