Skilled Nursing/Transitional Care Assessment

[springchicken2+2]

I'm a recently graduated LVN. This week I started my first job in a Transitional Care nursing unit (LTC facility Annex). I'm concerned about my weak assessment skills. I really have not yet found a system that works for me. I usually have 8-12 patients on a shift. Every time I chart I find that there are many things that I forgot to assess on my initial walk-through, so I end up making several time consuming trips to re-assess my patients. Any advice on routines that work well for a quick head-to-toe would be greatly appriciated!

[iwanna]

How about making some copies of general head-to-toe assessments that you would do on pts. Bring one in room when you do your assessment. I just finished a refresher course on a transitional unit. We had these papers for our clinicals, and they were a big help. If you look at paper while you are in the room and record on paper immediately. I am the type of person that has to write everything down. I am definitely a "list" person, but it is what works or me.

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

Yep...that is what I would do. Make a cheat sheet of your own and list all the systems, take it with you on a clip board when you do into the room and write as you go. Remember you are constantly assessing, when you answer a call bell, transfer a pt to a chair, perform inct care...etc....all those interactions add up.

It takes time...don't worry. You will get it!