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 Aide 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.
Become Part of an Organization
Like the Operating Nurses who have the ORNAP or the Mother and Child Nurses with the MCNAP, Filipino PDNs also have their own association to fall back on. They are called: the Association of Private Duty Nurse Practitioners in the Philippines or the APDNPP.
As a PDN, it is beneficial if you become a member of an organization such as the APDNPP. This will help give you and your clients the reassurance that you practice is regulated. An active membership also means that you are up to date with any advancement and improvements in the PDN profession.
How to Become a Member of the APDNPP
To become a member of the APDNPP, a nurse must undergo several tests and interviews in order to make sure that he/she meets the organizations standards. It may sound tedious, but it is worth it.
Other countries also have their own set of PDN groups. And it is important to gain recognition from the necessary group in order for you to gain credibility as a certified PDN.
