Sub-Acute Nursing

While many people in the hospital are there for a serious illness or
life-threatening injury, other people need care around the clock, but
may not have to stay in the hospital. For these people, sub-acute
nurses can be real lifesavers. The job of sub-acute nursing is to help
patients who are suffering from an acute illness or injury and even an
acute chronic condition, but they are not considered to be in need of
acute treatment. In other words, the patient may need a little bit more
intense care than a nursing home or in home care can provide, but not
quite as intense care as would be needed in the ICU area of a hospital.
This is where sub-acute nursing comes in. They are specially trained to
help meet the needs of these types of patients. In most cases, the
elderly fall into this group of people, and some typical patients
include those with certain infections, brain injuries, endocarditis,
and even AIDS in some instances.

Sub-acute
nurses can have several jobs including coordinating the patient’s needs
with their doctor, communicating with family members, taking careful
notes of patient behavior and reactions to certain medications, and
much more. Nurses of this type need to have outstanding clinical
ability and skill, and should typically already have some kind of
experience in an acute care environment. Most nurses with this job
title work in clinics, hospitals in special wings, or even at home in
some cases, but all have a vast knowledge of various treatment types,
and can usually administer emergency care when needed. Extended care is
a large part of sub-acute nursing, so they gain an in
depth knowledge of a particular diseases or illness since they deal
with one patient for a long period of time. This skill is essential to
good nursing and is something that can be used in other facets of the
field as well.