RN relief needed

I am still needing any visit notes that any of you might have. I was thinking about doing something that uses charting by exception any ideas on that would be appreciated also. My email address is

I would appreciate any forms that anybody uses, especially nurses notes. I am getting ready to redo ours. We dont use computers for charting, at our agency,we have used soap and narrative notes. Has anybody used charting by exception? Does it work in home health? Would I be covered enough legally? Any forms would be greatly appreciated. You can send them by email or pm me. :flowersfo

My agency reimburses for the use of my car at 31 cents per mile. With gas prices being so high I think that they should be reimbursing at the amount allowed by law. Please let me know how your agency is reimbursing you. I am doing my best to arrange my days so that I travel least amount possible. Just need to know what other nurses are getting. I just looked at irs website and allowable is now 40.5 cents per mile.

Just a quick update as I am tired, but wanted to let you all know that calling the day ahead worked everybody was home today. Thank you for your help!

Thank you to everybody for your suggestions and listening to me. I definitely need your support. Part of me loves home health but part of me is plain old burned out, and home care can be lonely when you have problems. I definitely agree that some pts dont appreciate the help and privilege of receiving free care. Most of the pts I care for have some psych issues and I do encourage them to get out of the house, just call me 1st and let me know, so we can figure out a time for me to visit (they are medicaid pts so they dont have to be homebound). What upset me so much this time was a gallon of gas is $1.95, then 4 pts werent home, then 2 pts/families lying to my supervisor that they didnt know I was coming, all of this was just too much. I have had quite a few problems with one of my pts compliance and extensive blaming of others for her problems, so for her its either another nurse or agency, as she is making my blood pressure go way up. I spoke with my supervisor today and we discussed that pt and making sure everybody is reminded the day before my visit that I will be there, so I will do that. I do have a cell phone and I did call everybody this eve and gave them a 2 hour range of when I would be out tomorrow, I will also call them tomorrow an hour or two before I visit. Hopefully this will help. Most of my pts have a terrrible time remembering anything - keeping drs appts, compliance with meds or anything and that is huge reason for my visits, so I will keep plugging along. Thanks again for listening, hopefully my pts will remember that I called them this eve and be home tomorrow, I will let you know.

I will apologize ahead of time for the length of this post but I am upset and need your help. On Friday I had 4 people not home for their visit. I do skilled Medicaid visits and I always tell my patients when my next visit day and if it will be morning or afternoon. Then on the day of my visit I call a couple hours ahead to let them know approximate time 1-1:30 and this usually works. The day that everybody was gone the weather was nice so everybody was out having fun. The problem was no one called to even let me know that they when they would be home, even though they knew this was the policy. I am per diem so I depend on the money not to mention that I am seeing these pts to take care of their meds, give injections, etc.I contacted my supervisor to let her know of all the difficulties and see if she would help try to locate them, she was finally able to find one family but that family said they had no idea that I was coming and that it wasnt written on her calendar and it most definitely was. My other pt. whom I usually see around 1pm finally got home at 2pm and I had already had to drive to other side of town so had to schedule her around 3:30 - 4pm then she was mad at me because when I eventually saw her I was 15 minutes late and she was waiting to go back out and play. How do you all schedule your visits and when do you call your patients to let them know, how do you let them know when something unexpected comes up? I need advice!!! Also do you have a policy like 3 strikes and your out if they dont let you know they wont be home. I am afraid with gas prices I just cant afford to be running back and forth even with mileage reimbursement. Sorry this is so long but we are a very small company and I need help and I needed to vent. Thank You!!!