From hospital to LTC-essential thinks

[zuzi]

What are the essential thinks that need to know a nurse who came from a hospital setting into an LTC?

Advices? Difficulties?

Thank you! :icon_hug:

[fultzymom]

The big thing in LTC is your medication passes. When you are first starting, they take SOOO LONG!! You usually have about 25 patients per nurse, unless you are working the skilled/rehab unit. The AM med pass takes a while. Also, you will have to adjust to having that many patients if you have not done so in the past. I am not sure where you are from or what type of charting that you have done in the past, but in LTC there is usually not computer charting. It is all written. You have to remember what patients require skilled charting for Medicare/Insurance purposes. I usually took a pocket sized notebook around with me et wrote anything pertinent in it that I had to remember to do with any certain patient et referred to it throughout the day when I was working the floor. It was my life-saver. Also, depending on your patients, there are treatments that you have to do on each shift. Sometimes it is for skin wounds, skin tears, ect. Other times it is your protective ung on coccyx's, heels, ect.