Why Postacute Care?

When people talk about the nursing profession, working in a hospital is typically what comes to mind. However, nurses are needed in a variety of places outside of a hospital setting. For instance, one rewarding career is in a postacute setting. Patients who require postacute care have a variety of needs, ranging from short-term rehabilitation to long-term skilled care. At SunBridge, 85 percent of our residents transfer to a lesser level of care, quite often transitioning from the hospital back to their communities.

As a result, working in postacute care has a variety of advantages over working in a hospital setting:

• You deal with a variety of illnesses and issues that you would not necessarily experience in other settings.
• Because of the recovery period, you have the opportunity to see your patients improve on a daily basis and gain greater independence. This approach also allows you to develop ongoing relationships with them as you care for both their emotional and physical needs.
• Because each patient has unique needs, you are encouraged to develop strong assessment and critical thinking skills.
• You become part of a team on a long-term basis with peers, such as physical, speech and occupational therapists, for total care of each patient.
• Every day, you can take pride in knowing that you are having a positive effect on the quality of life of your patients and residents who are suffering from a variety of ailments.