Question for House Supervisors

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Specializes in ED, House Supervisor, IT.

If your a house supervisor you know what I mean when I talk about the "book." Contains all our goodies to run the show. We carry around a big bulky book and are looking at options to reduce the size. I even slim down to a smaller binder and use my Palm Pilot for things. At our last staff meeting, others suggest we all get PDA's or some other method. My boss asked me to look into things. I thought I would come here to ask how others do it. Do you use the big bulky binder? Do you use PDA's/Laptops? What other systems out there do you utilize? Any companies/web sites you would recommend?

Feedback is needed and greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks

Hank

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Hank we still use the big bulky folder and cart it around. I find if I leave it somewhere other than where I am then I am guaranteed to need it lol. We laughingly refer to it as the "laptop" actually.

We have thought about getting an actual laptop but are very afraid we will drop it:D

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How about a rolling cart in the interim? :D

We used to use the tray-passing carts to chart on the roll, stuffed with all those supplies you don't wanna run your feet off for anymore. Among all the other hats we had to wear, we were expected to be a mobile instantaneous pyxis.

A cart would be a low-tech band-aid while you're assembling your hi-tech solution :)

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Specializes in ED, House Supervisor, IT.

Thanks for your replies... Anyone else have thoughts?

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All we use are the "house papers", carry them in my pocket when I cover house. They consist of a current surgery , current and next shift staffing summary, a list of all hospital rppms - out beside each room # is name of patient, doc dx, and anything we need to know about the pt. Mostly the day shift HS just does hotel duty and assigns rooms as Nurse Managers here all wear scrubs and DO THINGS. Eve and nights have to work a bit harder. Our VP of Nursing wears a white uniform and actuallyDOES THINGS with patients, too.

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ok- rppms is rooms and that is a current surgery schedule.

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Even over here in the land of Oz, we have the folder to carry around as well as the pager and mobile phone. I have my own folder with the bits and pieces that I find useful, just haven't got a space big enough to keep that spare RN in that I always need in the middle of the night. I have been thinking about a palm pilot and would also be interested in suggestions.

Patrick

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Funny, in all my years at my current facility I have never seen even a single supervisor carrying anything other than a coffee cup.

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Specializes in ED, House Supervisor, IT.

Need your help again. We have started to slim down our book. Question. Do you carry a print out of each unit with the patients and are you required per policy to have a report on each patients? Is that report considered medical documentation and can that be used as part of a medical chart? I will look into my nurse practice acts for my state but curious what others policies are.

Thanks much and hope for some feedback!!

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Or even a laptop?

Amazing...

Anyone heard of/work at the hospitals that use Palm devices to carry patient info? MD's can walk through the front door and recieve/beam patient info on the way in. Labs, etc.

We am behin' da' times, ya'll.

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I just carried my clipboard, pager and phone and 'essentials' on the clipboard...stuff the night supe needs....didn't have a whole book full of stuff cart around. I left all that in the office. I picked up floor census' on rounds then went back to my office to do am staffing.

I did push a cart on rounds at least once a night as night supe had to visit CS for stuff for the floors fairly regularly.I only made a report on problems or unusual situations...not a general patient report.

I don't know if palms could hook into hospital computers legally or not...with the patient confidentiality laws of today. I suppose if the docs wanted it they'd find a way. ;)

Me, I'd be happy if the docs would just access their own stuff and stop expecting the nurses to do it for them! LOL!

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Specializes in Geriatrics/Oncology/Psych/College Health.

Our house supers just want to know the problem folks - those who have a greater likelihood of coding at some point during the shift, potential p!ssy family members and the like. I have noticed that while they are all supposed to do rounds in the house, several of the supers don't even venture into psych unless called.

You couldn't pay me enough to sweat staffing for the whole house, tho. Glad someone is willing to do it and take the heat! ;)

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