I want you to look at the care plan

[Alnitak7]

I was sent into a nursing home that I had never been in before. They gave me a patient group. I asked them for some basic information on them for safety reasons. Things like who the the two-person transfers are and who can walk and other things like this keep me feeling safe.

A girl who looked like she might still be a teenager told me, "I want you to look at the care plan." I did not argue with her. I just did what she said.

Here is the problem, it took me about 45 minutes to gather the same information that they could have given me in about 5 minutes. What a waste of time.

I know this is a common problem. Care plans are sometimes outdated. If a new staff member comes in it might just be better to go down the list with them.

[swoodard]

That's so unprofessional. We are trained as nurses to COMMUNICATE it kills me how this is still happening and then when medical errors happen everyone wants to point fingers at everyone else. People need to get a clue. I would said something not to argue but to make sure you don't walked all over, like are the care plans updated? Care plans are always outdated. I haven't seen one yet that was up to date and I've been working in nursing 7 years now in 3 different states in many different settings.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

I would think that whomever you are taking the patient group over from has an obligation to report off to you. Part of that report should include the fuctional level of the patients.

Care plans may have a purpose in theory (pun intended LOL) however, it has gone by the wayside in favor of "problem lists" and "care maps". And for that very reason--I have yet to see in my many years a nurse even so much as look at a care plan, some were printed generically off the computer, have to be in the chart for regulatory purposes--but seem to have no other purpose.

But, I do know that whichever regulatory agency visits your facility, they WILL ask for and look at care plans, ask why it is that there's not multiple care plans for every nursing issue, will advise that they need to be regularly updated.....and most electronic medical records now have built in problem list/care map/care plan updates as part of daily charting.

I would be hesitant to take patients that I was not given a quick rundown on--even in LTC and this is your first time taking these patients. I would simply state "I am interested in hearing in report how the patient moves". When you do your charting, I would take a quick review of the chart--just to establish some sort of baseline. Because any sort of assessment that you do will mean absolute zero if you have no clue what a baseline for your patients are.

[swoodard]

I would think that whomever you are taking the patient group over from has an obligation to report off to you. Part of that report should include the fuctional level of the patients.

Care plans may have a purpose in theory (pun intended LOL) however, it has gone by the wayside in favor of "problem lists" and "care maps". And for that very reason--I have yet to see in my many years a nurse even so much as look at a care plan, some were printed generically off the computer, have to be in the chart for regulatory purposes--but seem to have no other purpose.

But, I do know that whichever regulatory agency visits your facility, they WILL ask for and look at care plans, ask why it is that there's not multiple care plans for every nursing issue, will advise that they need to be regularly updated.....and most electronic medical records now have built in problem list/care map/care plan updates as part of daily charting.

I would be hesitant to take patients that I was not given a quick rundown on--even in LTC and this is your first time taking these patients. I would simply state "I am interested in hearing in report how the patient moves". When you do your charting, I would take a quick review of the chart--just to establish some sort of baseline. Because any sort of assessment that you do will mean absolute zero if you have no clue what a baseline for your patients are.

I second that jadelpn

[silverbat]

As someone who writes, reviews and updates care plans on a daily basis in a LTC., I try very hard to keep mine updated, so I do not agree that care plans are all out-dated.

I DO agree with the statement to check the care plan, however, optimally the oncoming nurse would be given a report on each resident that touches on the basics of care. Then the nurse can look at the care plan as time allows (HA). SOme nursing homes utilize a "cheat sheet" type of paper or a kardex that lists the basics that is given to oncoming nurse or CNA, etc., with diet, transfer, ADL assist, etc on the sheet.