Making sure a patient is medically cleared

[Umberlee]

Are there any specific questions you ask or things you check to make sure a patient is medically cleared before coming in? We had a patient who had been mechanically ventilated after a suicide attempt and came in with what was eventually determined to be postventilatory pneumonia. We had to try and treat it in-house without the ability to do chest xrays, cultures, etc. That was a very dodgy situation so I'm thinking in post-vent patients I should ask for a chest x-ray prior to admission. Anyone else have any pointers or situations that have shaped your "nurse to nurse"/medical clearance? I am the kind of person who always thinks, "Oh sure, we can handle that" and I don't want to set myself up for disaster. Thanks!

[Juli4310]

It's also the standard that the nurses accept the patients from the medical facility then the docs are rehired to meet with them within 24 hrs. We are strictly a psych/addiction clinic so we don't generally take medically unstable patients, however, I have taken orders and felt completely lied to pumpkin the patients arrival.