<p>Here is my dilemma. I am a nurse who has not worked in traditional nursing for 20 years, though I have done medical writing and research. I have 2 dear friends, a sister in law and a father all going through chemo and radiation so my days are uncertain as I help them. In addition my father lives out of state which means that I fly there when needed.</p>
<p>I desperately need to have some income and I want to offer my compassion and understanding to other people who could benefit from my background. I am thinking of starting a private patient sitting service where I spend time with people in their homes to help them organize their chemo and radiation schedule, and just give them emotional support and “be there” with them…plus ease the burden on the family members who may not be available as much as they would like to be.</p>
<p>Should I offer my services to just chemo/radiation patients or anyone who could use this type of help?</p>
<p>What are your thoughts? Any feedback is appreciated.</p>
<p>In Hawaii, there are patient navigators who help people with cancer diagnoses navigate through the system. I’m not sure how widespread this is and exactly what it involves, but it might be worthwhile inquiring at your largest local hospital with a cancer center. You might also want to check with temp agencies to see about getting placed as a temp nurse–they are in high demand in many locations and it may even allow you to travel.</p>
<p>The passion sitting you mention might be useful as well and you might ask about that with the cancer treatment center near you or perhaps your nearest branch of American Cancer Society.</p>
<p>There are also services that provide hospice care in-home. Those seem to have flexible schedules as well and charge the patients an hourly, daily or weekly rate. When we used those services, some of the people in their staff were nurses and nursing students.</p>
<p>You need extra income, but you need a very flexible schedule.
Reason being for the flexible schedule is because you are providing care for four cancer patients who happen to be friends and family.
Seems that as you have medical certification that they could possibly hire you for the services you are providing anyway?</p>
<p>Might be too much to deal with cancer patients in your personal life and at work. When I gave up full time, I worked per diem in a small ED one day a week for a few years and if someone needed a day off or a half shift off, they would call me to cover.</p>
<p>I allowed my nursing license to lapse so I cannot technically work as an RN. I am an extremely compassionate person who is a good listener and that is why I am drawn to the emotional side of patient support…hence my ability to give emotional support to patients as a “patient sitter.”</p>
<p>I think the “sitter” idea would work. I recently lost my Mom after a long battle with dementia, and we were worn out. I would have really embraced the idea of hiring someone with your background for a few hours break. We had to watch her constantly for safety, falling, wandering issues.</p>
<p>^^^^Yes, do the refresher! Maybe you could be a sitter, but I know that after having been a RN, being a sitter and being restricted in my scope would be harder than going through the refresher and renewing my license.</p>
<p>If you do the refresher & get your RN license back, you will have more options and be more marketable at a higher rate as well.</p>
<p>Visiting home care agencies would probably LOVE having you if that appeals to you, even without your license. The ones I’ve talked with seem to have a lot of flexibility in scheduling as well.</p>
<p>There is a huge need for elder care - taking them to appts, helping organize the meds, giving respite care if they are staying at home. I can think of a bunch of people off the top of my head who could use a nursing background and not for daily care but as a backup support.</p>
<p>I think a lot will,depend on the home agency. Many around here require at least require completion of a CNA course for any kind of home care. But there are other jobs within home care agencies…these, however, are clerical or administrative and some do require set numbers of work hours per week.</p>
<p>I would suggest that you make an appointment with a human resources person at some home health place. Take your current resume with you and see what kinds of jobs they might have for someone with your current training AND the types of training you would require for additional jobs.</p>
<p>In my experience, the folks with higher level licensing tend to have a LOT more flexibiliity than those doing entry level positions.</p>
<p>If you are thinking about doing thins on your own…the very FIRST thing you should look into is liability insurance. Do that first.</p>
<p>I feel that I would do best in a role where I am able to give emotional support and just spend quality time with someone who needs to talk or feel that someone is there who cares.</p>
<p>I actually think it is a wonderful idea for a business and the potential to fill a need. I can see you marketing yourself to assisted living places, community based senior housing residences, radiation and oncology stand alone clinics, churches and private patients. I have been reading your various threads, so i have responded variously. Good luck!</p>
<p>I am also an RN and though I did not pursue it, I thought about making money taking overnite call for homecare nursing agencies. I saw one that advertised for an overnite supervisor and if you are proactive by checking everyone’s status before 12mn, you can probably reduce 2 am phone calls by intervening earlier.</p>