Please help my unit succeed!!

Jan, don't foget to go to your own staff and get their input also. They are the ones dealing with your patient population; ask them to help you find other rehab units in your area. Encorage them to get involved in helping solve the problems your unit is facing. Once they find they have a manager who listens to them, they can be very creative in helping you find solutions.

Jan, Agree with above..include your staff and they will work harder for you!! I

was a charge nurse in an 83 bed short term rehab facility..of a large well known nationl rehab company..was also the weekend supervisor and feel fairly informed on staffing...we had 3 units..

one was 16 beds---our head injuries,vent pts, and severe strokes..that was staffed with one RN, one LPN,and one tech

one was a 28 bed unit...mainly the stroke patients went here...staffed on 7-3 with 2 RN's and 2 LPN's and 4 techs(everyone got a bath and dressed and OOB QD) on 3-11 staffing was 2 RN's 2 LPN's and 3 techs...on 11-7 there was 1 RN, 2 LPN's and 1 tech

the last unit had 45 beds -- mostly the ortho pts-- and this was always our problem unit....the staffing was:

7-3 3 RN's and 3 LPN's and 5 techs

3-11 --the hardest shift to staff--was 2 RN's , 3 LPN's and 3 techs

11-7 was 1 RN, 2 LPN's and 2 techs

I can tell you we ultimately went to 12 hour shifts which did help in staffing..though never on the weekends. I reccomend weekend diffs, encourage rehab certification in your nurses and set up workshops for your techs...I cannot tell you how many subluxated shoulders of CVA pt's we had because they were lifted or repostioned wrong!!! I also reccomend your total 150% committment to this endeavor...wanting to do it isn't enough...visit your staff on all shifts..during thier down time ( and each shift has one)...I used to serve fruit and cheese trays to the units at 3 pm on the weekends I supervised. I would re do the schedule to accomadate the hard workers...and I never struggled to find someone to stay over or come in early or come in extra. I am giving you state secrets, okay>> ??? good luck and let us know how it turns out !!!!

Thanks very much for the input. I agree with you both about the input from the staff. I have done that and agree with what the staff has said. Now it's just a matter of getting the administration to go along with it! The more information I can give the administration.....the better it will be!! Thanks again.

I work in a NH/rehab setting

we have about 10-15 patients for Rehab in a 180 bed facility

we have 1 pt, 1 ot, and 1 st.

we have 2 CNAs who work Restorative for each of 3 floors(step down from Rehab) and all of our CNAs are given additional training to do step 3 restorative.

we have 2 LPNs and 1 RN for each of the non skilled floors, and 2 RNs and 2 LPNs for the skilled floor, and a Wound care nurse who does our Stage III and Stage IV, Surgical, and unstaged Wounds (the ones from the hospitals mostly)

We have 2 ADONs, and 1 DON who cover the administrative stuff, and deal with the contract PROBLEMS (you know what I mean)

and 2 RNACs, and 2 Social Workers

its about that busy for them, and the LTCers

(personally, I LOVE IT)