Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Her Loss, Their Gain - October 2019 - Subscribe to Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.

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as opposed to an obese patient — can go a long way toward making patients feel comfortable, at-ease and ultimately satisfied with the care you provide. Obesity isn't a character flaw, it's a disease. Make sure your staff always treats it that way. Your entire care team should understand the stigma that's involved in being an overweight patient — and why this stigma can prevent people from getting the life-changing care they need. Sensitivity train- ing is one option. Making sure your facility is outfitted to make high- BMI patients comfortable — oversized chairs in the waiting room, adequately sized gowns and blood pressure cuffs, and surgical tables designed to hold larger patients — is another. But even the smallest gestures can do wonders, so encourage your staff to look at the surgi- cal experience through the patient's eyes. Ms. Pate now appreciates that expression on a literal level. "One of the last things I remembered before the anesthesia took effect was a nurse holding my hand and rubbing my arm," Ms. Pate says. "That's why I always make it a point to hold my patients' hands when they're drifting off to sleep." OSM O C T O B E R 2 0 1 9 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 3 9

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