Hard to Work Real Home Nursing in Japan ?

Hi there ! I’m Mao who works for Home Nursing Station.

Have you ever heard “Working for home nursing is so hard in Japan” ?

I will tell you what differences between Hospital and Home Nursing for working today.

Is It Hard To Work ?

I have an experiences to work for both Hospital and Home Nursing Station.

And I still think that the working for Home Nursing is harder than Hospital.

One of the reason is that Visiting Nurse basically visits the patient’s home alone and takes care of them as a case-by-case bases instead of hospital nurse works as a team.

In my case, I felt confusing because of the big gap of hard mental and physical stress and spent the time at least half year in my case.

Of cause, this term is actually depended on the Nurses.

Difference Between Hospital and Home Nursing

In the Hospital, Nurse is supposed to perform the daily and routine work in the specified timing.

On the other hand, Visiting Nurse is supposed to visit the patient’s home and usually take them care. Therefore, we need to prepare the necessary items as well.

Following is difference between Hospital and Home Nursing.

Working for Hospital

Nurses in the hospital are working as a team and are required what each nurses have to do as a routine.

For example,

「Nurse A will visit patient B at 3 p.m.」

「Nurse C is supposed to host the conference.」

「Nurse D reported that patient E should be taken care sensitively.」

In order the team work and is most important and should be managed to do below.

1, Reporting each other

2, Informing the manager

3, Consulting to the manager

I saw many times that the new nurses from vocational school had a mistake not to do above duty communication.

If the team has no accurate communication especially important information, big incident or accident may happen.

Even though there is a disliked older nurse in your hospital, younger nurse mainly has to report to them.

Most of the nurses I saw are struggling to the personal relationship more than the working to take care of the patients.

Additionally there is a nigh shift in the hospital causing bad physical condition.

Working for Home Nursing

As telling you repeatedly, the nurse working at Home Nursing Station mainly visits the patient’s home to care them. One nurse should take more responsibility.

Sometimes I face the situation that a parent gets poor physical condition soon after I leave them, specially in case of elderly patient or handicapped even if I didn’t make any mistake for my job.

However, patient and their family may doubt I made some mistake. Such a suspicion brings me mental stress.

Basically new nurse from other workplace will visit patient’s home with elder colleague. But almost all Home Nursing Station is understaffed.

So, we have to understand the experienced nurse who worked for hospital even a few months may be assigned to visit alone.

On the other hands, I know the nurses at station won’t have a relationship stress with colleagues more than hospital. 

Of cause, Visiting Nurse is required to have more communication skill to the parents and their family.

Other big difference is that Home Nursing has no night shift but we have “On-Call” by turning with all nurses.

During On-Call shift, I have to bring the cell phone from the station and be stand by calling from patients anytime.

we can get a On-call allowance per day, but we can’t relax in holiday at that duty.

Suitable for Home Nursing

I will answer who is suitable for Home Nursing.

I am still thinking it was good choice to decide the job change to Home Nursing because of above.

Visiting Nurse is often alone while working and watches one patient. So I am glad when receiving a words of appreciation by them.

This pleasure is more than hospital nurse.

Other reason is that I don’t match the atmosphere of hospital’s relationship.

At the Home Nursing Station, we only need to face the others at the office when doing office work.

My Episodes “Hard to Work for Home Nursing”

I will tell you couple of my “HARD” episodes as Visiting Nurse.

1, Extremely Hot in Summer & Extremely Cold in Winter

One of the hard episode in my experience is temperature in workplace. That’s extremely hot in summer and extremely cold in winter.

Basically the temperature in the room is adjusted for patients comfortable but I usually work in that room. Especially summer makes me death.

I also feel big different temperature between the home and outside. When I leave home in summer, I get heavy sweating.

I’ve heard that other Home Nursing Station assigns the nurses to visit home with bicycle even the summer.

Visiting with bicycle is terrible especially in the rain.

So I’m lucky because we can always use the car to visit. But I dislike 

2, Terrible On-Call in midnight to Early Morning

Most of the Home Nursing have a On-Call duty that to need correspond emergency call from patients.

Calling usually rings few times in a month but this duty sometimes makes the nurses panic because of calling in midnight to early morning.

I know the most of the nurses are supposed to do housework in the early morning and take care of their children. So that, this time zone is greatly busy. 

However, most of calling can be handled with the advice by talking to patients.

If we judge the calling is “emergency” due to patient’s condition, we call an ambulance and/or visit directly their home by taxi.

To avoid its emergency call, all nurses carefully watch the patient’s condition as usual and prevent such a risk.

3, Insect & Smell in Home

I saw the many patients and have experiences of terrible situation for me.

That are insect and smell in home.

I don’t usually mind the smell in home but sometimes I saw there is the crazy smelling in home because of large amount of garbage.

I also hate that the insect appears in home, such a cockroach and maggots everywhere.

In that case, I asked the family of patients and exterminate them by the specialists.

Still Hard to Work for Home Nursing but…

There is actually big difference between Hospital and Home Nursing. But there is the same fact for them. That’s “everything for patients”.

All our duty is for patients and we always think they are the center of our mind.

I’m still feeling Home Nursing is hard to work but I can also receive “Thanks” by the patients. That’s my treasure.

Home Nursing is more able to have deep communication with patients and this fact is attracted to me.

How to Enjoy Home Nursing

According to the report from Japanese Nursing Association, there are 1,200,000 nurses in Japan.

Thinking the situation in Japan such a Aging Society, demands of Home Nursing will increase with high probability in the future.

Therefore I’m trying to tell you the attractive Home Nursing in your life.

Following are my advice how to enjoy Home Nursing.

When I drive the car to visit the patient’s home, I sing a song with big voice because of alone. No other is in the car.

I have a good communication with the patients, they sometimes invite me a break time while visiting.

I am often invited to the lunch by one patient and have a delicious food there.

I have to tell you that some of Home Nursing Station prohibit the nurses to receive any invitation due to preventing a risk.

Have a peace of mind for working.

The nurses have a stress to be on time because contract decides the time to care the patients.

But I don’t mind few minutes take over for patients. Home Nursing sometimes bring us uncontrollable situation. I always think those are not my fault.

Conclusion

Instead of working for Hospital with many rules, Home Nursing has more flexible duty for nurse.

Of cause we need to more flexible care for the patients as a case by case, but I recommend to join Home Nursing if you think so too.

I know many nurses have already retired because of hard working for hospital. I still give you the advice to restart as Visiting Nurse at Home Nursing Station.

I hope you become a good nurse standing by all patients.