[SallyRN]

I just re-entered Rehab nursing after leaving two years ago. Don't ask me why. I'm happy to be back. The great thing about it is that you get to see real positive outcomes for all your hard work. You get to do a lot of patient teaching. And you get to know your patients because they stay longer than 24 hours. And, if they really are a problem--they don't stay forever! I work in a small 16-bed Acute Rehab unit that is part of a small community hospital. That department is the jewel of the hospital, as far as I'm concerned. Our patient satisfaction index is three percent higher than the national average. What I'm proudest is the patient that walked out of the hospital after not walking for 24 years! There's a sense of accomplishment and teamwork in the Rehab setting that is hard to find anywhere else.

[mom and nurse]

Thanks SallyRN. I'm really looking forward to my practicum in rehab nursing and think I am really going to enjoy it. It seems the nurses really enjoy what they were doing. Previously I had a degree in another field which dealt with special education and I remember the excitement of seeing a child walk unassisted who we thought would not be able to (the child was six).

I'm still a student, last semester, and i'm praying something will open up for me in this area after I graduate.

Thanks again.

[oramar]

The majority of my patients are ortho but my unit rehabilitates all kinds of patients. I work very, very hard. Last night I took care of 13 patients. I was the only RN and there was a LPN and 2 aides. There was an admission and two of my patients had medical problems. I had to keep moving or fall behind. That is not to say I do not like it. I really enjoy seeing the great strides people make on our unit. Many, many people are carried in on stretchers in a totally debilitated state, unable to even feed themselves or wash their faces. Most of these are walking and caring for themselves by the time they leave. That makes me feel so good.

[oramar]

Originally Posted by oramar

The majority of my patients are ortho but my unit rehabilitates all kinds of patients. I work very, very hard. Last night I took care of 13 patients. I was the only RN and there was a LPN and 2 aides. There was an admission and two of my patients had medical problems. I had to keep moving or fall behind. That is not to say I do not like it. I really enjoy seeing the great strides people make on our unit. Many, many people are carried in on stretchers in a totally debilitated state, unable to even feed themselves or wash their faces. Most of these are walking and caring for themselves by the time they leave. That makes me feel so good.

I feel I need to mention the down side of rehab nursing. The patients are supposed to come to you in a stable medical condition....NOT! Also, since even the stable ones have recently been very ill they can become unstable very quickly. These units are staffed for stable patients. I have frequently find myself doing one on one nursing while waiting for patients to be transfered to a unit where they can be cared for at the level they need. You would be shocked at how long that takes in some instances. I find myself reaching very deep into my med/surg, telemetry experience to find the skills I need to care for such unstable people.

[mom and nurse]

Originally posted by Oramar

I feel I need to mention the down side of rehab nursing. The patients are supposed to come to you in a stable medical condition....NOT! Also, since even the stable ones have recently been very ill they can become unstable very quickly. These units are staffed for stable patients. I have frequently find myself doing one on one nursing while waiting for patients to be transfered to a unit where they can be cared for at the level they need. You would be shocked at how long that takes in some instances. I find myself reaching very deep into my med/surg, telemetry experience to find the skills I need to care for such unstable people.

Thanks Oramar - I've started my practicum in a small rehab hospital and yes, I've noticed that basically it is med surg. Though it appears the patients do come to the hospital in stable condition, many are older and have very serious health problems. I'm really impressed by the nursing staff though. They do a lot of teaching and seem to enjoy what they do.

[minnib]

Hello All,
Just my 2 cents....I LOVE REHAB nursing!! I am an LPN an just transferred from an MH/MR facility my only job for 2 years straight from school, so I went to a community hospital's rehab unit night shift. Sometimes pt load is 24 with RN, LPN and an aide. I am sooooooo very glad I picked this unit to start out in in a hospital(and will probably choose this as my speciality) we all work together and I do have tons of time to work on my assessment skills, a mostly geri pop. they love the attention:-) I get to see some M/S stuff and we get no new admitts during the evening. My friend works in the ICU (RN) she is tired of getting 3 pts with major problems and not getting support from some of the other staff so hopefully she will come up. Sometimes though it is tough on your back, you must use excellent body mechanics esp., on this unit. I just love really feeling like I am helping my pts and they are so appreciative:-) I hope this helps, please email me w/ any questions or comments.

Melinda

[mom and nurse]

Thanks Minnib - So far I've really enjoyed rehab nursing as a nursing student. I'm curious how it would feel though as a full time employee.

Did you say 24 patients? Most of the nurses at our facility do not have more than 7 (though I've seen the nurse/patient ratio up as high as 9 or 10). That's definitely right about the body mechanics. (So does that mean that the RN has 12 patients and you have 12 patients? with one aide....)

How do you get all your charting done for 24 patients. Is it done by flowsheet? Or perhaps since you work nights, the LPNs and RNs have more time to chart?

[minnib]

Hi MomandNurse,
yes 24 pts at the most but not everyone needs a full assessment and the 2 nurses split the assignment but help each other if needed when census is low the aide or LPN will be pulled. This is long term rehab so our pts are stable and yes they are stable!, you may have an occasional code. We use FIM charting(pain in the butt at times) but not bad mostly and yes we use flow sheets. We have long stretches of really quiet times and other times we have some busy nights where lots of pts want pain meds and ^ to the BR but it is never crazy where you are pulling your hair out and cursing your coworkers! The docs are even mostly laid back and it is over all a positive environment. Some nurses have left because they wanted more excitement. so no; you won't get much excitement in here unless you think that the the young woman who has MS that could hardly take any steps for over 2 yrs has just walked 40 feet down the hallway is exciting I DO!!! and I almost cried when she told me her accomplisments for the day! But anyway thats the great thing about nursing, their is room for all of us and our personalities. Take care.

Melinda

"I'd rather have 15 minutes of something wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special"
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[mom and nurse]

Thanks Minnib - Yes - I have enjoyed rehab nursing. I'm not much for excitement and the 3 doctors onsite at our rehab hospital are very laid back. I feel comfortable talking to them. Yes, the nurses help each other out too at our rehab facility. The average length of stay at our facility is about 3 weeks.

I know what you mean about excitement. I get excited when I see a person who came in and could hardly move, pushing herself down the hallway. My last day of practicum. Monday and I am really going to miss the place. I will probably end up back there when I graduate. THe nurses have been fantastic.

Thanks for your reply