Have any of you noticed that patients are lacking education on anticoagulation? Is academia not teaching anticoagulation to nurses, expecially in the ADN programs? Does your hospital have a pharmacists do patient teaching on Warfarin/Coumadin or does the nurse do the teaching in your institution? Are your pharmacists consistent with the consulting or is it a hit and miss situation? How concerned are you regarding patient safety with those patients on anticoagulation therapy (AT) after discharge? I have just noticed this problem is ongoing and trying to figure out if this is a common problem in other hospitals in the US (and UK) or if this dysfunction is present within my health care area.
I have worked in an anticoagulation clinic for several years and it is so disheartening that patients are not getting the education they need prior to hospital discharge and when we see them at the clinic. We have over 1000 Coumadin patients and scheduling these patients gets tight. This interim period of 2-4 days can be critical in patient care and safety. I just believe if patients had more education before leaving the hospital they would be safer at home until followed up at the clinic.
Specializes in ICU,ANTICOAG,ACUTE STROKE,EDU,RESEARCH.
sadly, many professionals doing the educating are woefully out of date themselves.
it's hard to believe but true that some 'educators' are still saying patients cannot shave with a razor blade... quote]
what's the change with this? i graduated nursing school like 4 years ago and i still learned it...
i worked as a specialist anticoag nurse in 2003 for 3 years and never told patients this!
they need to know that they may bleed more from a razor cut, and that it may take longer to stop bleeding.
after looking at pt safety data regarding anticoagulation i believe that it's a speciality in its own rite.
in the last hospital i worked in the specialist nurses and hematologists managed everyone on coumadin.
of course it often went a little haywire at the weekends etc.
the same team managed all the patients in the area out in the community, via community or hospital clinics or community nurses would do the blood draw.
in the uk we have the national patient safety agency who are well aware how dangerous warfarin can be especially when it's not managed properly!
lastly- if you're one of those people who thinks you can "wing it" when it comes to anticoagulation therapy (or prioritise ordering cabs above educating patients in their therapy, then this might make you rethink!
misswoosie
429 Posts