Original Article
Improving Patient Satisfaction by Addressing Same Day Surgery Wait Times

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jopan.2008.08.003Get rights and content

Wait times in same day surgery can create added stress to patients who are already anxious. Perianesthesia nurses understand the importance of patient satisfaction as they continually return to the bedside, answer questions, and meet patients’ needs. Nursing interventions to involve the patient and family can help decrease stress and dissatisfaction that occur when the patient is not updated about time changes. Defining quality care can be difficult when consumers and providers view things differently. Frequently, patients associate hospital stay satisfaction with the respect nurses demonstrate for their needs. Timeliness regarding surgical times is an important aspect when meeting consumers’ care expectations. The purpose of this paper is to describe the problems patients might have with surgical wait times and to suggest ways to enhance patient satisfaction.

Section snippets

Quality Service and Patient Satisfaction

Confusion can occur when patients and nurses try to differentiate between patient satisfaction and quality care. Poor care quality can certainly lead to customer dissatisfaction and lost business,8 thus measures of patient satisfaction should be closely linked with defined measures of quality in patient care.1 Defining quality is sometimes difficult because providers and consumers often view this care from different perspectives.9 When patients describe quality of care, they often place greater

Waiting Time

The length of waiting time is a primary complaint of patients in same day surgery, with potential to induce additional stress for those already nervous. For example, a patient might say, “I was scheduled for noon, and it is already one o'clock.” A call made to surgery to determine the reason for delay can often provide an explanation. However, patients or families can have difficulty understanding meanings of delays or reasons why some procedures take longer than the allotted time. Unscheduled

Perceptions About Wait Times

An important component of the wait time concern is perception of how surgery waiting time is experienced. Innovative strategies can effectively create an atmosphere where customers are more satisfied as they wait. For example, interventions using music, soothing room colors, temperature control, and pleasing furnishings are ways to enhance patient satisfaction.18 Other suggestions include the availability of current magazines, play areas for children, TVs, and hand-held games in waiting areas

Empowerment During Wait Times

Family members also play key roles when problems linked with same day surgery wait times are considered, and they are often the ones who approach the desk to inquire about delays. Families may have arranged time off from work or other life engagements to which they are expected to return. Collaboration and inclusion of family members in updates about wait times will enhance the respectful relationship between nurse and patient.19 Although same-day surgery nurses are often busy, they should also

Conclusions

Waiting is not an activity well received in today's fast-paced society, but it is an important one for nurses to consider. Understanding the way one values time can influence relationships and assist the same day surgery nurses to respond effectively to patient and family anxieties. Nurse reflection about the value of patients’ time is a first step to positively alter the ways in which preoperative interactions occur. Second, clear communication at the admission about the expected surgical time

Karen Freeman, RN, MSN, is a Graduate Student at Ohio University, and a Staff Nurse in Same Day Surgery at Adena Regional Medical Center, Chillicothe, OH

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    Karen Freeman, RN, MSN, is a Graduate Student at Ohio University, and a Staff Nurse in Same Day Surgery at Adena Regional Medical Center, Chillicothe, OH

    Sharon A. Denham, RN, DSN, is a Professor at Ohio University School of Nursing, Athens, OH, USA

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