Walking Patients to the OR

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Hi Everyone,

Just wondering if anyone out there walks all their patients to the OR from Day Surgery/prep area? We have just started doing this and have run into a few small glitches. How do you handle this. What have been some of your successes? How do the patients feel about this procedure on the whole?

Thanks in advance for all your replys!

Jane :-)

Ontario, Canada

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Specializes in Peri-Op.

We use stretchers to an from the OR. Walking seems strange and risky with any wet areas around from the constant cleaning going on.

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Specializes in Operating Room.

Sometimes kids are walked down, I think to put them at ease and allow them to have a sense of autonomy. And I've seen some bariatric patients walked to the room(with assistance, of course).

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Specializes in OR Hearts 10.

At the last place I worked we brought the stretcher to right outside the room then walked the pt in. It seemed strange at first but now sometimes I kinda miss it. The pts didn't seem to mind. We had a standing stool that had a "rail thingy" attached to help with getting on the bed. It was easier than moving the stretcher in and out of the room which you have to do after the case anyway.

In my current OR almost everyone gets a little versed for the ride to the OR so walking wouldn't be an option.:)

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Specializes in OR.

We walk our patients to the OR unless they have meds on board or they are physically compromised somehow. The patients follow my lead when I tell them to follow me, especially when I have the IV bag and tubing:) Once in awhile they joke/comment about not getting a free ride, but usually it's not even an issue. Once or twice in a few years I have had to explain that we encourage autonomy and independence as much as possible which starts by walking yourself to to OR. That makes sense to people, and I usually don't even have to explain it.

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Specializes in 2 years school nurse, 15 in the OR!.

When I worked in a surgery center we did it all the time. Patients didn't seem to mind. It was a SUPER short walk though. Now that I work at a hospital, they ride in the stretcher after getting a little Versed...

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I think it depends both on the facility and the type of surgery.

From a personal standpoint, the last two surgeries I've had (day surgery unit) I walked both to and from the OR. Both were for upper extremities (shoulder and hand). No sedation or IV meds for either - didn't even have an IV for the shoulder (local), and the one for the hand was just for the Bier Block. In both instances they injected some bupivacaine towards the end of the surgery & that kept the pain manageable until the ibuprofen kicked in. I love it! Drove myself to and from, and none of that NPO nonsense to deal with.

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Specializes in Operating room..

Walking seems like a potential problem to me. We never walk a patient, ever. Stretchers for everyone (even small kids who get a crib).

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