O C T O B E R 2 0 2 0
• O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y . N E T • 9
P
atients often sit nervously in
the reception area as they wait
to hear their name loudly called
when it's time to get prepped for sur-
gery. To take some of the stress out of
the nerve-racking time, we mapped and
labeled each chair in our facility's atri-
um. When patients check in, the front
desk worker notes in their file where
they're sitting. That way, when it's time
to bring patients back for surgery, nurs-
es can go right up to them, quietly intro-
duce themselves and walk them back to
the pre-op area. The personal greetings
set the tone for a positive and caring
experience with us.
Bill Willis, RN
Vance Thompson Vision
Sioux Falls, S.D.
bill.willis@vancethompsonvision.com
P
atients are informed
before and after surgery
about the amount of
post-op pain they're likely to
experience. To complement
those important discussions, we
created visual aids for the proce-
dures we perform that clearly
outline the anatomy of the affect-
ed area of the body. The photos
and diagrams provide useful
information that connects the
dots to the verbal pre- and post-
op instructions patients
receive and set the stage
for realistic expectations of
how much pain they'll feel
after procedures. The visu-
al aids have also helped to
increased the level of satis-
faction they feel with the
care we provide.
Adam Johnson, BSN, RN
AUA Surgical Center
Amarillo, Texas
ajohnson@amarillourology.com
VISUAL CUES AUA Surgical Center uses diagrams to accent
the verbal pre- and post-op instructions given to patients.
SHOW AND TELL
Pictures Help Set Expectations About Post-op Pain
Adam
Johnson
FIRST IMPRESSION
Discreet Greetings Put Patients at Ease
ASSIGNED SEATS Each chair in the waiting area at Vance Thompson Vision is labeled, so staff can easily
identify patients who are next in line.
Bill
Willis,
RN
