LIVING WELL Magazine

SENIOR Magazine – Nursing Excellence – One Key to Great Outcomes at Twin Creeks Hospital

Collin SENIOR Magazine

Nursing Excellence – One Key to Great Outcomes at Twin Creeks Hospital

By: Larry Rice, RN, BSN, Twin Creeks Hospital

So you are in the hospital. Perhaps you had a stroke, or perhaps you fell and broke a hip. If you had a stroke you may have extreme weakness on one side of your body. You may have facial droop, difficulty swallowing or even talking. If you broke your hip, you underwent surgery to repair or replace the hip joint. Now that your medical condition has been stabilized, what will be the next step towards recovery?

Inpatient acute rehabilitation hospitals were created especially for people who have had a stroke or suffered a broken hip. The medical personal in inpatient acute rehabilitation facilities treat people who have suffered from a variety of disease and illness processes. So once a patient is ready to make that next step in recovery, a great choice would be an inpatient acute rehabilitation hospital like Twin Creeks Hospital in Allen, Texas.

Twin Creeks Hospital is staffed with MDs who specialize in physical medicine and rehabilitation, physical, occupational and speech therapists and rehabilitation nurses. MDs with other specialties are available for consultation as well. The primary job of the entire staff is to help patients achieve their highest functional level possible.

Nursing has a major role in providing care while in the hospital. Many nurses specialize in a certain field of medical care. One of those areas of specialty is rehabilitation nursing. Twin Creeks Hospital located in Allen, Texas is an inpatient acute rehabilitation hospital. The focus of the staff at Twin Creeks Hospital is to achieve the highest possible outcomes for their patients. In order to accomplish this goal Beth Hudson, the Chief Nursing Officer staffs Twin Creeks Hospital with the best nurses she can find. “We are fortunate here at Twin Creeks to have four full-time nurses and one part-time nurse who are Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurses (CRRN),” stated Ms Hudson.

Precisely what is a CRRN? The Association for Rehabilitation Nursing defines the Rehabilitation Staff Nurse role as a teacher, caregiver, collaborator and client advocate. The Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse has studied and focused his or her practice on these specific areas to provide the best practice for the patients serviced. Following are the general responsibilities of the rehabilitation staff nurse:

Specialized knowledge and clinical skills to provide care for people with physical disabilities and chronic illnesses.

Coordinates with all disciplines involved with the patient care for effective education and discharge planning. This coordination is crucial to the recovery of the patient. The rehabilitation staff nurse continues to guide and encourage the patient in all techniques taught by the therapists after the therapy team has left for the day.

Performs hands-on nursing care, working with all the continued medical issues these patients battle daily.

Provides specialized education within the realm of the physical disability or chronic illness that aids in the recovery of the patient, working toward a discharge for home to be with family. The rehabilitation nurse is the patient advocate, striving to find the most effective, efficient ways for patients and families to succeed at home.

So there you have it. The CRRN takes the holistic approach when providing patient care, keeping in mind the goal for the patient is to return home and be able to function as independently and safely as possible. So when you are looking for inpatient acute rehabilitation after disease or illness remember Twin Creeks Hospital in Allen, Texas, where the nurses not only care, but have the expertise you require. For more information about Twin Creeks Hospital please contact Rick Tichenor at 972-908-2000. Or better yet stop by for a tour of the hospital.