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Free PDF · Bedside Checklist

What to Have Ready Before Calling

A bedside-friendly provider-call checklist for LTC, SNF, rehab, assisted living, memory care, and night-shift nursing workflow.

You don't need perfect wording. You need organized information.

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Provider Call Checklist

Resident name, room, code status
Baseline vs current (mental, vitals)
What changed + when noticed
Recent meds, labs, abx history
Anticoagulants flagged
Allergies & PCP on file
Your specific ask
Tip: pull up the MAR + last 24h VS before dialing.

Because your brain blanks under pressure sometimes.

Provider calls move fast — especially during night shift, change in condition, falls, respiratory concerns, and stressful bedside moments. This checklist helps organize the details providers ask for most before you pick up the phone.

Night shift ready
Bedside workflow
Real LTC/SNF scenarios
What's inside

Five scenarios you'll actually use this week.

Each section organizes what providers ask, what to gather, and what nurses most often forget under pressure.

Altered Mental Status (AMS)

Providers commonly ask

  • Baseline mental status
  • When change was first noticed
  • Recent meds, infections, glucose

Gather before calling

  • VS + glucose
  • Last UA / abx history
  • Pupil & neuro check

Commonly forgotten

  • Documenting exact baseline
  • Asking family about subtle changes
Bedside reminder · Compare to last shift's note — not last week's.

Fall with Neuro Changes

Providers commonly ask

  • Witnessed or unwitnessed?
  • Anticoagulants on board?
  • LOC, pupils, focal deficits

Gather before calling

  • Head-to-toe skin check
  • Neuro VS x3
  • Med list with anticoagulants flagged

Commonly forgotten

  • Time of last neuro check
  • Whether resident hit head
Bedside reminder · Note exact position found — providers always ask.

Respiratory Distress

Providers commonly ask

  • SpO2 on RA vs O2
  • Lung sounds bilateral
  • Recent weight changes

Gather before calling

  • RR trend over shift
  • Productive cough?
  • Last CXR / BNP

Commonly forgotten

  • Trending O2 sat over time
  • Position when symptoms started
Bedside reminder · Sit them up before you call — buys you a clearer assessment.

Wound Drainage / Skin Concern

Providers commonly ask

  • Stage, size, location
  • Drainage type & amount
  • Periwound appearance

Gather before calling

  • Last dressing change
  • Current wound orders
  • Temp + WBC if recent

Commonly forgotten

  • Measuring before calling
  • Photo per facility policy
Bedside reminder · Have the current treatment order pulled up on screen.

Fever / Possible Infection

Providers commonly ask

  • Temp trend, not just current
  • Source symptoms (UTI, resp, wound)
  • Last antibiotic course

Gather before calling

  • Full VS set
  • Recent labs / cultures
  • Code status

Commonly forgotten

  • Asking about chills or rigors
  • Checking recent abx end date
Bedside reminder · A single temp is data. A trend is a story.

Built for the nurses living this workflow.

Long-term care realities, not hospital theory.

LTC nursesSNF nursesRehab nursesAssisted living nursesMemory care nursesNight shift nursesNewer nurses building call confidence
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Less overthinking. More confident calls.

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When your brain blanks, start with structure.

SBAR On Demand helps nurses organize provider communication, documentation workflow, and stressful bedside moments with calm, structured support designed around real nursing workflow.

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