The exhausting side of home care

[TazziRN]

wow......the census is picking up on a daily basis and we're getting hit with multiple opens per day. i've been running literally from early morning and working overtime trying to keep up with the paperwork, and i have the lightest case load! i've done overtime all week and this weekend is my first weekend on call, so it will be a while before i get a day off. i've had to pick up pts in areas i normally don't cover because pts have requested a female nurse and the nurse covering those areas is male. last night i realized how tired i am and thought "uh-oh........". i do not want to burn out on this one, i love what i'm doing but i need to learn how to pace myself. we also have lvns i can delegate to but right now a good portion of my case load is ivs, and that's the one thing they're not allowed to do. plus i'm still learning to delegate, i'm not used to that and keep forgetting i have that option.

don't mind me, not complaining, just voicing a concern.

[steelcityrn, RN]

Yes, I have to agree about the nurses out in the field keeping all the people in the office raking in the money and mostly sitting around talking about other staff, eating and thinking of ways to spend more money on themselves. If you work for a good agency, you are lucky.

[Jo Dirt]

Yes, I have to agree about the nurses out in the field keeping all the people in the office raking in the money and mostly sitting around talking about other staff, eating and thinking of ways to spend more money on themselves. If you work for a good agency, you are lucky.

You know what really stinks? I was out running the wheels off my car but to the office ladies/BOM/pencil pushers if you weren't in the office you weren't working. There was a lot of gossiping and backstabbing going on before it was over and when you get just one childish trouble-maker it can bring the whole place down even lower than it already is.

I had a hard time believing grown women could act that way. That isn't why the joint shut down but it just made the experience more miserable.

[jnette, ASN, EMT-I]

Yes, I have to agree about the nurses out in the field keeping all the people in the office raking in the money and mostly sitting around talking about other staff, eating and thinking of ways to spend more money on themselves. If you work for a good agency, you are lucky.

You know what really stinks? I was out running the wheels off my car but to the office ladies/BOM/pencil pushers if you weren't in the office you weren't working. There was a lot of gossiping and backstabbing going on before it was over and when you get just one childish trouble-maker it can bring the whole place down even lower than it already is.

I had a hard time believing grown women could act that way. That isn't why the joint shut down but it just made the experience more miserable.

Whoa. Can't say I have experienced this at ALL. Our agency works as a team... have never felt there was any kind of division. And the office nurses will even do back up call if you need them. They are supportive in every way. We are all "one".

I do love our agency... what you're describing above is totally foreign to me.

[TazziRN, RN]

whoa. can't say i have experienced this at all. our agency works as a team... have never felt there was any kind of division. and the office nurses will even do back up call if you need them. they are supportive in every way. we are all "one".

i do love our agency... what you're describing above is totally foreign to me.

i'm with you. i love my agency and the admin backs us up. if we ever get backed up and are in a crunch, the clinical director grabs her steth and hops in her car and sees pts for us. i've been in the field and have been unsure how to handle something, and unable to reach another field nurse. i once called the director and said "help!" and she talked me through it. lots of support, and part of the weekly team conference session is spent talking about problems and how to work around them.

[NurseDawgJess, BSN, RN]

i'm with you. i love my agency and the admin backs us up. if we ever get backed up and are in a crunch, the clinical director grabs her steth and hops in her car and sees pts for us. i've been in the field and have been unsure how to handle something, and unable to reach another field nurse. i once called the director and said "help!" and she talked me through it. lots of support, and part of the weekly team conference session is spent talking about problems and how to work around them.

that's awesome, sounds like you work for a great organization. that will make or break you in homecare. good luck taz.