ABSTRACT
Changing healthcare trends are affecting all healthcare providers today, including those at Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital. Computerizing the interdisciplinary documentation of patient information was one change Hillside's leaders implemented to remain competitive and cost-effective. The benefits of moving from a handwritten documentation system to a computerized system were many. However, unforeseen difficulties with retrieving data became evident because the system was not developed to accommodate information about patient education. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, staff identified areas for improvement and made changes to the documentation process. They developed a "traveling card" for documenting patient education and then met a new set of challenges. The new documentation system met departmental and Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations requirements for comprehensive patient education and documentation.
Subject(s)
Cooperative Behavior , Documentation , Medical Records Systems, Computerized , Patient Care Team/organization & administration , Patient Education as Topic , Rehabilitation Centers , Forms and Records Control , Humans , Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare OrganizationsABSTRACT
Although relocation stress syndrome (RSS) is not a diagnosis that is unique to rehabilitation patients, it is important for nurses practicing in rehabilitation environments to be knowledgeable about this phenomenon. Rehabilitation patients are at high risk for RSS. Nursing care planning should incorporate interventions that aim to prevent or reduce RSS. While various relocations are inherent in the rehabilitation process, emphasis should be placed on predictability of care and on patients and families having as much control over decision making as possible. The authors describe how appropriate assessment and management of RSS can facilitate smoother transitions throughout the rehabilitation process and permit a stronger focus on rehabilitation therapies and on patient and family teaching.
Subject(s)
Health Facility Moving , Patient Transfer , Rehabilitation/nursing , Continuity of Patient Care , Humans , Patient Care Planning , Patient Discharge , Total Quality ManagementABSTRACT
Administrative articles addressing hospital mergers, renovations, and unit or departmental relocations can be found in nursing and healthcare literature. However, there is a paucity of information regarding the patients' needs, both before and after relocation, especially the integration of these needs in a comprehensive relocation plan. The authors present a successfully implemented relocation plan, highlighting the need for awareness of relocation stress syndrome.