Time saving tips for HH nurse

[KaeliF]

I've been a HH nurse for a little over a year now. My old office was not well organized at all and as a result I usually worked from the time I got up to the time I went to bed 7 days a week. I was on the verge of quitting, then moved to a new area (transferred to a different office within the same company) this office is MUCH better organized and I starting thinking I finally got a point I could see myself sticking with home health. However, last couple weeks have been especially busy (as it tends to get) and I've started working more and more hours again. Nowhere near as bad as it was before, but still I'm determined to get down to a 40 hour week. What are some of your time saving tips? Here's what I already do

I try to do as much charting in the home as possible (unless the patient is SUPER chatty, in which case I just get what I need and try to get out ASAP)

I try to schedule my next visit while still in the home to prevent from having to call up patient and schedule visits (just started this plan last week so it hasn't yielded all the benefits it will yet)

I wake up at about 5am and chart (I'm a morning person and can focus much better this way then when I try to chart after a long day) which usually allows for about 2.5 hours of charting before i have to get ready and go

I keep a notebook with all my patients info and goals and try to cross off goals as i meet them to keep up with it (even though I usually forget to do this and end up having to go back through my notes and cross things off that way)

any additional ideas? it would be incredibly helpful!

[taggart84]

Great habits!

I try to communicate with other team members as much as possible in the home too. We are electronic so I can report falls, change in condition and so forth via my iPad.

For labs I fill out my req sheet prior to the visit.

Can't think of anything else but would love to see others responses.

[caliotter3]

Be aware though, that even when you arrange the next visit at the time of the current visit, 9.5 times out of 10, the client will "forget". I used quote marks because it has become apparent to me that not all forgetting is really forgetting.

[toomuchbaloney]

I interact with some of my patients via email to remind and confirm appointments etc. Some folks prefer that to a phone call and in my experience it is less time consuming.

[caliotter3]

I interact with some of my patients via email to remind and confirm appointments etc. Some folks prefer that to a phone call and in my experience it is less time consuming.

This is a great idea, especially if you use a special work-only email address, for privacy. Less likely for either party to get into an involved conversation!

[CatHair]

How many patient visits do you currently have in a week?

[KaeliF]

right now I'm usually seeing somewhere between 6-7 pts a day, 5-6 if I have a SOC or something.

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[KaeliF]

sometimes I'll see up to 8/9 a day but thats only on occasion

[CatHair]

Well, first "time saving tip" I could offer is Reduce Your Patient Load.

Are you in an Assisted Living Facility? 8/9 a day at times is taxing even when you are walking down the hall from one residence to another.

[toomuchbaloney]

You need time savings if you want to complete visits for 8/9 patients within an 8 hour work day.

Are you one of those "salaried" HH RNs who get compensated for 40 hours while expected to work 50+ to get the work done?

[BabaLouRN]

I work in a couple assisted living facilities I don't miss the driving at all but it is often hard to work around set times, All mealtimes, naptime. when "Wheel of Fortune" is on

[BabaLouRN]

A big time saver for me is to set up lab bags inside the transport bag. One of each tube, a tourniquet. alcohol pads, vacutainer and I also have at least 2 needles. I tuck in a lab req and I just grab the bag. I put the tubes I know I wont use in another bag that I use when it is time to make more bags