homeostasis and receives appropriate nursing interventions as needed) to
• phase II recovery (ie, the period of time during which the patient becomes more alert and functional and prepares for self-care, care by family members, or care in an extended care environment).7
HAND-OFF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE SURGEON’S
SCHEDULING OFFICE AND THE HEALTH CARE FACILITY SCHEDULING DEPARTMENT. The surgical verification process begins at the time the surgical procedure is scheduled, originating from the surgeon’s office and moving to the health care facility’s surgical scheduling office.8 Potentially, this interaction can be the first break in the communication process. An error that occurs here can go undetected and has the likelihood to result in patient harm. Unfortunately, miscommunications at this point may not be picked up until the day of the surgery and may cause a delay in the OR or, more significantly, result in wrong site surgery. One solution to prevent such last-minute errors would be to call both the surgeon’s office and the patient on the day before the surgery to verify the correct date, time, and procedure.
HAND-OFF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE HEALTH CARE
FACILITY’S SCHEDULING DEPARTMENT AND THE PREOPERATIVE AREA. One of the first responsibilities of the preoperative nurse is to obtain the surgery schedule. The preoperative nurse then ensures that the scheduled procedure is consistent with the patient’s understanding of the procedure as well as the informed consent, and that both are consistent with the patient’s diagnosis. The nurse also ensures that all required documents are in place, including the history and physical examination (H&P), blood work results, and any other diagnostic test results required for surgery