give up when they come in
for surgery is control and
it's a scary thing. Giving
them that control back by
informing them is the key
to ensuring success with
their recovery."
The patients also receive
education about what to
watch out for when they
are home after surgery. For
example, some patients are
sent home with a chest
tube after thoracic surgery.
The handbook details how
patients should care for the
site and how to handle cer-
tain situations that may
arise such as the tube
falling out or becoming dis-
connected.
"We try to give patients all the information they need to prevent
them from being readmitted after a procedure," explains Ms.
Sarosiek. "And if there is something they're not sure of, they
always have the handbook that they can go back and reference."
Pain management
Patients are educated on pain management as well. The goal here is to
make sure patients know what to expect after surgery and what they
will be able to do in the days following discharge. It is made clear that
1 2 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 • J U N E 2 0 1 8
• GET MOVING Patients who ambulate sooner are in less pain — and
need less pain medicine.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR
