"RIE Day Surgery - a good bunch!"

As a healthcare professional, we often hear about the bad, and it can make things very difficult. So I'm writing about a good experience, because I definitely had one!

Day surgery - the fourth in my line of surgeries, first actual 'day' surgery. I arrived slightly late, due to my own inability to read signposts (doh! ) and was ready to apologise profusely and possibly be rescheduled. However I was met with understanding, efficiency and politeness by the reception staff who swiftly took my details and acknowledged my existence: )

There was then a choice of chairs of varying heights and consistency - anyone with back, hip and/or leg problems will know how important this is. Waiting rooms are often clad with hard plastic chairs that do nothing for the posture.

I had been told to expect a wait, and was prepared to be sitting for around 3-4 hours. I was seen by a nurse, then an anaesthetist, then my surgeon. All who obviously had dozens of patients to see, schedule in, check things, and deal with - all of them meeting me with a high level of professionalism and friendliness.

When it was time for surgery, again 2 nurses with fantastic communication skills (whether they realised I was nervous or not, they certainly alleviated my nerves even though I think I'm very good at hiding nerves! ) took me to the anaesthetic room. The anaesthetic staff joked around with me until I don't remember much else!

I woke up in a mild--moderate amount of pain, less than what would be expected from orthopaedic surgery. I was swiftly offered and given morphine and ondansetron as requested by myself due to prior experience. This was dealt with swiftly and without hesitation.

People checking in on me every so often, reassuring, it was a busy, busy ward but that didn't seem to phase the team at all. Even when my cloudy judgement got the better of me, and I attempted to leave my bed, alone, to find socks (the wrong side of the bed.......after leg surgery......no walking aids yet.....not even been upright yet) and risked landing on the floor and possibly breaking a hip or re-breaking old pelvic injuries, nursing staff quickly and sensitively plopped me back on my bed and explained it was not a good idea to go hopping around in the manner I was!

I was stuck for a little while until my lift turned up, with my crutches, and during that time I was checked on regularly, I managed to score 4 cups of coffee from the staff (I seriously needed these coffees! ! ! ! ) and a nice cheese sarnie, amazing considering I'd been fasting from 10pm the previous night.

Anyway, I will leave this here, but I have worked in a vast number of wards and I must say, the day surgery unit is an amazing representation of how an efficient ward should be run: )

Happy surgery!