How many is too many?

Specialties Home Health

Published

HI

I am a RN HH case manager for the last 3 months. The last 2 weeks I have been seeing 8-9 pts a day and have been very frazzled. Wondering how many pts most RN case managers see in a day. And unfortuately I am on call this coming w/e.

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If that is too much for you try cutting back one or two per day if only for a short time to get some rest. Or better yet take a sick day and sleep in to recharge your batteries. I would have a serious talk with the boss about going back to 6 or 7 a day, which is more manageable. Good luck.

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Use the point system, 6 points/per day, to justify to management that you are being seriously overworked! (1 pt/routine visit, 1.5 pt recert/discharge, 2 pt admission, ect)

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Specializes in COS-C, Risk Management.

Much of it depends on what kinds of visits you're doing and how far apart they are. If they're straight visits and all in the same ALF/ILF, then 8-9 is totally doable (and I want that gig). If they're all recerts, ROCs, or SOCs, and they're miles apart, then not so much. If this is a temporary situation due to a staffing crunch, ride it out. If this is the norm, talk to your agency about productivity requirements, weighting of visits, and expected travel area. They may not realize how much you're doing/driving.

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I do have 5 pts at one ALF and I do try to schedule them on the same day. And those days I do fit in about 8-9 total. But I have been doing around 8 and they can be all over my county and that has included a SOC or a ROC. As a nurse new to HH it has been hard. We are not down any nurses just too much for 2 full timers and 2 part timers. Not to mention a weekend a month and of course those weeks no break. I do not want to complain but I am stressed, and not sure how I am doing. I email my nurse manager a lot and ask questions as she doesn't always get back to me for a week so I just keep seeing my pts and doing my best.

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Specializes in home health, neuro, palliative care.

My agency researched what an "appropriate" patient load should be for a full time HH nurse. They came up with 5-6 visits a day, with SOC counting as two and other oasis visits as 1.5 I don't have the sources they used by if you PM me I'll get the info to you next week.

I have had days where I have seen as many as 10 in a day, but not every day.

The important fact is that YOU feel overwhelmed, and for your sake and the sake of your patients, you need to back off.

Mel

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Specializes in Home Care.

Gheez.....my nurses complain about 4-5.....(2admits, 3 revisits).....

I should have them read this website.

Yeah, I would say 8-9 is way lots.....unless you do 10 hour shifts, that almost sounds impossible.

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Do you get paid per visit?

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Yes I get paid per visit. I have been making great money but there is more to life than money.

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