tanzini

In NY state, I work on an ACT team as the RN. The role of the nurse is multifaceted in that it can include activities beyond traditional nursing duties which are often fun and exciting. Mostly however, the nurse is responsible for administration of IM medication to clients during home visits. IM medication like Haldol Dec, Prolixin Dec and Risperdal Consta. This is usually the focus of the visits but the nurse will also conduct visits for completion of nursing assessments and plans for linkage/scheduling with a primary doctor. Additionally, the nurse is responsible for packaging of oral medication. Some clients get weekly pill boxes while others may get daily or two day supplies at a time. The medications are mainly the psychiatric medication prescribed by the psychiatrist on the team but can also be medical medications from primary doctors/hospitals. There are about 50 clients with my ACT team. You definitely get to know the clients very well, sometimes over several years. The clients are all adults, 18 and up. A lot of the clients also deal with a dual diagnosis in terms of having a substance abuse issue along with an Axis 1 diagnosis like Schizophrenia. This is a nursing specialty that I was initially drawn to because I really felt like the nurse was able to spend time with the clients and address their needs comprehensively with the support of the team. However, sometimes it can seem like there is just not enough time in the day! A typical day would consist of the morning meeting with the team at 9am to review the entire client roster, then home visits with clients throughout the county until 4pm and of course, documentation of the visits in progress notes, assessments, etc. Hope that helps a little!