Ideas That Work: Preparing Patients to Head Home

Discharge specialists at Vance Thompson Vision in Sioux Falls, S.D., recover patients and help them to their cars when they’re ready to head home. “We decided to prioritize discharge efficiency, which allows for better patient flow,” says Bill Willis, RN, the facility’s administrator. “We now have two or three nurses who fill the role.”

The nurses go over post-op instructions, answer questions patients or their family members might have and help patients pick up their post-op drops at the center’s clinic. Their role improves how quickly patients move through the center and has resulted in shorter wait times for surgery — no small thing in a high-volume specialty. “Having nurses who are dedicated to discharging patients allows other members of the team to focus on preparing patients for surgery,” says Mr. Willis. “Our efforts to streamline the discharge process have allowed us to be much more efficient.”