Inpatient Hospital Care

Acute care nursing encompasses caring for a wide variety of patient populations and diagnoses. After the decision to admit a patient to the hospital is made, acute care patients arrive on the medical / surgical (aka Med/Surg) floor and the admission process begins.

The admitting nurse performs a head-to-toe admission assessment including: skin assessment, cardiopulmonary assessment, medication reconciliation, current living situation and level of independence in activities of daily living, and review of past medical history as applicable. Patients may leave the unit for procedures, surgeries, and tests, but will most often return to their assigned room and nurse, with the exception of patients requiring a higher level of care such as the intensive care unit (ICU). Care continues in acute care through discharge planning until discharge.

Through the course of a patient’s stay here, in collaboration with the care team, a nurse’s primary responsibilities include: patient assessment, medication administration, supervision of assistive caregivers, coordination of care amongst disciplines, reporting changes and concerns to providers (doctors, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants), discharge planning, pain management, and patient education.

A handful of the diagnoses our lead consultant has cared for in this role include: congestive heart failure (CHF), hip fracture, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic kidney disease (CKD), infections, and post-operative care of patients undergoing total hip and knee replacement, mastectomy, and urogynecological surgeries.

RN Experience

Our lead consultant holds certification in the specialty of inpatient obstetric nursing (RNC-OB).

Our experience is in a high risk unit of a hospital with a level 3 NICU, providing care for pregnant patients, newborn (neonatal) patients, and post-partum individuals. Roles include: pregnancy triage, high risk pregnancy (antepartum) nursing, care for patients in labor or undergoing induction of labor, pre-operative, intra-operative, and post-operative care of pregnant women undergoing surgery, and neonatal nurse.

With proficiency in fetal monitoring, the labor and birth process, and neonatal resuscitation, we have cared for patients with: normal vaginal deliveries, cesarean section, postpartum hemorrhage, pre-eclampsia, chorioamnionitis, preterm premature rupture of membranes, and fetal / neonatal demise.

RN Experience

Outpatient medical care for children and adolescents.

Pediatric patients have unique needs. Children may not be able to articulate their health status, complicating assessment. Medication dosages must be adjusted for the patient’s smaller size. From strep throat to a common cold, illness as a child is common. An important duty of pediatric primary care is providing immunization to children to manage communicable disease transmission in the community.

Early identification and intervention for physical, mental, and developmental challenges prepares people for a well-adjusted adulthood.

LPN Experience

Same day treatment for people from infancy through geriatrics.

A wide variety of complaints arrive to urgent care clinics, and not all of them are appropriate for the setting (some being more appropriate to the emergency room). In urgent care, we’ve encountered everything from simple urinary tract infections needing prescriptions for antibiotics to severe head injuries requiring transfer to the emergency department.

During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the urgent care was a frontline setting providing testing, assessment, medications, and guidance during a time of international fear and confusion.

In this setting, we’ve cared for accidental and workplace injuries including: musculoskeletal injuries, burns, lacerations, and motor vehicle collision patients.

LPN Experience

Wheezing, sneezing, hives, and more.

We’ve provided allergy testing and treatment, including blood and skin tests, and immunotherapy (allergy shots). Ranging from mild to moderate environmental allergies to severe food allergies, we’ve an understanding of medications, treatment options, and precautions to improve quality of life and keep patients safe.

Asthma can significantly interfere with daily life, but treatment and education can make this disease more manageable. This specialty helps people breathe easily, quite literally.

LPN Experience

End of life coordination of patient and family needs in whatever setting a patient calls home, including assisted living facilities, personal care homes, and memory care units.

Case management involves following patients over time and coordinating care between disciplines. We’ve coordinated care with home health aids, chaplains, medical social workers, pharmacies, speech and physical therapists, and providers such as medical doctors and nurse practitioners.

Home hospice care provides medical, spiritual, emotional, and social support for patients at the end of life. We’ve cared for patients with diagnoses including lung cancer, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and many more. Wound care including skin tears, lacerations, and bedsores (decubitus or pressure ulcers) is a common duty.

The hospice philosophy understands that death is a natural part of life, and the focus is on improving or maintaining quality of life as long as possible. Hospice care provides holistic care to support a healthy grieving process for the family and peaceful passing. Our final visit is, in most cases, a death visit. It involves pronouncing death when a patient’s heart has stopped beating, supporting the family and caregivers, and arranging funeral home pickup.

RN Experience