A private duty nurse provides personalized one-on-one home care to patients with injuries, illnesses, or old age health issues.
These nurses work at the client’s home to provide medical care, monitoring, and assistance for several hours daily.
Some private duty nurses will provide 24-hour ongoing care for patients requiring continual monitoring and aid.
Some private duty nurses also assist patients requiring a hospital visit or trip to a particular healthcare facility.
Private nurses may be required after a patient undergoes major surgery to provide additional assistance in their home.
They may also work in cases where elderly patients need extra home care to manage daily tasks.
What Do Private Duty Nurse Private Nurses Do?
Private duty nurses work with a broad range of individuals to ensure they receive adequate medical care.
For instance, they help clients with ALS, birth complications, congenital diseases, rare disorders, and comorbidities.
As a result, what a private duty nurse does daily varies depending on their particular client’s needs.
Most provide duty nurses work with elderly patients helping with home chores, meal preparation, and companionship.
They may also dress wounds, monitor vital signs, place/replace catheters, administer IVs, and assist with medications.
Accordingly, these healthcare professionals perform various services registered nurses typically provide at a hospital.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Administer medications
- Monitor client’s health and vita
- Manage various illnesses and injuries
- Provide bedside care
- Assist with household chores
- Utilize necessary medical equipment
- Clean, bathe, feed and change clients if needed
- Help with daily living activities
- Assist the client with meal prep and diets
- Document patient care
What About LPNs
LPNs working as home health aides have more restrictions regarding their services than registered nurses.
However, they’re also less expensive for patients who don’t require as much extensive care.
These individuals assist patients with basic tasks, monitor their patient’s health, and perform housekeeping chores.
They also provide companionship and emotional support to clients requiring social interaction.
Private Duty Nurse vs. LPN Compensation
A registered nurse providing duty nursing may make 50% to 2x more money than an LPN home health aide.
According to indeed.com, provide duty nurses in the United States earn approximately $24.49 an hour.
Comparatively, a home health aide makes about $14.56 hourly for their services.
It may benefit clients and insurance companies financially to split care between a private duty nurse and a home health aide.
It keeps costs down while allowing clients to receive adequate medical care and support.
It’s also essential to determine whether insurance covers or contributes to the cost of hiring private duty nurses.
Many healthcare companies may cover the cost of a home health aide but not a private duty nurse.
Independent vs. Agency Private Duty Nurses
private nurses work independently as entrepreneurs or as hired contractors for a private healthcare organization.
Clients may interview independent private duty nurses or look for an agency that provides private-nursing services.
Both paths have distinct advantages and offer fantastic opportunities to earn money and make a living.
Nurses working independently may make more money than duty nurses working for an agency.
However, they must find their clients, cover their medical costs and insurance and pay other fees.
Private duty nurses who work for agencies may earn less, but they have more support, and it’s much easier to obtain clients.
The Pros and Cons of Private Duty Nursing
There are several positives and negatives when it comes to private duty nursing.
For instance, many clients benefit from the meaningful connection and one-to-one support offered by private duty nurses.
They also receive specialized care to manage their ailments and tend to their needs.
Unfortunately, many insurance companies won’t cover the cost of a private-duty nurse.
As a result, it’s expensive for those who don’t have money to pay for private duty nursing services.
Some clients may also hire incompatible nurses, or the nurses may experience challenges with specific clients.
This section provides information on the various pros and cons of being and working with private duty nurses.
Benefits of Private Duty Nursing
Private duty nursing provides numerous services, from medical care to companionship for those who want home healthcare.
It’s excellent for those uncomfortable with hospital visits and those who require support for managing daily tasks.
It’s also fantastic for clients who need companionship, emotional support, and social interaction.
A private duty nurse will provide support anywhere from 4 – 24 hours a day, depending on the arrangement.
In addition, private duty nurses provide tailored support to meet their client’s precise needs.
Patients don’t need to worry about hospital visits, a lack of companionship, or difficulty managing their home and health.
Clients who hire independent private duty nurses may save 25% or more than working with an agency.
It’s beneficial for those whose insurance policy won’t cover or contribute to the cost of hiring a private duty nurse.
It also allows clients greater freedom to interview and select the private duty nurse they want to assist them.
Nevertheless, clients who work with an agency receive the support and assurances of the agency and its nurses.
They don’t need to worry whether they hired the wrong person and can talk to the agency if the client-nurse relationship doesn’t work out.
Upsides to Private Duty Nursing:
- Set your work schedules
- Great for nurses who like to work solo
- Paid time off
Downsides of Private Duty Nursing
As previously mentioned, there are cons to hiring a private duty nurse.
One of the biggest cons is that it’s costly for those whose insurance companies won’t cover the cost.
In this case, it may make sense to work with a home health aid that the insurance company will cover.
It may also be more challenging to get in touch with an independent private duty nurse who doesn’t work for an agency.
There are many excellent independent working private nurses in the field.
However, it’s important to point out that not every nurse-patient relationship will work out or go smoothly.
Furthermore, there is the possibility the patient may be responsible for the nurse’s medical bill if they get hurt on the job.
Some independent private duty nurses have liability insurance to cover possible work hazards.
Nurses who work with an agency may also have liability insurance to protect against work-related injuries.
It provides the client with additional protection and security if a nurse is injured while on the job.
Working with an independent private duty nurse or agency has different advantages.
Therefore, clients must consult the types of nurses and find out what option works best for them.
Downsides to Private Duty Nursing:
- No help from other nurses
- You’re fully responsible for the client’s care
- Difficulty with some clients and family members
- Work may not offer enough variety for some nurses
Insurance Coverage
Not all individuals with ailments, injuries, or illnesses qualify for private duty nursing coverage.
As a result, it’s necessary to determine the insurance policy and see whether they’ll pay for a private duty nurse or home health aide.
Policies that do not cover the cost of private duty nursing will require the client to pay out of pocket for their services.
In this case, clients should contact multiple agencies and private duty nurses to understand their policies and costs.