Health South Rehab Hospital?

mcmrnbsn · Feb 25, 2007

I'm glad you like it-that sounds like the one where I work. I'm planning on taking the CRRN in June. Good luck----MM

linda8532 · May 7, 2007

mcmrnbsn--I would like to know what health south facility you work at that has only 6-8 patients? I work at one and we have a minimum of 8 patients, most of times 9-10, with discharges and admits all day long. We work 12 hour shifts and lately most of our patients have been there for "deconditioning" most have dementia or something not to do with what you would think a rehabilitation hospital would be. HealthSouth is a wonderful facility, the benefits and vacation perks are great, but the nursing staff lacks big time. The facility I work at no one works together. If a call light is on, the nurse will walk a mile to find her tech to answer the light. If you are on your 30 minute break, punched off the clock, someone will come get you to tell you that you need to get so and so a pain pill. Most of us have taken to leaving the building so that we can have our "30" minutes to ourselves. The pay is not comparable to other hospitals. But it is a variety of patients.

mcmrnbsn · May 7, 2007

I'm sorry to hear that about your facility. I work at Vanderbilt Stallworth Rehab Hospital in Nashville. We have a variety of patients-yes some with "deconditioning" but strokes, MVAs, ortho, some peds occasionaklly. 6-7 is a good patient assignment for us. I have had days with 8 but that is not good nor is it safe. We have mostly good techs-if they came hunting the nurse for certain things instead of doing it, they wouldn't last long. As for getting you off your lunch-we all try to respect each other's breaks as long as they are not abused. I would not go interrupt someone's lunch unless it was a real emergency. Where do you work-reply in private if you wish-I'm curious. MM

SJW · May 9, 2007

I am a brand new grad - well, as a matter of fact, I graduate tomorrow night. I applied on-line to a hospital that accepts general applications so you aren't applying for any specific job and today received a call to set up an interview for a rehab position. Do you think I will be able to do rehab nursing without prior med-surg experience? I do have some LTC experience as a CNA and LPN. Is it more rewarding than med-surg?

Also, any interview tips?

Thanks in advance.

SJW

tinoRN · May 15, 2007

I think the most typical experience here is how to get up early and yourself should be in the right manner of condition before you start to endorse your patient.

tinoRN · May 15, 2007

Its is bettr for you to experience medical and surgical before you specialized another area.

CHATSDALE · May 15, 2007

th hs that i worked for was frequently a total care but i didn't mind that once i got use to it..the patient load was like 4 if you had more you had an aide..with total care you don't tell an aide to do something and return later and find it wasn't done

the pay was like about 10% higher than the other hospitals the Christmas bonus was much less however

physical therapy does rank higher than the nurses because they are the ones who determine the therapy for the individual aptients but most of them were willing to listen to suggestions

i think that you will find this a good career move

bloomscoot · Sep 9, 2007

I work for HealthSouth for 4 yrs. as an LPN full time and now am just prn. Not sure what you are wanting to know. I don't have any specific complaints. You are welcome to write me back and ask anything you want. We are a small satellite hospital with our main hospital about 40 miles away. I hope I can help with any questions you may have.

hi, i am a new lpn grad and will be starting at healthsouth as an lpn next week. i used to work there as a rehab tech so i have a heads up but i wanted to ask you what i should expect as an lpn. i feel that i should brush up on some patient care techniques. any suggestions or advice is greatly appreciated! thanks

steelcityrn, RN · Sep 10, 2007

The H.S. near me is always looking for nurses.

Skwidward · Nov 13, 2007

I just started at a HS as an LVN. I'd really like to get some experience med/surg, but the decent hospitals round here only hire RNs. I plan on doing that once I get my RN. For now HS seems like a good fit.

My question to anyone working at HS or rehab in general is how much charting do you do/are you required to do?

I work nights and was surprised to see that you don't do an initial assessment on each pt when you first get there (putting aside the fact that you wouldn't have time). An assessment is performed every day, but is normally done by the day shift. I saw the day shift nurse had made only one narrative entry for most pts at 1200 plus the assessment check sheet. My preceptor only made two narrative entries, one at 2300 and one at 0200...unless more was required. I closed out the charts for the pts I knew about you know "pt resting in bed, denies pain, call light in reach etc.." at shift change. But it seems this isn't required.

We had 10 pts with one aid, and my preceptor said she sometimes has 14! I just feel it's a little risky not documenting that you at least popped your head in the pts door when you first got on, even if you didn't do a full-on assessment. Also, I was taught you need to make an entry every 2 hours. Does this count for rehabd too?

Is this just how it is a rehab facility? I know it's like this in LTC somewhat.

EDIT: Also, VS are done twice a day by the day shift. I found this strange, as I was used to having VS q 4 hrs.

mel1977 · Nov 13, 2007

I have been working for HS since 1998 and at our facility we chart by exception. Meaning, anything out of the ordinary we chart. Now, we always do the daily one time assessment-usually on days, as well as any dressing changes. The other shifts sign their names to the assessment sheet basically meaning they agree with the original assessment and have no additions to the origl. assessment. We are not acute which is why we don't have to chart on the assessment every two hours. Exceptions: on the daily flowsheets of nursing care (ins/outs, up/down, bm/void, cont/inc, turns self or dep. etc....that the techs fill out) and the restraints forms, which have to be filled out a min of every two hours.

Does this help?

Skwidward · Nov 13, 2007

Yeah, thanks.

I bumped into my nurse manager today (had to hand in some papers) and asked her about it. She told me that you don't need to chart every 2 hours. She did say that at night she expects the pts to be checked on q hr. She expects the nurse to check on odd hours and the tehcs to check on even etc. She also said the flowsheets take care of a alot of your documented evidence to show that you were in the room. I get a general orientation in 2 weeks, and she told me after that she'll do an inservice with me and go over charting etc.

However, my preceptor and I had 10 patients last night with one tech. My preceptor told me she has had to care for up to 14 pts at one time. I mentioned this to my manager, and she told me she had to take 20 one time at night! I just replied with "wow." She told me in the interview the ratio was 8:1. I'm getting kinda scared. I really can't be job hopping again, as I've only worked the one night so far. Orientation (with a preceptor) is 3 days, more if you need it.....I've already told her I'm definitely gonna need more.