Hospital Policies & Procedures for Minor Surgery

Many hospitals have minor surgery units that perform "same-day" surgeries or "ambulatory" surgery. These hospital units have special policies and procedures to ensure a smooth process of pre-operation testing, registration, surgery, and discharge.

Types

• Policies and procedures regarding minor surgeries at a hospital include physicians providing pre-operation information, patients meeting any financial requirements, nurse assessment of patient upon reporting to the surgical unit, and patient flow from operating room to recovery to discharge. These policies and procedures are followed by health care workers in most hospitals as well as surgery centers.

Function

• Policies and procedures are created and enacted by health care facilities to ensure patient safety, make sure that patients meet financial and physical requirements of surgical procedures, and maintain a smooth patient flow. Minor surgery units often have a chaotic atmosphere, and following the appropriate policies and procedures ensures that mistakes are not made and important details are not overlooked.

Considerations

• Patients who are planning to have a minor surgical procedure should check with the health care facility and be aware of policies and procedures. Oftentimes, patient are scheduled or advised to arrive early for procedures, the patient reports directly to the surgical unit, and is required to meet all insurance co-pays and deductibles prior to the procedure.