The medical treatment journey of a beloved family member takes place at home, where he requires specialized care, compassion, and dedicated support to bring him back to health. How to choose a home care nurse? And how to avoid common mistakes? Let us help you with some tips.
In addition to professional skills and specialized certificates, there are things that you should pay attention to in the personal qualities of a home care nurse, and things that you should consider when signing a contract:
1- The background and the attitude
Behavior, opinions, and mentality of the home nurse are very important to notice; at least try to know whether she’s a positive or a negative person, whether you can rely on her or not, whether she is an easy-going or difficult to discuss anything with, whether she takes on her responsibility or blames on others. Whether she cares enough (which is the core of her mission) or tends to be more selfish.
And you can find out more about her on her Facebook and Instagram. Recently, social media accounts have become an important tool for employers to gain an understanding of an employee’s mentality and attitude in order to determine if that employee is suitable for the position.
2- A written agreement
Legally, it has become mandatory to sign a contract between the employer and the domestic worker in Saudi Arabia. That contract should mention the agreed salary, contract duration, working hours, daily and monthly rests, and annual leave.
Many problems can be avoided if everything has been written from the beginning. Furthermore, this contract can help you avoid disputes when one party feels that this agreement no longer suits them and wants to search for an alternative.
3- The certificates and registrations required
These are some certificates and licenses required for home care nurses in the Saudi Kingdom:
- A bachelor’s degree in nursing.
- The nurse’s registration in her home country along with a work permit as a nurse.
- The nurse’s registration at the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties.
- And of course, fluency in English, Arabic, or both, depending on the requirements of the patient’s condition and the common language spoken in the family in which she’ll be working.
What are the responsibilities of a home care nurse?
A home care nurse centers around one-on-one care tailored to a patient’s unique health challenges and needs. While there can be great variability in the specific tasks required, typical responsibilities would be:
- Provide support with daily activities (e.g., personal hygiene, eating/diet, exercise, house chores, and other tasks).
- Collaborate with other healthcare professionals and family members who care for the patient.
- Administer medications and help with wound care.
- Manage symptoms of the patient’s chronic illness.
- Monitor the patient’s overall medical status.
In addition, a home care nurse is skilled at performing clinical interventions for patients with complex medical needs, including:
- Tracheostomy care
- Ventilator care
- GI tube feeding
- Catheter placement
- Injections
- Collecting samples for lab testing
More or less requirements can be needed, according to the medical condition of each patient and the tasks required from each nurse.
Avoid these 3 mistakes when you’re hiring a home care nurse
1- Lack of follow-up. Nurses are the ambassadors of compassion and care; they’ve got kind hearts and do heroic work, but in the end, a home care nurse is still a stranger to the patient she is taking care of. From time to time, you may ask him how he feels when the nurse is around. You may also ask him whether he’s doing alright when receiving this nurse’s medical care. Nurse work must be monitored and followed up, at least at the beginning, until you’re assured everything goes well.
2- Carrying out the nurse’s duties. Before the nurse gets hired, probably there was a family member responsible for serving the patient and performing nursing tasks. However, once the home nurse is hired, these duties must be handed over to her with complete guidance, support, and direction. Never mind assisting her with some tasks that can’t be done by one person. Give the nurse the support and assistance she needs, but don’t replace her. Rather, be the supervisor and support her with the information, equipment, and tools she needs to get her job perfectly done.
3- Do not hire an independent home nurse by yourself, especially if this is your first time. Expatriates in general may enter the Saudi Kingdom illegally, and if you can risk a worker, you cannot risk a nurse. A nurse’s work is related to the health of your loved ones, who you hope will recover soon. It is necessary to do your part when hiring a home care nurse by knocking on the door of a professional healthcare staffing agency such as Raha.
What does the healthcare staffing agency actually do?
You can choose a healthcare staffing office or a healthcare staffing agency which is better than an office, but what do these companies offer?
- Ensure that the nurse did obtain a nursing certificate from her mother country, and studied nursing at an authentic institute/school.
- Obtaining all the necessary documents and completing the legal procedures required for the nurse to enter the Kingdom.
- Registering the nurse at the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties.
- Equipping the nurse with the home care training needed, and the specialized training on various medical conditions.
- Conducting physical and psychological tests for nurses to ensure their physical and mental health.
- Also, equip home care nurses with cultural education to fit the moral and religious standards of the Arabian community.
4- Last but not least, take care of this: You may choose the highest-ranked nurse in the country; with the best certificates, skills, and experience; everyone values her services, yet your patient doesn’t get along with her. Maybe it’s because of different personality types that’s all. However, he has the biggest share of the hiring decision and will spend most of his time with them. It’s necessary to avoid forcing him to receive care from a specific nurse he doesn’t like. Make sure the patient himself is satisfied, feels well in her presence, and is willing to receive health care from her, as his mental wellness affects his physical one.
It must also be mentioned that replacing the nurse is an advantage that you can easily get from a healthcare staffing agency without paying any extra fees. Otherwise, replacing the nurse on your own can cost you a lot; adding to the going back home costs for the first nurse, you’ll pay for a full cycle of hiring another one from her home country.
Take the short road and let Raha lead. The entire hiring process will turn into a few clicks on the Raha app. Raha offers you the convenience of hiring a home care nurse who is registered, trained, skilled, and experienced to take good care of your loved ones. Download the Raha app and check out the CVs of the home care nurses, available for immediate hire.
Sources
- How to Choose an In-Home Nurse, CelestialCare
- Is Private Duty Nursing Right for You? Why You Should Consider This Growing Field, Maxim Healthcare Services
