Suzan Anderson has been instrumental in the success of the weekly nurse-led pre-op assessments
Nurse-led weekly pre-op health assessment clinics are providing children with holistic health assessments and streamlining pre-op preparations.
In a recent certification audit, the auditors commented: “within Planet Sunshine, the pre-assessment service for children is an area of best practice”.
Planet Sunshine introduced paediatric nurse-led clinics in 2012. Before this, Registered Medical Officers (Junior Doctors) completed basic pre-operative assessments, but Planet Sunshine recognised that the clinics were an opportunity for much more.
The success lies in the child and whānau friendly approach, the large number of health assessments completed and in the broader health promotional and education activities now included in the assessments. These include advice on quitting smoking, healthy eating, healthy teeth, immunisations, eczema, skin conditions/care, asthma/inhaler education, diabetes advice, Violence Intervention Protection assessments.
Referrals have been made to Outreach Nurses, Social Worker, Ear Registered Nurse, Play Specialist, Outreach Immunisation Service, and Green Prescription. Violence Intervention Protection status is assessed. New heart murmurs, head lice and foreign bodies in-ears have been identified. Any issues or concerns identified are discussed with the Registered Medical Officers, Paediatrician or Anaesthetist.
Clinic notes are now prepped and ready for the ward nurses on theatre days which streamlines this process, especially when the ward is busy. Children and their whānau are given an orientation to the ward and arrive well prepared for their surgeries. This helps take some of the stress out of the surgery process for children and their whānau. The Paediatric Clinic Nurses run their clinics with consistency and passion.