CREST BUTTE, MT – The policy review committee at Nondenominational Faith Memorial Medical Center has instituted a “No Repeat” policy in their Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). The chairperson of the committee says that this policy is aimed at helping the overworked PACU nurses who have to repeat themselves all day long to patients coming out of surgery and anesthesia.
Recent studies suggest that 46% of most PACU nurses’ day is spent repeating themselves in answering patient’s questions, which the patient will promptly forget.
PACU nurse Betty Persimon describes a typical patient encounter as telling the patient, “Your surgery is all done, you are in the recovery room now.” The patient responding, “Wow, that was fast!” followed, a minute later by, “Am I done?” to which the frazzled PACU nurse has to respond, “Your surgery is all done, you are in the recovery room now.”
Other common phrases repeated are:
– “What time is it?”
– “What did they find?”
– “I’m thirsty”
– “When can I eat?”
“These patients just don’t listen. I explain everything that has happened to them and then 2 minutes later they are asking me the same damn thing,” said Persimon. “It is just rude!”
Nurse Persimon lauds this policy as having significantly improved her quality of life in the workplace. “I now have time to check Facebook, talk to my sister in Nebraska, or even enjoy a cool beverage. Now when patients ask me a second time, “Am I done?” I just point to the prominently displayed signs that state ‘No Repeat.'”
Union representatives praised the policy in a statement posted on their website calling it a giant step forward in nursing rights. Plans are in place to institute the new policy in the ICU and ER. Stu Jorgensen, a union spokesman said, “This idea will spread like wildfire! It has applications beyond healthcare, the fast food and service industries are ripe for this type of change. No longer will the workforce be burdened by the need to repeat information that should have been received the first time.”
