The Private Duty Nurse
A Private Duty Nurse or a PDN is a nurse that works away from the hospital setting. He/she may be assigned to one or more patients. A PDN is to provide the necessary nursing care that a patient needs. Ideally, the care provided by a Private duty nurse will be the same as the care provided by nurses in the hospital setting.
Becoming a PDN
There are several steps before one can become a private duty nurse. Nurses need to have clinical experience and a valid license as he/she needs to undergo several training programs and clinical workshops.
To become a PDN, you must be a registered nurse with a valid license. You must also have at least a year of clinical and hospital experience. Private duty nurses must at least undergo the following training courses in order to be efficient in their field:
- Basic First Aid and Life Support Training Course
- Intravenous Therapy Training Program
- Water Safety Training Course
The Private Duty Nurse must also continuously update himself/herself in any new procedures in the PDN field.
Nurse – Client Contract
The client and the chosen PDN will be the ones to work out the terms of employment. This includes the job description as well as the number of hours he/she will work in a day. It would also include whether the PDN will live with the client or not. The contract is necessary to ensure that all parties involved are protected legally.
Published at: 11/28/2015
