WHAT ARE THE DUTIES OF PRIVATE HOME CARE NURSES

Are your parents ageing, but you do not want to send them to a care facility for the elderly? Are you looking to hire a private nurse to take care of your elderly loved one? If so, you should first learn about the duties and responsibilities of a private nurse. 

The duties and responsibilities of a home nurse are varied and centre on taking care of their clients. If you’d like to learn more about what roles you can expect from a private nurse, feel free to continue reading our blog below.

The Duties Of A Private Nurse

While different Clients have different requirements, some of the duties that private nurses undertake include the following:

1). Administer Physician-Ordered Treatments 

A private nurse helps administer treatment orders that doctors provide. In certain cases, they’re responsible for undertaking treatment tasks such as injections and administering medication. In other cases, the private nurse is responsible for providing medical procedures such as drawing blood, giving enemas, changing catheters, and tube-feeding clients. 

In case of an injury, private nurses are also responsible for treating and dressing wounds. Other medical procedures that private nurses provide include limited IV therapy, ventilator care, seizure disorder care, insulin administration, general diabetes care, and spinal cord injury care. 

While private nurses are responsible for seeing through their client's treatment plans as developed by the physician, sometimes the nurses have to create a treatment plan of their own. When faced with certain illnesses that do not require the input of specialised medical expertise, the nurse can create a treatment plan for the Client. For instance, a private nurse can create a treatment plan for the common cold.

2). Undertake Client Assessments 

Home nurses are responsible for continuously completing Client assessments at home. They will check the client's vital signs regularly and track their physical well-being. It’s the duty of a private nurse to monitor the medical status of the Client at different stages of the treatment. Using this information, the nurse can recommend adjustments to the treatment plans. They can also recommend or request additional services and equipment to benefit their client.

3). Client Care Documentation 

Aside from checking their clients’ vital signs regularly and tracking their clients’ well-being, private nurses are responsible for completing the Client care documentation. Keeping a thorough record of all aspects of the client's health and the treatment plans to manage or cure any illness they undertake is vital in ensuring the client's physician understands the client's health status.

4). Assess The Client's Medication Intake

A home nurse must assess the medication prescription and ensure they comply with the physician’s orders. Private nurses should ensure their client takes the proper medication dosage. They should also organise weekly pills in the pill bins, helping the Client take medication without getting confused.  

5). Maintain All The Medical Equipment Used 

A private nurse will have a variety of different medical equipment to monitor or render medical services to the Client. They are adept at using medical equipment and are responsible for maintaining the equipment and ensuring it’s in proper working order. Whether the Client relies on respirators or drips, the nurse must maintain the client's medical equipment properly.

6). General Hygiene Of The Client

For incapacitated Clients, the private nurse is responsible for the delivery of personal hygiene care of the client. Aspects of the client's sanitary needs that the nurse will cater to include bathing, going to the toilet, and changing the bed sheet. Given that personal hygiene is linked to the well-being of Clients, the nurse will take care of the client's sanitary needs daily, especially if they are incapacitated.

Final Thoughts

As you can appreciate, private nurses work to improve the safety and medical well-being of Clients. In short, private nurses take care of Clients similarly to nurses in general hospitals while at the client's home. They help your loved one manage an ailment or a condition in the comfort of their home.

At Luxe Care, we provide the highest quality personalised care and support to enable older people to remain at home. We will discuss your circumstances and preferences and help you understand your options.

We want to help. Please call us today on 1300 674 886 or contact us