Mental Health Partial Hospital

[kathymack56]

Hi everyone. This is my first post (except for my intro). I am hoping some of you can lend some assistance to a concern I am having at work. I am the only nurse in our partial hosp program. We almost lost the program 2 years ago because our average census was 10 patients or less. We have added a chronically mentally ill program and now our census runs around 55. Not all the clients attend each day but I am still responsible for keeping up on their meds, labs, vitals, insurance and everyday concerns (plus group daily, MD orders and all the other stuff we do). It has become extremely overwhelming. My co-workers are social work, counseling and psychology, always willing to help, but most of what I need is nurse specific. I have talked numerous times with my boss and occasionally I recieve some assist for an hour or two, but nothing consistant. I do appreciate what I recieve but I feel the clients could be in jeapordy if I miss something that needs attention, which I will miss due to ratio. Do any of you work in partial? If so, do you have any written info on recommended nurse/patient ratio for partial? I am thinking of a written letter to my boss, rather than the emails and verbal discussions, which would outline my concerns, offer some solutions, and share the trends throughout the US. Any guidance, references, suggestions, etc. are welcomed. Please feel free to post me here or private message me. Thanks. Kathy:monkeydance:

[Morgan314]

I worked in a PH program until "reform" happened several years ago, and I was transferred to the OP mental health center and the PH program was changed to "Psychosocial Clubhouse." When I started working in the PH program, I thought it was for patients recently dschg'd from an inpatient program who continued to need intensive OP treatment. I was surprised that many of the patients had been coming for years, and it was more like an adult day care. Are your routine tasks scheduled for specific times or days? We had doctor visits on Tues & Thurs, injections were given one day a week, we had "med ed" group on a certain day, and the hour after the patients left for the day was used for documentation. Do your patients have case managers that can help with insurance stuff? Are you in charge of the unit? If not, who is?