Private nurse for Lenox Hill Hospital?

[ImpOssibleOne]

I think a family member would be just as effective as an RN or NA. There's not much a non-staff-member can do anyway in terms of medical care.
Most of nursing care is pretty rote: adjustments, giving you a sip of water, etc. All you is someone to whom you are the prime focus and who can notify the staff if they see a need.

[Katie]

I wondered what they would be allowed to do, but thought maybe there was a different way of doing things down in the States. I'm sure Dear Heart will do everything my little heart desires if I ask nicely

[Maria]

You probably know that an RN is more highly educated than a Nursing Assistant and a Licensed Vocational/Practical Nurse so if you were communicating to the nursing staff ahead of time that you hired an RN for your care then it could go two ways depending on hospital policy and that is that the RN does your total care (is hired for this) and/or the RN is there just for observation and as a 2nd in terms of should there be things that need to be communicated and taken care to the nursing staff.

An experienced LVN/LPN is often extremely knowlegable as is an NA as well when they have been working far longer than the RN so it often depends on what someone's overall experience is however the RN is the one who should techically be able to observe more and do more under nursing abilities.

This is all something you might want to actually call the hospital admin about and find out what the policy is for the hospital re privately contracted nurses (private duty).

When I had my first spine surgery the surgeon liked to put his patient in intensive care for several days as he knew we would get turned as frequently as needed, cath care or bedpan given as needed, feeding assisted if needed, hygiene and so forth and pain meds given as soon as required. He wanted us to have the RN to 2 patient ratio of care back then in 1989.. it was a good deal at least the first day as the pain was excrutiating post open discectomy at L5S1 back in *the day*...

You might want to also ask your surgeon what he thinks of this idea and if you would need this.

Usually post operative patients that are just out of recovery and back on the floor are given high priority for monitoring and care however sometimes at nights if there is short staff (already skeletan staff and someone calls in sick) then maybe an additional body/set of eyes/assistant would be helpful.

[Katie]

Thank you Maria. I have never heard of a private nurse or the equivalent aid being used in hospitals here in Canada, and was interested in how different it might be across the border.

I will check with the hospital and their policy regarding this. I certainly don't want to step on any toes, and that's why I was checking on here beforehand with patients who may have already gone through it.

Again, thanks for taking the time to explain things.

[Maria]

Katie,
Long ago when I worked as an RN I would catch extra shifts doing private duty hired by families for the same patients I took care of during the day and/or I also have worked for agencies in the past to work specifically private duty.

Now we're talking long ago ~like 20 plus years ago when I was young and could work double shifts several times/week and so forth..

That's why I recommended calling the hospital and finding out their policy and also you might want to check with the post op floor you'd be on and just see what the normal patient to nurse ratio of care is.. like I said fresh post op is usually pretty good, esp. during the day.

Patients are released so much quicker now than back when I was working in surgical units ~ I'm glad I was in the hospital a week after my first discectomy even tho now that's probably an in and out procedure mostly as long as there are no post op complications.

You will probably be OK without a private duty nurse altho you are having quite a bit of surgerical procedures done close together so again you may want to get Dr.Bitan's input on this as he may think of having you in a unit where the ratio of care is very good or perhaps Jason and/or other working nurses/healthcare professionals can chime in here and update me on what post op surgical units are like now as it's been a long long time since I stepped foot into one as all my surgical procedures since 1989 have been on an out patient basis.