I’d been working for the NHS for 17 years when I first started nursing in a care home eight years ago. I thought it would be an easier role. How wrong I was.
Care home nursing staff are knowledgeable and experienced in clinical situations. We can’t heal everyone, but we always consider peoples’ wishes and aim to provide the best care possible in the right setting.
Staff in care homes don’t want to admit people to hospitals for the sake of it. We don’t want to be forced into admitting patients because it’s the “safe” thing to do, or because someone’s fearful of making a mistake.
Trying to avoid hospital admission
There was a time I was caring for a resident who needed to be admitted to hospital. He had a reoccurring condition that meant he needed an urgent scan. I phoned 999 and the ambulance came quickly due to the severity of the situation.
Unfortunately, no one had told us the rules