A psychiatric home care nurse's greatest patient care challenge ...

[cagreen833]

A psychiatric home care nurse's greatest patient care challenge is:
 
  a. effectively assessing the home care needs of the patient.
  b. documenting care to reflect the skilled service given.
  c. providing all the attention each patient wants.
  d. evaluating family situations accurately.

Question 2

A home-health nurse is working with a poverty-stricken family that has two small children, ages 2 and 3 years. The family lives in an isolated rural area. The family's home has a dirt floor, and there are chickens living in the house with the family.
 
  Because of a recent wind storm, there is a sizeable hole in the roof that lets rain and snow into the house. Which nursing intervention would be the highest priority in this situation?
  A) Make immunization appointments for the children in a nearby town's public health clinic.
  B) Help the family find funding and manpower to patch and repair the roof of their home.
  C) Determine the educational readiness of the two children.
  D) Report the family for child abuse because of neglect.

[lauravaras]

Answer to Question 1

B
Documentation is one of the most challenging requirements of psychiatric home care. If the nurse's documentation does not reflect the skilled service given, the payment for that service can be denied by Medicare or other payers. Few guidelines are available for documentation of psychiatric home care, but standardized coding and classification systems are preferred. The psychiatric home care nurse must be very organized and detail-oriented to successfully manage the extensive and detailed paperwork.

Answer to Question 2

B