A nurse led Endoscopy Pre-Assessment Unit, unveiled at the Ulster Hospital in November, is helping to reduce patient anxiety and the number of patients cancelling their appointments.
With three full time Nurses staffing the Unit, patients are provided with information regarding their investigation which ensures they are well prepared before their procedure date.
Endoscopy Lead Nurse Jemma Gillespie explained how, “The staff also explore the patient’s anxieties and fears regarding their up-coming procedure and address these by providing information and reassurance. This interaction, before their procedure, really helps to calm their fears and answer their questions, at a time when they may be concerned about what their Endoscopy entails.”
Jemma revealed that since November, the reassurance given to patients in the Pre-Assessment Unit has helped reduce the number of missed appointments for Endoscopy procedures.
Jemma continued, “Another positive from the Pre-Assessment Unit is that we have been able to alleviate a lot of the pressure around our colleagues in Pharmacy, with my staff being able to ‘prep and post’ out the ‘Bowel Prep’ to the patient. Before the Unit was opened, patients would have been prepped and received a call to come and collect their Bowel Prep from Pharmacy. The patient didn’t get an opportunity to sit down and talk and ask any questions they might have. Now they can.”
“The new Unit means a patient’s experience is better and patients are at the heart of everything we do.”
