Most people think “oh Pre-Admissions…all those nurses do down there is sign consents with the patients and tell them when and where…” Well this is a scenario explaining what Pre-Admissions really does.
Lisa Lindstrom is an RN working in Pre-Admit and she is a very caring and compassionate nurse. In the short time she spends with the patients she develops the rapport one would have with one’s own family. The patients are made to feel special and they just love her. Well Lisa, came to me one day with the following scenario and I was just amazed at how she took the time to puzzle through the issues and potentially stop an enormous error from happening. Who knows what would have happened had she not been paying attention to detail.
Monday – patient comes in for preop visit and while he is in lab there is a discrepancy between the MD order and the schedule. Lisa visits him in the lab and asks what surgery he is scheduled for. He states Prostatectomy. She called the OR to notify the MD office to make the appropriate corrections. She explained to the patient the discrepancy and let him know we are calling the doctor to get it resolved and will await until the order is correct before his consent will be completed. No call back from MD office before patient leaves and he asked to be called once the MD had called her. No word by the end of the day.
Tuesday – MD office called back and confirmed that the surgery was for excision of malignant cells on abdominal wall and not a prostatectomy. Lisa was uneasy so she called the MD back and spoke to someone in his office because the patient was definite he was having a prostatectomy and the scans he had of the other areas were clear with no indication for the other surgery. MD office insisted that the surgery was of the abdominal wall and not prostatectomy. Lisa called the patient and told him about the conversation with the MD office and insisted he call his MD to discuss the new procedure. Pt agreed.
Thursday (Lisa off Wed.) – patient called Lisa and stated he had talked to the MD and he was in fact having the prostatectomy. There had been 2 patients in the MD office with the same name and both were having procedures done. The necessary changes were made to correct the schedule.
This is an excellent example of attention to details… this meant so much to the patient, that Lisa took the time to puzzle through why the patient’ knowledge of the procedure and the physician orders were different and she was not willing to accept that the patient just didn’t know. This had a positive outcome for the patient, the physician, and the hospital.
Thank you Lisa for caring so much.