Outfitting for the Outpatient Ortho Boom
Between aging Baby Boomers’ growing needs and a strong same-day preference among patients and insurers, the demand for outpatient orthopedic procedures like total knees and...
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By: John Kelly, IV
Published: 1/7/2015
One of the challenges of working in an outpatient surgicenter is ensuring that patients are well enough to go home. Included in the checklist for discharge is the ability to urinate. While some facilities insist the patient pass urine before discharge, others are more liberal in the plumbing department. Nonetheless, I have learned much in my career about the many nursing tricks of the trade to ensure voluminous urine flow.
When in doubt, 'YOYO' (you're on your own)
In the end, most patients are left to fend for themselves. They may receive the admonition, "If you don't pee in 8 hours, simply go to the nearest ER." Sounds OK, but what if the nearest ER is 20 miles away, only has catheters the size of chest tubes and has a staff urologist named Rambo who thinks coating catheters with lidocaine is for sissies?
My patients rarely endure plumbing problems. I'm blessed with truly seasoned nurses who can spot a potential problem days before it occurs. However, as I age and feel my prostate growing daily, I think I will forgo my next procedure (facelift — just kidding) in order to avert even the remotest chance of a dreaded straight cath. The mere mention of these words still makes me shudder.
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