Perioperative Assistant Manager University of Kentucky Healthcare Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, United States
Description: Research has shown a correlation between patient satisfaction and outcomes when LEP patients have access to professional interpreters (Burkle, et al, 2017). Poor communication with LEP patients can lead to lower satisfaction in regards to their care and negative clinical experiences (Girard, 2019). At University of Kentucky Healthcare (UKHC) we see 2,000 patient registrations a week for LEP/ASL patients; Language Services (LS) receive about 45 calls a week to provide services for Perioperative Services (Periop) (Poster [E-mail to S. Hesler]. (2021, September 28). LS are commonly used in the preop and postop settings, but there is a gap intraop. In order to provide patient centered care, a tool was developed to give intraop LEP patients one way instructions. Our team from UKHC included C. Brosius, RN, G. Buckler, CRNA, S. Clark, RN, C. Goff, RN, M. Lynch, RN, K. Maeder, RN, G. Ortega, RN, J. Powell, MSN, RN, L. Price, RN, and L. Strong, RN from Periop; S. Hesler, MS, CMI from LS; L. Stone IT DevOps Engineer; and S. Applegate AV Engineer. We met to discuss solutions for intraop LEP patients. It was decided that we needed a tool that could be mobile but that any circulating nurse and anesthesia provider could easily access. At UKHC, the MRI dept. has a system built into the equipment with recorded prompts. The provider makes a selection, which produces a command in the patient’s language. After observing this software, we chose to base our tool on this. Our interdisciplinary team organized a list of common intraop statements. Any phrases that were questions or could be viewed as assessments were not used. Our LS department gathered data to the most commonly translated languages at the UKHC that would be used for the tool. Information technology (IT) then began the development. Afterwards, a platform for the recordings was chosen. Options were iPads, workstations on wheels (WOW), or cell phones. Since iPads were limited and it would be difficult to access the WOW when at the bedside, the cell phone format was chosen. Upon completion of the LEP tool, an educational session was presented to and instructions were provided. Implications for periop nursing include care that is culturally sensitive and can help to ease the patient’s anxiety. It will also allow for periop nurses to be able to communicate instructions that promote patient safety.
References Burkle, C. M., Anderson, K. A., Xiong, Y., Guerra, A. E., & Tschida-Reuter, D. A. (2017). Assessment of the efficiency of language interpreter services in a busy surgical and procedural practice. BMC Health Services Research, 17(1), 456–456. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-017-2425-7 Girard, N. J. (2019). When Patients and Providers Speak Different Languages. AORN Journal, 110(2), 220-222. doi:10.1002/aorn.12757 Poster [E-mail to S. Hesler]. (2021, September 28). Language Service Manager for UKHC