H
ere's a simple way to ensure
that patients who report a
complication or signs of
infection during a follow-up call don't
fall through the cracks. First, fill out
a red card with the patient's name,
medical record number, date of birth,
date of service, physician and a brief
description of the issue. Then place
the red card in a hanging envelope in
the nursing director's office. This
way, she's always informed about a
potential complication
and can follow up
with the physician on
the outcome. The
cards also act as a sec-
ondary surveillance
system should a
patient be treated out
of town or by a physi-
cian other than the
surgeon.
Lisa Ertle, BA, RN
Surgicare of Oradell
lisaertlepatch@
gmail.com
O C T O B E R 2 0 1 6 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 2 3
Stay on Top of Post-op Complications
• RAISING AWARENESS Our red card system
reminds us to monitor post-surgical problems.
Lisa
Ertle,
BA,
RN