6 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 1 8
N
erve
blocks
do more
than just
stop
pain. They decrease the
time your patients spend
in your facility and
reduce the number of
opioids they need to take
post-op. Yes, there are
risks that come with
nerve blocks as with any
procedure, but there are
a number of things you
can do to make sure
your facility runs a suc-
cessful nerve block pro-
gram.
1. Surgeon buy-in
You need surgeon buy-
in to your block pro-
gram. Surgeons want what is best for their patients so communica-
tion is the key. It's my job, as a trained anesthetist, to show them
the value nerve blocks can bring and the benefits for patient recov-
ery. I have found that the best way to get buy-in is to approach sur-
6 Steps to Successful Continuous Nerve Blocks
Simple pointers to increase patient — and surgeon — satisfaction.
Adam Schneider, CRNA, APRN | Paris, Ill.
• SUCCESSFUL BLOCKS A good nerve block gets your patients home faster
— without opioids in some cases.