Organizing Patient Care
Your job is to fill in the Staffing Table below or at least describe what assignments each person will have during the day shift today.
This is normally Mary’s job, but you are helping her out since she will probably be pretty busy today. The charge nurse usually only takes one or two patients along with the rest of their duties, but since she will be with a new grad and an LPN, you are anticipating that she will be busy. Is her being busy sound like a reasonable projection?
Sample Solution
Sample Staffing Table for a Day Shift
| Staff Member | Assignment | |---|---|---| | RN1 (charge nurse) | Oversees the care of all patients on the unit, provides care to 1-2 patients, assists the new grad and LPN | | RN2 (new grad) | Provides care to 4-5 patients, receives assistance from the charge nurse and LPN as needed | | LPN | Provides care to 5-6 patients, receives assistance from the charge nurse and RN2 as needed |
Full Answer Section
Rationale The charge nurse is typically responsible for overseeing the care of all patients on the unit, as well as providing care to 1-2 patients themselves. However, since the charge nurse will be training a new grad and LPN on this particular day, it is reasonable to expect that they will be busier than usual. Therefore, it is important to assign the charge nurse a lighter patient load so that they can focus on their training responsibilities. The new grad and LPN will each be assigned a higher patient load, but they will have the support of the charge nurse and RN2 as needed. This will ensure that all patients receive the care they need, even though the charge nurse will be busy. Additional Considerations When assigning patients, it is important to consider the following factors:- Patient acuity: Some patients are more complex and require more care than others. It is important to assign these patients to the RNs, who have the most experience and training.
- Patient needs: Some patients may have special needs, such as wound care or pain management. It is important to assign these patients to staff members who have the skills and experience to meet their needs.
- Staff experience: It is important to consider the experience level of each staff member when assigning patients. New grads and LPNs should be assigned less complex patients, while RNs with more experience can be assigned more complex patients.