Question about making dr apts for residents

we dont' have a secretary. we have forms that get filled out and the nurse manager has to follow up in the am. the nurse manager then gets with the family or schedules an aide to go with if escort is needed, and calls for transportation set up.
We are a CRCC..so sometimes we can get help of the receptionist on this..but not all the time. We also have the luxery of having transport van/bus that can take more mobile residents to their appointments.
The only thing i have found frustrating is if the appointment should suddenly need rescheduled then sometimes it is a hassle or miscommunication occurs. that is frustrating.
We always keep it on a calander that everyone can see. the night nurses prepare the paperwork, organize any xray films etc for the next day appointments.
hope this helps some?

We keep track of all appointments, labs, x-rays, etc on a calendar at the desk. If I got an admit on 3-11's, I would put on the next days calendar page for nurse to please schedule appt. They would then write the actual appt date on the corresponding date w/ transport arrangements.

At each nurses station where I work we put things that need to be done the next day on the desk calendar. It works real well.

We have unit specialists who make dr appointments and arrange transportation. They recornd residents weights on the computer and gives the sheet to the nurses if there is a weight gain or loss. They thin charts, take the faxes put them so the nurses can see them, answer the phone, and watch residents who are fall risks at the desk. They make sure we have all the necessary sheets for documentation, and update the CNAs assignment sheets and prints them off for all 3 shifts. When orders for labs or dr appointments come in after she leaves or on weekends, we put that information on a calander book that sits at the desk. We have 4 nursing neighborhoods and there is one for each and a float. They are wonderful. They also take care of the chart after a resident is discharged.

I had something like this happen to me last night. I noticed an order during my order checks on night shift that the MD had written waaay back in the "MD Orders" section of the chart. Rather than using a new order sheet, he found one way back near early April's orders. Anyway - I verbally passed this on to day shift to schedule the f/u appt. I have at least one (out of the two) good day nurse I work with (on a 32 bed unit) who makes a note to write it on her report sheet. Tonight, to make sure she followed up on scheduling the appt, I'll check the resident's notes. We always write a short blurb when scheduling an appt.

Works for me.