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A Private Duty Nurse Provides An Appreciated Service

By Marci Glover


Many people need more help, while in the hospital, than what is available from the staff of that institution. A large percentage of the elderly need special assistance and it is just not in the budget of many hospitals. The private duty nurse can be called on to fill in this gap as they can perform many of the same chores.

All of the readings that are usually taken by the hospital staff can be done by these nurses. Heart rate monitoring as well as blood and sugar levels can be taken and recorded. The intake of food and drink as well as the outflow of same can be measured in a way that is helpful for analysis and managing care going forward.

These nurses are not just valuable in the hospital, however, and more care is needed in the home when the patient leaves. Family members often can not devote all the time that is needed for these tasks and the professional nurse can do this as this will be their only job. Family members will have to be taught how to bathe the patient, especially if they can not get to the bathtub.

The amount of college and training these nurses must have changes depending on the state in which they wish to work. The minimum is several courses, based on basic health knowledge, nursing and medical knowledge. The type of knowledge needed will have the basics and whatever specialty he or she will be working toward. Certification is necessary before attempting private or hospital practice can be undertaken.

Private nurses of all specialties will need to be well informed about their patients. They will also need to become personally aware of their moods and eccentricities. This is important as many of those changes can indicate something that tests will not show. The family benefits from this as they do not have the time to do this even if they are trained to do so.

These nurses will need to be involved in many activities. They will be dealing with tracheotomies, catastrophic injury and tube feedings. Ventilators will need to be prepared and cleaned, insulin pumps will be monitored as well as the many different types of spinal injuries must be known about. This is a very short list, however, and the need for all around knowledge is beneficial should anything arise that is out of the ordinary.

The correct private nurse for your family member should be certified and come from a reputable agency. That agency should provide the back up to all of their nurses and references should be checked. The knowledge base of the particular nurse they will assign to your case should include all tasks that will be needed and recommended by your doctor. There should also be a willingness to feed the patient as well as any other personal chores you are unable to provide.

Getting this type of help for your family member is important. This is the case whether he or she is in a care facility, the hospital or at home. Checking with the insurance company for possible payment of this is important. However, no one can place a price on the peace of mind you will have when your loved one is taken care as well as possible.




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