Wound Care Clinic scheduling pts q15 min despite acuity/treatment time!

[lovebeingRN]

I am an RN working in a Wound Care Clinic that sees 25-40 patients per day with 5 pt rooms. Pt's are scheduled q15 minutes regardless of type of appt. (new vs. MD vs. Nurse Visit), acuity (ambulatory, walker, wheelchair, stretcher), or anticipated tx time (1 vs. multiple wounds, simple vs. complex dressings, compression wraps - may/may not need assist lifting legs to wrap, debridement, NPWT, etc.). Is this normal?????

Our wait times are terrible and I am so embarrassed/tired of constantly apologizing to our patients knowing that nothing is being done to change the situation. I feel like I've been beaten up at the end of every day. Management seems oblivious to the problem. When I mention that there isn't enough time to treat the patients in the allotted time my boss says "Why not?" and still thinks we can handle more.. ..I don't even know what to say to that.

How do other Wound Care Clinics effectively schedule patients? Do you schedule with anticipation of debridement? How much time do you allow for compression wraps/ NPWT/ Grafts? Do you have new patients fill out paperwork before they come in or at time of visit - in the lobby or once in the pt room? Once the schedule is full do you turn away patients? How many RN's per MD? Do you assign roles to the RN's every day (room pts, pre-treatment prep, case mgr who stays with Doc, dressing/discharge nurse)?

There has to be a better way to manage the schedule without continuing to compromise patient care. Any suggestions would be appreciated. The more specific the better.

[JZ_RN]

We aren't a wound care clinic but we set up our schedule with specific slots for specific needs. Patients who are new get a longer slot (and others can't be scheduled in that slot unless it's an emergency, it does limit appointments for some patients but keeps things from being ridiculous). Patients who don't speak English and require interpreters have to be scheduled in a non-english spot. They get some more time. Patients who have specific needs (short visit for maybe one immunization or long visit for a pap smear or STD test or new pregnancy, social work consult, etc) get specific slots. It is a little extra work scheduling but makes the day go by so much better.

[JZ_RN]

I am the only RN for 8 MD/NPs and there are MAs and LPNs but I handle most things it seems. I don't room patients unless it's something triaged or the MAs are all off or something weird happens.

[PTKChic]

The doc I work with works at a wound care clinic and states that she has several nurses working with her. I believe that also have fifteen minute appointments, but an entire team is working on one patient per visit.

[SHGR, MSN, RN, CNS]

We have long (30 min) and short (15 min) apps for providers. All nurse/MA visits are 30. Sounds like your situation is very frustrating. There are some clinic practice management journals that might have resources for you, but it seems unlikely that your office will change without support of management. Or if something really bad happens.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

Why not just say to her what you said here. It would be a start.

[FrustratedRN33]

Is this still happening ?