Hi, I was just wondering what the duties of an nurse's aide would be in an Ambulatory surgery department? Would it include prep and post-care, or just post-care? And also, what duties would specifically be included pre and post-op? Thanks! Also, are ambulatory care department open only on days, or evenings as well?

Where I work, in surgical services in a 20-bed hospital with 3 ORs, we currently don't have aides in our outpatient department. We do a lot of outpatient/ambulatory surgeries and used to have an aide, but budget cuts did away with that position.

When we had an aide, she would do preop vitals, postop vitals, help patients dress after surgery, clean/make beds, wheel patients out to their vehicles, etc. It was a great help because we often times get slammed and could really use an extra hand. On busy days, we are usually admitting and discharging the scope patients also, and that can make for a lot of patients.

Most ambulatory surgery centers are only open Monday-Friday, day shift. I am sure there are a few open on weekends and evenings, but most are not. We do ambulatory surgeries Monday-Friday only.

Jaimee

Change the linens and clean the stretchers, take pts. down to the lobby in a wheelchair after discharge, help pts. to the restroom.

The ASU at my hospital requires that all pre-op and post-op pts' vitals are done by nurses.

I guess I should rephrase what I said about our aide taking vitals pre and post op. The aide can hook them up to the machine and record preop vitals. Postop, they hook them up, but the nurse is responsible for recording all vitals.

Jaimee