Monthly summaries

Hi CapeCod, Since there is the requirement of weekly documentation in the chart. We do not do monthly summaries but, have weeklies that mimic the questions asked on the MDS. My nurse managers complete these weekly, not the floor nurses.

If a resident is ill or has to be observed for some other reason, then we do daily charting on them. Otherwise, it is only the residents on our TCU that are on their Med A stay that has daily charting.

Have you tried a checklist flow sheet? Or do you use narrative charting? The flowsheet we use, covers all needed areas and a narrative note is only needed when something like labs, appt or something out of the ordinary is needed.

I hate monthly summaries! I work the night shift in LTC. I pass meds (lots of meds) to 48 patients on the 7 pm med pass it takes from 7 pm until almost 11 pm to pass these meds, do accuchecks and insulin on a good night. Then I have to do the night shift assignment sheet for my night CNA's, the meal and BM daily tracking for all 48 patients, record the evening vitals, calculate the I& O's for patients on IV's and /or foleys.

I also have treatments, straight caths on patients who need a UA done, plus nightshift changes the foleys that need to be changed. We also do the accucheck machine checks, check the refrigerator temps on the two refrigerators. Also we do 72 hour charting on those on Alert charting. PLUS monthly summaries, because the nurse manager feels that nightshift nurses don't have enought to keep them busy!!! Also I give out pain meds prn, pass several 12 am meds, then also have accuchecks, insulin and another large med pass beginning at 5 am. Oh I forgot skin checks also and documentation on that. They also now want nightshift to do a total physcial assessments on all skin checks.

I hat how nightshift gets criticized all the time, my CNA's work hard!

See nightshift nurses just sit around eating bonbons and reading love stories. Sorry, I'm kinda frustarted with my job lately.

P.S. I envy the nurse with only 15 patients. How lucky can one person get??!! That would be a piece of cake!

The flowsheet i mentioned is a two sided checklist. IT follows the MDS an few extras. Transfers, bed mob,eating, ROM, pain, skin, behavior, amb, the works. It has taken me approx 1-2 min to fill each out. IF need there is room for comments. So, the only narrative is something out of the ordinary.