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Medical-Surgical Nursing

Summary

Medical-Surgical NursingSummary

36.1 Home Health Care

  • Home health nurses serve an invaluable function within health-care systems, acting as intermediary communication channels between health-care providers, such as physicians and therapists, and patients.
  • Home health nurses conduct in-person home visits, which can involve a lot of planning. There are a number of steps nurses should take to prepare for their visit.

36.2 Rehabilitative Care

  • Rehabilitation nurses are one part of a larger team of rehabilitation specialists, which can include occupational therapists, SLPs, and PTs, among many others.
  • Therapy plays an essential part in helping restore functional independence for patients, improving quality of life and supporting return to normal ADLs. Rehabilitation nurses provide expert, patient-centered care that covers physical, emotional, and psychological well-being.
  • The role of the rehabilitation nurse is to manage complex medical conditions, therapeutic interventions, and coordination of care to produce improved patient outcomes, reduced hospital readmission rates, and an easier transition back home or to community-based settings.
  • There are several different specialties within the rehabilitation nursing field. A rehabilitation nurse may specialize in stroke recovery, spinal cord rehabilitation, cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, or many other areas.
  • Being able to assess patients for functional ability is a critical part of being able to move forward with care plans. Nurses should be able to accurately evaluate their patients in their ability to complete ADLs and IADLs.

36.3 Additional Care Settings in the Community

  • Community health nurses may work in a variety of settings, including hospice centers, ambulatory and outpatient centers, work environments, and schools. They play vital roles in assuring the well-being and health of various populations.
  • Nurses may also work extensively with people who are experiencing homelessness, extending far beyond traditional health-care facilities to bring essential services directly into communities across the country.

36.4 Transition and Continuity of Care

  • Discharge planning involves coordination and communication between health-care providers to meet patients’ needs during times of transition.
  • Nurse case managers play an invaluable role in providing continuity of care by serving as liaisons between various health-care professionals and patients.
  • By collaborating with the rest of the health-care team, nurses play an invaluable role in maintaining continuity of care while enhancing the overall experience of care delivery for each of their patients.
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