All Things Hospice
This opioid is commonly used to manage dyspnea, not just pain.
Morphine.
A caller is concerned about the appearance of a wound. What questions would you ask in your assessment? What are you assessing for?
Questions targeted to assess for s/s of infection.
True or False: Once you assign an activity to Chase, your responsibility for the escalation is complete.
True.
When documening a temperature, what should you always include?
The route.
This change in breathing (or breathing pattern) may include periods of apnea near the end of life.
Cheyne-Stokes breathing.
A home health patient suddenly develops facial drooping, slurred speech, and weakness on one side, OR chest pain with shortness of breath. What is your immediate recommendation?
Call 911.
What should you always do in your wrap-up documentation? What is important to include?
Be clear about the expectations, especially when the follow-up is expected to occur: today or tmrw.
If a caller reports high or low BP, HR, or blood sugar, what is the first thing you should have them do? Then what should you assess next?
Recheck the reading while on the phone. Assess if they are symptomatic.
When you are trying to assess if a pt is near EOL, what is the best question to ask?
How has the pt been doing with food and fluid intake over the last several days?
List at least 5 oxygen concentrator troubleshooting steps. Do you know all 7?
Provide 5-7.
Introduce both by name, introduce the nurse as a nurse, and let the caller know you told the nurse what was going on already.
A caller reports the pt is agitated. What should you be assessing for? What can cause these symptoms?
EOL agitation, UTI, constipation, pain, annoying family.
What should you do when a caller reports that they just administered a comfort medication a few minutes ago and it isn't working?
Ask for the details of the medication administered and the time given, and offer education regarding the onset of effectiveness. Offer a callback per P&P to check on the pt after the allotted time for the med to take effect.
Is it unclamped? Try repositioning the arm outward, on head, turn head, cough. When was it last used? Was it flushed with heparin? How often are abx administered? Where is the line located?
Which clients do we NOT escalate to chase?
PACE, The Springs, Healix, HopeHealth, VNS, CareChoices. (We are now sending LHC to chase.)
What should always be included when documenting medications?
What is something you can say on a call to provide encouragement or reassurance to the caller/family?
Various answers.
Uh oh! The foley isn't draining. What is your first question? And then what are 4 basic troubleshooting steps?
Is it still inserted?
Verify it has no kinks/clamps, is hanging to gravity, attempt repositioning, and verify the bag is not air-locked.
What are the 5 RIGHTS of correct escalations?
Right time of day.
Right day of week.
Right person/assignment/area.
Right method (SM, task, call).
Right follow-through (try again in xyz time, send to chase).
When documenting a lab result(s), what information is important to gather?
The date and time of the draw, along with the result and confirmation with a verbal readback.