Ventilators in LTC

r.soleil · Apr 4, 2005

:cool: I have managed the night shift with sub acute patient's on ventilators. The team involved is: Nursing, Respitory, Risk Manager[Policies and Procedures],Infection Control[My other job], ongoing education provided by Respitory and Director of Nurses. We have physcians that admit their ventilator patients because we as Nurses in sub acute are

receiving these patients. Due to DRGS most of our vent patients come to our facility to wean the patient off the vent. The facility uses the team

approach in managed care. This facility does not use the patient to nurse ratio. We are staffed by the number of patients.

LPN1974, LPN · Apr 4, 2005

Any LTC facilities have a ventilator unit? Could use some feedback related to policy & procedures, infection control, staffing (PPD ratios). Any assistance would be gretly appreciated.
Rie

Oh, my gosh, you gotta be kidding? :confused:

LTC getting to be more acute all the time!

shopgal, RN · Apr 4, 2005

Oh, my gosh, you gotta be kidding?
LTC getting to be more acute all the time!

I am an LPN on one, all of my pts are tube feeders, 85% have IVs and I am the only nurse with one RT, and 2 CNAs for 18 pts. WHEEEW! We are incredibly busy.

mattsmom81 · Apr 4, 2005

I have worked LTAC's with failure to wean/chronic vents; most were trachs or became trachs soon. Years ago they loaded us up with these type patients (a nurse might have 2 stable vents in wean mode with 5 other patients) but there is more concern about 'decannulation incidents' these days and patient cooperativeness needs to be considered, so I found staffing better. If the unit is well managed this is not a bad unit for someone who likes more skilled/critical care.

I worked some agency at LTAC's more recently where they were required to be in a special care area with primary care and 3:1 ratio. Not bad, until you consider these patients came right from ICU, maybe drips, had lots of other health problems, were FULL CODES, family still expected ICU care, and the facility did not give us what we needed to provide that. Also no ancillary help...we had to answer phones, do orders, mix our own drips, run to pharmacy ourselves (and we WERE pharmacy after hours) The unit was crazy all the time. I learned to steer clear of these 'special care units' in LTACS after that experience, and learned to appreciate well run units with adequate support behind them.

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Apr 4, 2005

Zowie--I can't imagine vents on our sub-acute unit....41 patients , 2 nurses and 4 CNA's...no respiratory therapist in the building......