What are the different tasks duties I should expect to perform in a..

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What are the different tasks duties I should expect to perform in a Rehabilitation Hospital (as an LVN/LPN)?

I want to start watching several nursing videos of different procedures etc.. Also if anyone knows a good book, video or website that helps improve nursing notes please let me know.

Thank you! Pease pray for me I just applied to a rehabilitation hospital as an LVN. :)

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Under the all-nurses tab of "specialties" rehab nursing is listed.

I worked stroke/trauma rehab a million years ago and then only as a night float. It was mainly assisting patients to learn the basic ADL's. How to dress themselves, how to walk, how to propel themselves with their wheelchairs, help transfer them from bed to wheelchair, bowel and bladder training, etc. (Not that I even did a lot of this on the night shift.)

However Rehab is a very general term. I don't even know if this is the kind of "rehab" facility you are applying for.

Give more details about what type of rehab facility it is and maybe post on the rehab site if you don't get much response here?

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I float to a rehab floor once and a while. You get a few dumps but generally it's encouraging them to do things on thier own, taking out foleys and bladder retraining, helping transferring, teaching new (or old) diabetics how to monitor bg and give insulin, teaching about meds, what they cannot do (hips should not cross legs) or should do (MIs should get physical activity). Can't think of too many procedures, I guess there are a number of Picc lines, the one I see the most is catheterization, lots of I&Os for retention.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

What state are you in? Since you're using the title of 'LVN,' I can safely guess you're either in California or Texas.

If you're in CA, your scope of practice will be very limited by your state's nurse practice act and you will basically be administering oral medications, performing dressing changes, reporting changes in condition to the RN, applying topical creams and patches, checking vital signs, giving injections, performing urinary catheter care, doing tracheostomy care, managing colostomies, and other random things.

If you're in Texas, your scope of practice will be wide open and you are going to do almost everything that the RN does. In addition to the tasks I mentioned above, you'll also be in charge of your own patient load, starting peripheral IVs, drawing blood from PICCs and central lines, giving meds by IV push and IV piggy back, monitoring blood transfusions, discharging patients, obtaining telephone orders, charting on your patients, changing central line dressings, monitoring infusions of TPN and ProcAlamine, removing sutures and staples, applying CPM machines, and so much more.

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What state are you in? Since you're using the title of 'LVN,' I can safely guess you're either in California or Texas.

If you're in CA, your scope of practice will be very limited by your state's nurse practice act and you will basically be administering oral medications, performing dressing changes, reporting changes in condition to the RN, applying topical creams and patches, checking vital signs, giving injections, performing urinary catheter care, doing tracheostomy care, managing colostomies, and other random things.

If you're in Texas, your scope of practice will be wide open and you are going to do almost everything that the RN does. In addition to the tasks I mentioned above, you'll also be in charge of your own patient load, starting peripheral IVs, drawing blood from PICCs and central lines, giving meds by IV push and IV piggy back, monitoring blood transfusions, discharging patients, obtaining telephone orders, charting on your patients, changing central line dressings, monitoring infusions of TPN and ProcAlamine, removing sutures and staples, applying CPM machines, and so much more.

LVN from Texas. Thanks for all of the information. I want to practice all of this as much as possible.

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Under the all-nurses tab of "specialties" rehab nursing is listed.

I worked stroke/trauma rehab a million years ago and then only as a night float. It was mainly assisting patients to learn the basic ADL's. How to dress themselves, how to walk, how to propel themselves with their wheelchairs, help transfer them from bed to wheelchair, bowel and bladder training, etc. (Not that I even did a lot of this on the night shift.)

However Rehab is a very general term. I don't even know if this is the kind of "rehab" facility you are applying for.

Give more details about what type of rehab facility it is and maybe post on the rehab site if you don't get much response here?

On the website it says rehabilitation hospital and below are some of the services:

Our Therapy Services include:

  • Physical Therapy
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Speech Therapy

Rehab Services include:

  • Amputation
  • Brain Injury
  • Complex Medical
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Major Joint/Orthopedic
  • Movement Disorders
  • Osteoporosis
  • Pain
  • Pediatric
  • Pulmonary
  • Spinal Cord Injury
  • Stroke (CVA)

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Specializes in FNP.

Check out rehabnurse.org - read the descriptions of the nurses in rehab settings, look over the ARN-CAT quizzes, refresh yourself on ace wrapping a residual limb... there is so much that it all covers! :) Good luck!

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Specializes in Rehab.

On our inpatient rehab unit, the following procedures are often done:

THOROUGH assessments

Wound Care

Peg/NG tube feedings

Tracheal suctioning

Hemecults

Phlebotomy

Blood Culture draws

Foley insertion

Intermittent Catheterization

Suppository insertion

Dis-impaction of rectal vault

Bladder Scanning

IV insertions

Blood administration

Heparin Drips

Education is also quite important in rehab, transfers based on proper body mechanics and pt status is also very important. Good luck!

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