OK to send home if the patient
hasn't met all of your discharge
criteria — stable mental state,
can ambulate, pain is con-
trolled, can tolerate food and
drink, able to void, for example
— and has a friend or family
member to drive her home.
Learning experiences.
Emergencies put your
preparation and policies to the
test. Debriefing after an emergency is always a good learning experi-
ence. Did you follow ACLS protocols? Did someone record in your
CPR code sheet who intubated the patient, and when the first medica-
tion and CPR began? Was someone available to give the appropriate
medications?
All the right moves
We know preparation has its limits. Sometimes, we can do all the
right things and still have a bad outcome. We also know we can do
everything wrong and get lucky when a patient somehow pulls
through. When it comes to emergency preparedness, you should take
a hard look at your staff and ask a simple question. Everyone who
comes in contact with the patient should be able to answer with con-
fidence: "Are we ready?"
OSM
Dr. Cyriax (clairecyriax@gmail.com) is the nursing educator at Center for
Ambulatory Surgery, Hackensack (N.J.) University Medical Center (part of
Hackensack Meridian Health Network).
5
M A R C H 2 0 1 9 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 3 5
• CART SMARTS Regularly check the inventory in your code cart
for expired medications and supplies you need to be replenish.
