Care Coordination | Nursing and Rehabilitation Professionals
Rehabilitation is an important process after surgery or injury that involves many different healthcare professionals. At Santé, we recognize how critical it is to have a strong connection between nursing and rehabilitation center professionals to ensure a proper recovery.
Of course, the main purpose of a rehabilitation center is to prepare patients to return home. Physical and occupational therapists work together in this effort. As part of this process, the nursing staff also coordinates the details of planning services and patient care.
Care coordination is not new to nurses. It is an essential part of nursing and requires strong clinical skills, good judgment, and the ability to collaborate with many other disciplines. In short, nurses act as the patient’s advocate. Nurses who coordinate care must take into account the patient’s needs, the treatment goals, the availability of resources (which includes human, material and financial resources as well as time constraints) and the demands of regulatory agencies and insurance or government payers.
The first step in the process of care coordination is to establish specific, time-limited goals. For example, a person who has had a total knee joint replaced would need to be able to walk with the aid of crutches or a walker. To achieve that goal, the patient must learn how to transfer from bed to wheelchair or to sit down without bending the knee too much. Physical therapy is an important part of rehabilitation, but the nurses must reinforce good body mechanics or supervise some of the activities. The nursing staff will also assure the patient receives basic care such as hygiene, monitor nutrition and fluid intake, and prevent problems such as infection.
Care coordination means patients are more comfortable. Costs go down because resources are used wisely, and patient care goals are met. At Santé, we rely heavily on the nursing staff to coordinate care for the benefit of our patients.
For more information on how our nursing and rehabilitation specialists can help you or a family member, contact us at Santé. We are happy to answer your questions and to provide you with details of the rehabilitation process.
