which increases the likelihood that precancerous polyps will be spot-
ted during their screenings. It also eliminates the need for patients to
take time off from work to visit their gastroenterologists for a basic a
pre-procedure health check and bowel prep instructions.
Many of the patients who are fast-tracked to procedure rooms don't
have any comorbidities, aren't on medications and see their primary
care doctors once a year, so the hospital's team makes it easy for
them to schedule and undergo colonoscopies.
"Patients who need to get screened are professionals with full-time
jobs," says Meghan Alquraishi, BSN, CMS, RN, an endoscopy nurse at
Advocate Good Samaritan. "They want to get in, have their screening
done and get on with their lives. We're very sensitive to working
around their schedule and respecting their time."
Added benefits
The program also provides patients with several other advantages,
including:
• Personal connection. Nurses establish relationships with
patients before they arrive for screenings. That means patients show
up with higher quality bowel preps, are less concerned about the
sedation they'll receive and are generally more satisfied with the
entire process.
• Streamlined care. Nurses work in tandem in the pre-procedure
area. One nurse interacts with the patient, starts the IV, measures vital
signs and gets the consent form signed, while the other enters clinical
and patient information into the electronic medical record.
The endoscopy team also created a communication sheet that's
placed on top of patients' charts. Prep nurses jot down notes about
the patient's condition that the procedure room nurse should know
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