Putting Patients First: Patient Experience in the Perioperative Setting

Abstract

Background Information One of our hospital's mottos is “We Put Patients First”. Being a “patient-forward” hospital requires us to anticipate patient's needs and wants, as well as correct the inevitable road bumps that can occur. Although this is part of our everyday practice, one way to prove this is through patient surveys. However, providing high quality care during a pandemic has left many feeling overwhelmed and underappreciated. Hospital led attempts at morale boosting exercises fall short. As staff, we're aware that patient experience is linked to staff morale. Objectives of Project: Our objective is to boost patient experience while also boosting staff morale. Staff is encouraged to put so much focus on patient and family experience that it feels more scripted than genuine. We aim to keep the care staff has for patients intrinsic. Process of Implementation Group discussions were held to identify factors of patient dissatisfaction. Common patient questions and concerns were acknowledged. All perioperative staff initiated interventions to set patient and family expectations, including reinforcement of visitation policies and regular patient progress updates. Extensive procedural education was also provided in the preoperative unit. A Press Ganey (PG) eSurvey flyer was placed in every preoperative patient bay to encourage feedback, if said survey was emailed to them. “Thank an Employee” signage was predominantly displayed in both perioperative units, as well as in postop discharge envelopes. Statement of Successful Practice Two PG data points are our focus: “Nurses’ Response to Concerns/Questions” and “How Well the Staff Work Together to Care for You”. Feedback shows that nurses are more responsive (4.8 point increase) after three months. They also feel that staff doesn't work well together (1.6 point decrease), which can be attributed to continuing staff shortages. The number of glowing emails are also on the rise, which are disseminated during weekly huddles. Implications for Advancing the Practice of Perianesthesia Nursing Working in a hospital setting requires staff to have a combination of empathy, sympathy, and compassion. By allowing staff to be proactive and alleviate common known patient issues, these innate virtues are allowed to shine. By giving the patients a forum to freely express themselves, their appreciation can be reflected back to the staff, improving the experience of all involved. One of our hospital's mottos is “We Put Patients First”. Being a “patient-forward” hospital requires us to anticipate patient's needs and wants, as well as correct the inevitable road bumps that can occur. Although this is part of our everyday practice, one way to prove this is through patient surveys. However, providing high quality care during a pandemic has left many feeling overwhelmed and underappreciated. Hospital led attempts at morale boosting exercises fall short. As staff, we're aware that patient experience is linked to staff morale. Objectives of Project: Our objective is to boost patient experience while also boosting staff morale. Staff is encouraged to put so much focus on patient and family experience that it feels more scripted than genuine. We aim to keep the care staff has for patients intrinsic. Group discussions were held to identify factors of patient dissatisfaction. Common patient questions and concerns were acknowledged. All perioperative staff initiated interventions to set patient and family expectations, including reinforcement of visitation policies and regular patient progress updates. Extensive procedural education was also provided in the preoperative unit. A Press Ganey (PG) eSurvey flyer was placed in every preoperative patient bay to encourage feedback, if said survey was emailed to them. “Thank an Employee” signage was predominantly displayed in both perioperative units, as well as in postop discharge envelopes. Two PG data points are our focus: “Nurses’ Response to Concerns/Questions” and “How Well the Staff Work Together to Care for You”. Feedback shows that nurses are more responsive (4.8 point increase) after three months. They also feel that staff doesn't work well together (1.6 point decrease), which can be attributed to continuing staff shortages. The number of glowing emails are also on the rise, which are disseminated during weekly huddles. Working in a hospital setting requires staff to have a combination of empathy, sympathy, and compassion. By allowing staff to be proactive and alleviate common known patient issues, these innate virtues are allowed to shine. By giving the patients a forum to freely express themselves, their appreciation can be reflected back to the staff, improving the experience of all involved.