Day In the Life of a Consultant
In healthcare, there must be teamwork. All departments have their specific responsibilities and when everyone does their part, it is wonderful. The day I’m sharing with you starts out with MDH entering the building of LTC, first thing in the morning. A hot summer morning. Raining with thunder and lightning, which happened to blow one of the LTC electrical circuits.
Maintenance: showed up quickly with extension cords for each unit to utilize with the emergency outlets, needed for tube feedings, electrical beds, fans to provide circulation on each unit and each wing, making sure the facility is within emergency preparedness.
Nursing: had increased anxiety due to MDH being in the building. As the nurse manager, I had to not only see to the requests from MDH, but I also had to encourage staff to manage and prioritize which residents needed electricity; air mattresses, tube feeders, IV medications. Nursing assistants worked together to strategically do cares, frequently rounding to provide residents their needs. Being mindful to turn and reposition those with wounds, monitor diabetics, and monitor frequent fallers.
Therapy: helped with moving residents closer to the emergency outlets, frequent rounding on each unit and rooms since call lights were not working. Therapy came up with a plan to get a resident down the stairs safely in a wheelchair so they could get to their dialysis appointment.
Dietary: quickly came up with a plan to feed the residents, to get the food to each unit because of the elevators not working, and to be mindful of all specific diets and allergies.
Therapeutic & Recreation: was so helpful at being mindful of the residents who have a history of being anxious, helping to distract and assure safety while the electricity was out.
With all this happening, MDH stayed to complete their investigation. Staff was pulled in so many directions, having to conceal their anxiety that usual arises when MDH enters, continuing to follow protocols and policies; keeping up with PPE, nursing doing all their checks before giving medications, making sure to keep HIPPA in mind.
MDH included in their report how impressed they were to see such teamwork from all departments. It was truly a memorable day, to have such chaos but it felt as though we were a well-oiled machine; staff was not complaining or making statements such as “that’s not my resident”. Teamwork makes it all possible.
By Nichelle Hall, AHI Nurse Consultant