Claire provides a very important service to our patients. She is always pleasant and professional in her interactions with patients and other staff members. Many of the colorectal surgery patients have a colostomy, ileostomy, or surgical wound that requires their care. Studies have shown that for new ileostomy or colostomy patients, outcomes are better if they are seen by WOCN before discharge.
We had a patient who had surgery for rectal cancer over the Christmas holiday and was ready for discharge the week of the New Year holiday. Claire was on vacation this week. The other WOCN was ill and had to call in sick. The nursing staff on SIMCU completed the patient home-going instructions but they were very anxious about going home. We had told them that they would be seen by the WOCN prior to discharge. It turned out that Claire was at home and when she heard about the patient situation she came in on her day off, during her vacation to see this patient. This is a true example of providing excellent customer service. The standard of care for these patients is that every new ostomy patient should be seen by a WOCN during their hospital stay. By providing quality care that is evidence based, Claire plays a key role in improving patient outcomes.
We were so thankful for Claire on this day, but in reality this is an example of how Claire provides excellent customer service on a daily basis.