Head nurse of Alzheimer's

[dinkymouse]

I just got the position I wanted at my facility as head nurse of the Alzheimer's unit they are starting. Any ideas on what I can do to make this a safe, efficient and caring unit? I am insisting on a med room within the unit, instead of at the station down the hall outside of the locked unit.

[loquacity]

I have a few suggestions:

Get some volunteers in. I'm not sure if this would be your jurisdiction but if you could make it so volunteer opportunities were provided in your unit, for the general public (eg. lots of high school students in my city volunteer at places like these) they can bring a lot of life into a unit. get them to chat, play games (crib , darts etc.) or do crafts (there are lots of crafts one can do with alzheimers patients that are simple, but do not seem childlike) families also love it. there may already be someone in your facility to co-ordinate this, but sometimes things work a lot better if you have some direct interaction with the volunteer process.

Also where i worked they had this weird project with some cultish sounding name, anyways, its aim was to make more "human" living, not instituitionalized living. Things like bringing in lots of plants, (low maitenence but adds so much) as well as getting pet therapy or having animals live on the unit (eg. a small dog, devon rex cat (hypo allergenic), or having birds. Where i worked there was a ring necked dove on each floor, very friendy, not very messy, not much work.

Also simple things such as hanging decorations for the dif. seasons or something like that (not childish looking ones but nice ones form say the dollar store or something). These are some things that worked well at my facility. Oh, and encourageing families to interact with other families as much as possible, really creates a friendlier enviroment, where familes/visitors are much more willing to go to.

Good luck in your new job, :wink2: Loquacity

[txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN]

I am a Alzheimers nurse maybe I can help you. What type of Alzheimers unit are you on (general, combative???) ? The med room needs to be on the unit for quick access to behavior meds and such!! Let me know!!

I just got the position I wanted at my facility as head nurse of the Alzheimer's unit they are starting. Any ideas on what I can do to make this a safe, efficient and caring unit? I am insisting on a med room within the unit, instead of at the station down the hall outside of the locked unit.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

http://www.alz.org

Try looking at the web site specifically for your state...call some other near by facilities to see what works for them...good luck

[lovingtheunloved, ASN, RN]

Don't really have any suggestions, but I've read a lot of your posts and I think you'll be excellent. You know that it's about them and their quality of life. You rock!