how to stay organized at a LTC home

[patcheslatches]

Hello all!

Getting ready for my first evening shift at a LTC home. Just wondering if anyone has any "brain sheets" or documents they find useful to help stay organized with the 30 patient load. Any "brain sheets" I have found online are those used for hospital settings.

Thanks

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

My PRN position has a sheet they print off with all of the residents on it. I color code in different color inks for what I receive in report, another color for what I need to do for that resident (Medicare charting, treatments, etc) another color for things that happened during my shift that I need to pass on in report (PRN's, fall, med change, etc)

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

The following is basically a copy/paste of an older post I made regarding LTC/SNF rehab and how I used to organize my shifts when I worked in that setting. The tasks you see listed below are the responsibility of the LTC nurse. Good luck to you.

I am an extremely task-oriented person, so when I used to work in SNF rehab, I always wrote my tasks on a to-do list and crossed them off as I completed them. After all, rehab/SNF nursing entails a huge workload of tasks that must be completed.

I worked on a rehab unit at a large rehab/SNF several years ago and here is how I used to organize for the day. I worked 16 hour weekend double shifts from 6am to 10pm.

I normally had about 15 patients to care for. At the beginning of the shift I would look through the MARs and TARs and, as I went, I jotted down the tasks that needed to be done in my notebook. My to-do list in my notebook was how I organized my shift, and as a result, I wouldn't forget to do anything.

Here is how an old notebook page from 2007 appeared (names have been changed due to HIPAA):

9-23-2007

DIABETICS, FINGER STICKS: Agnes (BID), Norma (AC & HS), Bill (AC & HS), Pauline (AC & HS), Rex (BID), Jack (BID), Ethel (AC & HS), Marjorie (0600, 1200, 1800, 2400)

NEBULIZERS: Marjorie, Ethel, Bill, Jack, Pauline

DRESSING CHANGES: Pauline, Bill, John, Jack, Lillian, Rose, Lucille

IV THERAPY: Pauline (Vancomycin), Agnes (Flagyl), Rex (ProcAlamine)

COUMADIN: Agnes, Rose, John, Lucille

INJECTIONS: Agnes (lovenox), Lillian (arixtra), Rex (heparin), Bill (70/30 insulin), Ethel (lantus), Mary (vitamin B12 shot)

ANTIBIOTICS: Pauline (wound infection), Rose (UTI), Rex (pneumonia),

1200, 1300, 1400 meds: Marjorie, Lillian, Rose, John, Jane, Jack

1600, 1700, 1800 meds: Rose, John, Rex, Lucille, Lillian, Laura, Louise

REMINDERS: assessments due on Agatha, Jill, and Louise; restock the cart; fill all holes in the MAR; follow up on Norma's recent fall, fax all labs to Dr. Smith before I leave, order a CBC on Rex...

[ShelbyaStar]

I do best with an open ended system, so the report sheets at my work are fine with me. They have each patient's name with three columns that are meant for the three different sheets, but I just right all over as needed. I do agree it's helpful to write down who needs blood sugars taken, at least at first until you memorize who needs it when. I also put a star by the name of anyone that I'll need to chart on later.

I work night shift alone with two floors to myself, so I find it immensely helpful to take a clipboard. It has my separate report sheets from each floor to write notes on, plus I grab two med order forms so I can stick on any meds that are running low to fax later, and I have a blank sheet to write down other miscellaneous supplies that get low to leave a note with our supplies guy at the end of my shift. Plus any other random papers that I need to carry from floor to floor, like census and other random tasks that night shift gets. My clipboard goes everywhere with me and it's nice when I'm busy doing something on one floor and I get a call about someone on the other floor that needs a PRN pain med- then I can jot it down before I forget.

Gosh 15 patients sounds like a dream...