How to Make Sure That Nurse Shift Changes Are Flawless for 24-Hour Nursing Care

For family members who have in-home nursing care, the care is often split between several different caregivers. In order to make sure that your relative receives the best care possible, you need to make sure that nursing shift changes are done to perfection. If your relative has two or more nurses that come to perform in-home care, here are some safety measures to enact to make sure that nursing shift changes are flawless. 

Have an on-call extra

One of the things that could potentially go wrong and leave your family member without nursing care is one of the nurses calling in sick. Sick calls happen, and when they do, you will need to have a backup plan. Have a nurse who is on call for each of the shifts that can be called in to help take care of your family member. One of the easiest ways to have an on-call nurse is to have a company that you can call who dispatches nurses. This way if a nurse calls out before their shift, they can be replaced before the prior shift ends. 

Create notation sheets that must be filled out

Before each nurse leaves for the day, they should be asked to fill out a sheet with notes. The notations should include your relative's temperament, what activities were done throughout the shift, and when their medication was given to them. The next nurse who comes in should have to sign the bottom of the first sheet indicating that they read the notes from the prior nurse. This will help stop potential problems, such as the patient being given a double dose of medication. The nurse will also get a feel for how the patient is doing and can adjust their caregiving efforts to help meet the patient's daily need. 

Have a 30-minute overlap in shifts

A shift overlap before the nursing care changes is a wonderful idea that helps the nurse and the patients. If the nurse forgot to write down any notes, they may remember to give pertinent information to the next nurse through conversation. If the patient needs help getting into the shower, having two nurses to help each other with any heavy lifting will be beneficial. An overlap in the shifts will also allow one nurse to run out and do any necessary errands, such as pick up medication or get food for the nurses, before only one person is left in charge of the rest of the shift.

If you are interested in getting 24-hour nursing care or if you have questions about it works, contact a medical professional.