out there in the community.
Inside each Bear Bag is a two-pocket folder that includes the dis-
charge papers, prescriptions, date and time of follow-up appoint-
ments, and a survey card that encourages patients (or their parents)
to take a short online survey with a chance to win an iPad Mini. The
RN discharging the patient can also place an emesis basin, dressing
supplies, snacks and a stuffed animal in the bag.
A Children's Mercy nurse sparked the idea. She remembered how diffi-
cult it was to leave a hospital with the discharge instructions and med-
ications while trying to carry her child to the car. Always looking for
ways to improve the patient experience, nurses at the hospital devel-
oped "The Bear Bag" project.
"We decided a bag that would keep everything in place would be so
wonderful for our parents and families," says Gentry Ehlert, BSN,
RN, CNOR, assistant director of nursing and the operating room at
Children's Mercy. "And a bag that was reusable for children after
their visit would help improve our marketing."
The hospital has given out more than 11,000 Bear Bags. In addition
to keeping all the discharge information in one place, the backpacks
are a hit. Kids have taken the bags to school and on camping trips.
One Bear Bag was even spotted at a Kansas City Royals baseball
game.
"The nurses love seeing how excited the children are when they get
the bags," says Ms. Ehlert.
2. Don't overlook the patient's family
Don't forget about the patient's family while their loved one is in the
OR.
"The OR is such an isolated place from the layman's experience and
the truth is that family members, when they're in the waiting room,
6 2 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • A U G U S T 2 0 1 8
