Looking for a Nursing Company……Again.

Parker’s nurse called off today.  Again.

Which in and of it’s self is no big deal, I guess.

Nurses get sick.  That is why there are on call nurses.  Ever heard of ‘em?

The rate that it happens at this agency has become a major issue in our lives. Four days in one week over the Christmas holidays.   I very carefully laid all of this out before I signed on with them.  I HAD to have my shifts covered because I needed to be able to work from home as well as the one outside obligation I have.

Our family needs the money and allowing Parker to simply sit and stem while I worked isn’t an option.

I also explained that I needed experienced nurses here.  Not ones, who after going 10 days without giving Parker one of his most important medications, shrugs her shoulders and tells me that with all the meds Parker gets it’s certainly understandable if a few get forgotten.

I swear, I don’t make this stuff up.

I was just talking with Reed.  Brant is getting married May 5th.  We don’t usually have nursing on Saturdays.  But we will need it that Saturday.  All day nursing, because Parker can’t go to the Temple, the breakfast or the reception.  We’ll haul him down to the Temple for a few minutes of pictures, but that is it.

While talking Reed and I stopped and paused.  There’s no WAY we can count on this company to cover Brant’s wedding day.  Their call off rate is too extraordinarily high.

So we’re thinking Reed will make it to the Temple and I’ll make it to the reception.

Not exactly our dream situation, but hey, you’ve got to be prepared.

So I have a list of companies that I’m going to be interviewing.  I’m going to be putting up ads for an EXPERIENCED day nurse.  She’ll be working for us in a sense rather than a company, but to tell you the truth, Reed and I are pretty easy to work with.

Until, you know, you’re call off rate becomes higher than your show up rate.

Another thing to consider:  the Big Wigs up at the Medicaid offices are looking for ways to cut medicaid funding to medically fragile kids with special needs.  I’ve been contacted about a potential investigation into nursing companies in this state.  There have been a LOT of complaints in this area to the legislature.

The Medicaid Big Wigs figure that if the companies can’t cover the amount of hours a family is given……they why give then at all?  Cut back everyone’s nursing hours.  Save the state some money.

Nursing companies may want to take that under consideration.  How many hours can you lose until it is no longer feasible for you to stay in business? 

Okay.  I need to throw Parker in the tub.

Then I need to email and tell my latest job offer that I won’t be able to work for them because I simply can’t promise that I’ll have enough regular nursing hours to work.

Did I mention how much our family really, really needs that money?

What employer wants to be called up on a regular basis  and told, sorry, can’t get that done today, my nurse didn’t show up.

We have TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY respite hours that we could use this month and next month.  That is ON TOP of our already scheduled hours.  But why even take the time to schedule them when I know that a good majority of them will simply be called off on.

I’m getting tired of telling people, well, there’s about a 65-70% chance that I’ll actually be able to show up.

Yup.  I’m thinking it’s time to move on.  There has GOT to be a company out there that livesup to their agreements.

And I plan on finding them.

I promised myself that I’d never just ‘make do’ again.

Parker deserves so much more.