Feeling Overwhelmed? Let’s simplify Your Schedule! I can’t tell you how many times hospice nurses reached out to me requesting help to get organized and manage their schedules. In this article, I’ll share 7 tips to help you set up hospice scheduling and visits that work for you and your patients.
Managing hospice schedules and visits can feel like an endless puzzle, especially for new hospice nurses. Why is that? Well, balancing patient care, travel time between patients, and documentation, requires thoughtful planning.
These are my top 7 tips to help you get organized and unlock more time.
Hospice Scheduling Tips
1. Assess Your Case Load
While this seems like the obvious place to start, I’ve seen way too many hospice nurses strike out of the house without a plan only to find themselves pulled in different directions before the day is halfway over.
Start by capturing a birds-eye view of your week. Now ask yourself these questions:
- Are there new patients that have been assigned to me?
- Has anyone required symptom management or PRN visits?
- Who has declined recently and may require more frequent assessments?
- Does anyone need a change in visit frequency or services
- Are there patients who can be grouped geographically to save time?
- Do you have patients who need special visits i.e. recertifications, HHA supervisory visits, etc.
I’m sure you are getting the point, right? Now add any other indicators that you use to plan your day and week.
2. Map Out Your Week for Better Hospice Scheduling
I’ve always been a fan of weekly and daily planners to help me see all of my schedule at once. Tablets and other electronic tools also work well for mapping out your schedule.
If you don’t like any of those ideas, use what works for you. Remember, the whole point is to develop a system that works for you.
Here are some things to think about as you map out your week:
- Block time for routine visits and recertifications
- Note any scheduled meetings such as Interdisciplinary Team (IDG) or staff meetings
- Build in administrative time for documentation and follow-up calls
- Leave room on your schedule for unexpected visits or emergencies
3. Follow a Daily Routine
When I worked on the nursing unit as a new grad, I followed this advice without fail. One of the “seasoned” nurses mentioned that she always leaves her nursing bag with certain items in it in the same location at home every day. She also talked about having the same patterns for reviewing her Kardex and patient assignments. (Those were the good old days!) 😊
Naturally, when I started using this advice, I found that I was more organized and could move through my day and report much faster.
So, I applied this same principle to my hospice schedule planning routine.
Daily Scheduling Tips
These are in no particular order:
- Review patient updates and plan of care
- Plan visits based on proximity and location
- Prepare any supplies you may need (check your trunk stock)
- Call your patients/families to confirm your visit times
RANT ALERT!! 😡Nothing frustrates a family quite like not knowing when their hospice nurse is coming. As a triage nurse, I hear this a lot from patients. It may seem like a burden for you but it can go a long way in reducing the number of interruptions in your day!
4. Prioritize Patient Needs
Keep it simple! Remember, not all patients require the same level of attention or time. Focus on urgent cases then move on to routine check-ins.
Another thing to consider is to avoid leaving the most complicated or talkative visit at the end of the day. If you are behind, it can feel like a herculean feat to dig your way out of it.
5. Use Tools to Stay Organized & Help with Hospice Scheduling
If your agency uses electronic medical records, optimize any scheduling and reminder features they may have.
More importantly, use GPS and navigation apps to help you identify the best travel routes.
When I covered patients who lived in high-traffic areas, this was a lifesaver. I could easily identify areas of construction, accidents, and speed checks.
Personally, I’m a HUGE fan of checklists. I’ve been creating my own checklists since nursing school and continue to develop checklists for all of my important routine tasks. It’s my way of staying on top of my priorities.
It also helps me know when I need to say NO so that I can say YES to the things that matter most.
CHECK IT OUT! If you haven’t checked out my Routine Visit Brain Sheet yet, you can grab yours by clicking on the link below.
6. Plan for Emergencies
Can we be real with each other? You and I both know, that even the best-laid plans can fall apart in hospice!
In my opinion, this is what separates the big dogs from the newbies!
Being prepared for anything and then being flexible enough to handle it is a skill that many experienced nurses possess. If you want to get ahead of the game, then you should always keep emergency supplies and contacts on hand.
Another thing to remember about emergencies and changes is that you need to make sure you communicate with your team.
Scheduling considerations:
- Who is your go-to contact? Is it your supervisor or the administrator?
- What can your scheduler help you with to minimize the calls you have to make?
- Are there certain gas stations or police departments that you need to be aware of?
- Identify your go-to nurse for questions or situations that may arise.
- Program emergency numbers in your phone
- Sync your tablet often so that you don’t miss any visits that have been added to your day
7. Review and Adjust Regularly
Flexibility is essential for hospice nurses. Each day, block a few minutes to evaluate how well the weak went.
Look for ways to improve efficiency and reduce time on the road. One of the ways you can do this is to group patients in proximity to each other. Choose your starting and ending location wisely.
Finally, don’t hesitate to ask for input and insights from your fellow hospice nurses.
It’s ok to seek guidance and support. It’ can be a tough racket when you’re a hospice nurse!
CLOSING THOUGHTS: Hospice Scheduling
Creating an organized hospice schedule takes practice, but the rewards are worth it. With the right tools and a flexible mindset, you can stay ahead of your workload and provide excellent care without feeling overwhelmed. Ready to get started? Explore more tips and resources in our other posts!