Private Duty Nursing
Pediatric Private Duty Nursing in Georgia
Licensed pediatric nurses who stay with your child for full shifts at home, day or night, so care continues while your family rests, works and lives its life.
Enrolled GAPP Provider
College Park, Georgia
RN + LPN
Day and overnight shifts
01 / Overview
What Pediatric Private Duty Nursing Means
Private duty nursing is continuous, shift based skilled nursing in your home. Instead of a short visit, a licensed nurse stays with your child for a scheduled block of hours and gives one on one care the whole time. The nurse watches for changes, acts on them as the care plan directs and keeps your child on the routine the care team set.
Shifts are staffed by a registered nurse (RN) or a licensed practical nurse (LPN), depending on your child’s orders and needs. Many families use in-home pediatric nursing shifts overnight so parents can finally sleep, and others use daytime shifts so they can work, run errands or spend time with siblings.
- One nurse focused on one child for the full shift
- Day, evening and overnight shifts
- Care that follows the plan written by your child's doctor
- Respite blocks so caregivers can recharge
02 / Compare
Private Duty Nursing vs Home Health Visits
Families searching for private duty nursing near me often find home health agencies in the same results. The two services sound alike but work very differently, and knowing the difference helps you ask for the right kind of care.
| Private duty nursing | Intermittent home health visits | |
|---|---|---|
| Length of care | Continuous shifts of several hours | Short visits, often under an hour |
| Who is present | The nurse stays for the whole shift | The nurse leaves after the task is done |
| Typical purpose | Ongoing skilled care for complex, daily needs | A specific task such as a check or a dressing change |
| Overnight care | Available when approved | Not usually offered |
| Best fit | Children who need watchful care through the day or night | Children who are mostly stable between visits |
Your child’s doctor and the approving payer decide which type of care is medically necessary.
03 / Coverage
How GAPP and Insurance Can Cover Shifts
The Georgia Pediatric Program (GAPP) is a Georgia Medicaid program, administered by the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH), that provides in-home skilled nursing and personal care support for medically fragile children ages 0-21. For most families, it is the main way private duty nursing hours are paid for.
01
Approved Hours
The state approves nursing hours based on the medical need your child’s physician documents. Hours are reviewed and re-authorized from time to time.
02
Qualified Cost
There is no out-of-pocket cost for approved hours when approved by Georgia Medicaid.
03
Insurance First
If your child has private insurance, it is usually billed first and Medicaid can act as secondary coverage.
04
We Handle Paperwork
We gather orders and records, prepare and submit the prior authorization packet, track it and help with appeals if it is denied.
04 / Scheduling
Scheduling and Matching Your Nurse
Good shift nursing depends on the right nurse at the right times. You are part of every decision, from who walks through the door to which hours they cover.
01
Share Your Routine
Tell us when you need coverage most: school mornings, evenings, overnights or respite blocks on weekends.
02
Meet Your Match
We match a pediatric RN or LPN with the skills listed in your child’s orders, and you help choose.
03
Build the Schedule
We coordinate shifts within your approved hours and build them around your family’s week.
04
Request a Change
If the fit is not right, you can ask for a different nurse at any time. When the schedule itself needs to shift, we rework it with you.
05 / A Shift
What a Typical Shift Looks Like
Each shift starts with a handoff. The nurse reviews how your child has been, any medication changes and anything the doctor ordered since the last shift. Then care follows the written plan, hour by hour, with notes kept along the way.
Overnight shifts are quieter but just as careful. The nurse keeps watch, manages alarms and equipment, repositions your child and handles night medications, so you can rest and get a clear update in the morning.
- Assessments and vital signs at set times
- Medications given and recorded
- Trach, ventilator, G-tube or seizure care as ordered
- Help with feeding, positioning and comfort
- A clear report for the family and the next nurse
In an Emergency
If your child is in distress, call 911. Your nurse follows the emergency plan in your child’s orders until help arrives. For questions about treatment, talk to your child’s doctor.
Sources And Official Information
- Georgia DCH: Georgia Pediatric Program (GAPP) overview
- Georgia DFCS Medicaid Policy Manual, section 2933: Georgia Pediatric Program
Last reviewed October 2026. This page is general information, not medical or legal advice.
FAQ
Questions About Private Duty Nursing
Who decides whether my child gets an RN or an LPN?
Your child’s orders and medical needs guide it. Some tasks need RN level assessment, while many daily care tasks can be done by an experienced LPN.
Can my child get nursing overnight only?
Yes, when overnight hours fit your child’s approved plan. Your schedule can be built entirely around nights.
How long does it take to start care?
Intake happens in the first week, paperwork and physician orders take roughly the next two weeks, and the state’s review usually takes up to about 30 days after a complete packet. Most families start care about 30-60 days after the first call. We cannot promise a date.
Does my child have to be on Medicaid?
For GAPP, yes. A child can qualify directly or through the Katie Beckett / TEFRA pathway, which looks at the child’s own income and resources rather than the parents’. Learn more on our eligibility page.
Can the nurse go to school with my child?
Care can often continue at school or daycare, and around travel, when it is part of the approved plan.
What do I need to do during a shift?
You stay the parent. The nurse handles skilled care, but it helps to share updates, keep supplies stocked and tell the nurse about upcoming doctor visits.
What if my child's needs change?
Tell your nurse and your child’s doctor. When care needs grow or shrink, the doctor can update the orders, and we help you ask the state to review the approved hours so the schedule matches your child today, not last year.
Is private duty nursing only for children with a trach or ventilator?
No. Children with feeding tubes, frequent seizures, complex medication schedules, oxygen needs or other medically fragile conditions may also need continuous skilled nursing. Your child’s doctor decides what is medically necessary, and the state reviews the request.
Can I switch to SLB from another agency?
Yes. Families choose their GAPP provider and may switch agencies. See how switching providers works.
Take The First Step
Ask About Private Duty Nursing Shifts
Call 404-905-8332 or check eligibility online and we will walk you through the next steps.