pre-op screening ....

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I will starting a new job soon. Pro-op screening for same day surgery, It's mostly all phone based.

What questions do the nurses ask?

What important things do I need to know?

It doesn't seem like there is a lot of resources available on the job. So if anyone has any information it would be greatly appreciated.

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I hate to assume....but I do assume you will be given an orientation?

Where I have worked there is a nursing assessment list with yes/no answers. I assume you will have something like this to go by? After you have asked the health history questions you tell them when to stop eating and drinking, what time to check in, that they must have a ride home, etc.

Where I have worked there are key points in their physical/medical history that if answered "yes" then that patient's chart, history, whatever you have, has to be approved by anesthesia prior to the patient actually coming in for surgery.

But all of this must be, should be, has to be, gone over with you in some kind of orientation?

I'm making this brief, there is more to it, but that is the basics.

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Someone is suppose to help me go over things. I just like to be prepared even before. Also I believe they are short so they might try and cut my orientation short if i seem to be getting the swing of things.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

There's usually a checklist that needs completed, whether paper or EHR. There will be guidance of some type. I just wouldn't count on answers from a message board to give you the accurate information for your facility.

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In addition to the pre-op questionaire, there may be some sort of pre-operative testing grid that shows which diagnostic tests are recommended with certain conditions. Examples of a grid include; if the answer is yes to diabetes it may be recommend that the patient have recent bloodwork for lytes, urea, creatinine and blood glucose, if the answer is yes to use of anticoagulents it may recommend that they have, CBC, INR/PT etc.

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I did this job for couple years. You will likely have a questionnaires / database you fill out, then guidelines to provide the patient instructions (ie no solids after midnight, clears til 4 hours before, don't wear make up, jewelry, or nail polish, no chewing gum or hard candy. Arrive at x time for surgery at x time). It's all pretty straight forward as long as you have guidelines to follow.

what to know are medications contraindicated with anesthesia (this should be in your guidelines), normal testing results and when a test needs to be reviewed by anesthesia. If you are at freestanding facility there will be some patients who will have conditions making them high risk, know what those are because it usually necessitates a change in venue to a hospital.

Be be familiar with the surgical process used, it makes some patients feel better to know exactly what's coming. If you deal with pedi patients it's good to be able to tell mom /dad what to expect (kids can wake up hard sometimes and it's better to be prepared).

Patients can can put up quite a fuss if you tell them they can't wear makeup or need to remove nail polish, so be ready to be firm. And get to know your anesthesiologist a a little.

good luck.

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I work a busy free standing surgery clinic. The pre-op screening nurses are fast, efficient, etc., but even they know to tell the charge nurse...I have 40 calls to make for tomorrow, I cannot get through them all with out overtime. I will need some help. Every nurse who works there, whether pre-op admit or PACU recovery, knows how to do the screening calls and can make a few when they have some down time.

Don't be hesitant about asking for help.

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