Norwich Community Nurse is on the go so that you will be in the know, (a day in the life of Kathy Watson RN, BSN.)

She is providing a great service to the community

Good afternoon Norwich and Upper Valley residents

I recently asked Kathy Watson if she would be willing to share a day in her life as the Norwich Community Nurse. I felt it was important for the community to know about the services that are offered. Community Nurse contact info is at the end of the story.

I met Kathy at the Norwich Inn library to discuss the Community Nurse program available to Norwich residents.

We met here as she is in the process of relocating her office/work area. Beginning on June 5, 2023 you will be able to meet with her on Mondays in the community room of the Norwich Public Library on 368 Main Street in Norwich. Her hours of availability there will be from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. Watch out for the library newsletter which will provide additional information. It will be posted on Norwich listserv as well. 

Please read the story below for additional info and hours.

A nice photo by the fountain but no time to rest

Here is what a typical day in Kathy’s life is like in her own words.

A day in the life of the Norwich Community Nurse (NCN):

The day of the NCN begins with listening to voicemails, returning phone calls, answering emails, calling patients to confirm appointment times for visiting, and communicating with physicians and care managers.  Then the nurse is on the road to make visits.  Home or hospital visits consist of follow up visits, new referrals, delivering essential items, providing advance directive information and materials, coordinating discharge plans with case managers at the hospitals, assisting community members with making appointments with their physicians and assisting with finding a primary care provider who is accepting new patients.  

Each day is a different day.  Hours are limited so prioritization is important.  Keeping a calendar helps with organization of patient visits and tasks. While documenting each visit should, ideally, be done during the visit,  most documentation is done at home or during office hours due to difficulties accessing internet connectivity. 

The best part of the busy day is listening to the life stories: hearing where people have been, what is important to them, their impacts and accomplishments, the love for their families, and meeting their support people.  Those that live alone and have no family really need to tell their stories.  The community nurse is a great listener, a skill that is so important in the life of the Norwich Community Nurse. 

To reach the Norwich Community Nurse, please call 1-802-281-2722 or email NorwichNurseVT@gmail.com.  Please remember the email is not confidential but is great for requesting a return call or providing general information for the nurse. 

Warm regards,

Kathy Watson, RN, BSN

Here is her contact info:

Kathy Watson, RN, BSN

Norwich Community Nurse

NorwichNurseVT@gmail.com

1-802-281-2722

Hours: Mondays and Thursdays 9:00 AM-!:00 PM 

Thanks for reading and supporting my newsletter “About Norwich”

‌