Nurse Visits (POC 8)

Purpose

This policy provides direction on the approval provision of nurse visits under nursing services.

Policy

Definition

1. A nurse visit is a visit to a client’s home by a Registered Nurse for the purpose of administering nursing care to the client.

Eligibility

2. Refer to the Nursing Services (POC 8) policy.

General

3. At this time, nurse visits are to be undertaken only by Registered Nurses, irrespective of the Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) program funding the services, or services which are provided under non-VAC programming.
4. Nursing services provided by VAC are not intended to duplicate or replace provincial services.  Clients are expected to access provincial nursing services first.Authorized nurse visits may be provided in the client’s principal residence.
5. POC 8 nursing visits are not provided to clients in a clinic/hospital facility or a long-term care facility (nursing home).
6. VAC nurse visits are limited to the provision of treatment interventions which generally can be delivered within a two-hour period. A requirement beyond that may be addressed under Veterans Independence Program Health and Support Services.
7. VAC nurse visits do not extend to the provision of acute care/specialized interventions (e.g. short-term post-operative, advanced wound care, central line (IV) in the home.
8. VAC nurse visits may include:
   1. Basic wound care (e.g. routine dressing changes);
   2. Health teaching;
   3. Dialysis;
   4. Catheter and ostomy care;
   5. Medication administration and management;
   6. Interventions to address psychological conditions, including palliation and grief support.
9. VAC nurse visits do not include the provision of personal care.

Approval of Nurse Visits on the Benefit Grid

10. Nurse visits for VAC clients will be approved by the designated decision maker for POC-08 Nursing Services: Visits. (Please refer to Benefit Grids for specifics).
11. The procedures for approval of nurse visits are identified in the related Business Process, POC 8 - Nursing Services: Visits.

References

Veterans Well-being Act , sections 8 -17

Veterans Health Care Regulations, paragraph 4(a), subparagraph 19(a)(i)

Nursing Services (POC 8)

Benefit Grids