Division of Nursing – Nursing Unit Highlights
Division of Nursing – Nursing Units – Pre-Surgical Care Unit
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Highlight on PSCU and PSE The Pre-Surgical Care Unit (PSCU), located in the basement of the 1983 building, is a 14 patient room department. Pre-Surgical Evaluation (PSE), located on the first floor immediately adjacent to the Broadway entrance, consists of RN’s and Secretarial Staff who perform telephone pre-operative health assessments and compile documents required to complete the chart prior to surgery. The predominant patient populations served are adults and geriatric patients. Occasional patient populations are infant, adolescent and pediatric. Commonly performed surgery includes but is not limited to: total joint replacement, laparoscopic procedures, biopsies and neurosurgical procedures. Patients scheduled by members of the SAMC medical staff for major or minor surgical procedures are admitted to the department. Pre-operative assessment for all patient populations served in PSCU is initiated through the Pre-Surgery Evaluation program where appropriate data is collected via telephone. Patients who meet specific criteria are scheduled for a pre-operative appointment with an anesthesia care provider, nurse and other appropriate care providers. Pre-operative lab, x-ray, EKG’s, etc. are ordered and reviewed prior to the day of surgery. The PSCU is responsible for preparation of patients for the OR and/or diagnostic procedure departments on the day of surgery and Phase II Recovery of out-patient surgical and invasive diagnostic procedure patients. Immediate pre-operative preparation may include IV insertion, epidural insertion, monitoring patients, nerve blocks for pain control, administration of medication and final verification of informaed consent. |
