Long-term Acute nurses are the highest paid nurses. Since they specialize and handle vulnerable patients in an LTAC facility. LTAC patients need specialized treatment and long-term care which means they need nurses who are dedicated to taking care of them until they get well. Travel nursing in Alabama is employing LTAC nurses so they can be assigned to where they are needed since the demand for LTAC nurses is still continuously growing.
Here are the 5 Facts About Long Term Acute Care LTAC Nurses in Alabama
- LTAC nurses’ duties include taking care of their patient’s personal errands and are assigned at-home care.
- LTAC nurses work with doctors and different kinds of therapists.
- LTAC nurses’ hourly pay in Alabama starts at $28.96 and can increase depending on the facility and other factors.
- LTAC nurses should be able to have management skills since they delegate tasks to their fellow nurses when needed.
- LTAC nurses are responsible for patients who have debilitating illnesses and injuries. Their goal is for their patients to regain their ability to live independently once again.
What are LTAC nurses and What Are Their Responsibilities?
LTAC nurses are nurses assigned to long-term care units, from the word long term they long out for patients who have severe conditions that need to be taken care of for a long time. These patients came from intensive care units and were recommended to stay in LTAC units for 20 to 30 days depending on the progress of their conditions. Here are the duties of an LTAC nurse:
Gives Pulmonary Care
Patients in LTAC facilities are often supported with respiratory apparatus, LTAc nurses should be able to handle ventilator weaning, and tracheostomy weaning and can attend to respiratory failure. That’s why they are trained well since they handle such situations.
Skin Care and Wound Management
There are patients in LTAC that have serious wounds who need changing of bandages and application of medications needed on their wounds. The LTAC nurses are responsible for making sure that the wounds are cleaned and dressings are changed regularly to avoid infection.
Administering Medication
Patients in LTAC facilities need medicines and LTAC nurses are responsible for the medications needed for the patients. They are allowed and trained to administer intravenous medication as well as other methods necessary. They also have to verify if the dosages and schedule are correct. Some patients are required to have IV antibiotics and some need transfusions, which are also part of the responsibility of the LTAC nurses.
Emotional Support
LTAC nurses are also trained to handle patients who have experienced trauma. Since some patients are staying in the LTAC facilities who have traumatic experiences and they need to be talked to for them to receive their medications and necessary procedures. As LTAC nurses they should be able to know the right approaches toward the patient.
Implementation of Individualized Treatment Plan
Patients in LTAC units have different cases therefore they have individualized treatment plans created by a medical team. In this medical team, the LTCA nurses are included and they have to be able to implement the treatment for the patient. They have to monitor and report it to the head of the team.
Personal Care
There are elderly patients in LTAC facilities who are unable to do the things necessary in their daily routine and LTAC nurses do this for them. This includes bathing them, assisting them when they have to walk, and other personal care that they can not do for themselves. Since LTAC duties cover homecare then errands for their patients can also be included in their duties.
What is the Demand rate for LTAC Nurses in Alabama?
The demand for LTAC nurses in Alabama is continuously increasing from the start of the pandemic up to now. So nurse staffing agencies are continuously hiring LTCA nurses to fill the gap. Due to the demands, more opportunities are opening for nurses and this has increased the percentage of employed nurses in Alabama. LTAC nurses have skills and knowledge that are needed in taking care of patients who are confined in the LTAC facilities. This means they are not ordinary nurses, that’s why the demands are high because they have specialization to cater to the specific needs of their patients.
Hope these 5 facts about long-term acute care LTAC nurses in Alabama and the information given can enlighten you about LTAC nurses.