Jump to content

Developing Patient Relationships/Continuity in Surgery?


Recommended Posts

I'm wondering, do surgical PAs (cardiac and solid-organ transplant, for example) develop relationships with their patients? I guess I'm wondering how involved the PA is with the patient/continuity as they approach the time for surgery, and post-surgery. In family medicine, it's obvious that PAs can have continuity with their patients, but I'm wondering how that works in specialties where the patient is obviously there for the services of the surgeon. I'm about to start shadowing an SICU PA, but they only work in the SICU, so I'm wondering about those PAs that are perioperative.

 

Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you are involved in he total care of the patient(prep, op, post op recovery, step down), you will see the family almost daily, and will be involved in explaining things to them.. You will remember their stories forever.. Ad tey you.

 

If you only work in SICU, you will develope less of a relationship with them.. Most of their time is spent ventilated and chest tubed.. Part of your job in the initial 24-72 hour stabilization.. They will fluctuate between critical and minor degrees of instability. They will not remember most of their SICU stay.. Though again, you will remember them forever ( hard to see folks this ill/unstable/at risk and not remember them).

 

You may see the family.. Though most post op and status reports are given by nursing.. You get involved when things start to go sour, and they need to be returned to the OR, or you need to reopen the chest at bedside, need a baloon pump, etc.l and you will be explaining to family what happened.

 

Simple things you do for the family are long remembered by them.

 

In the SICU, virtually nothing you do will be remembered by the patient. They start integrating what has happened

in the step down unit.

 

A good critical care, surgical PA becomes the front line and first (sometimes only) provider during the recovery period... The surgeon will make rounds once a day.. You are there all day.. The relationship between the surgeon and the SICU PA is special and extremely close.

 

Sucess for you is defined by a stabilized patient, extubated, tubes,lines, and wires out, and the patient stepped out into a step down floor as soon as possible.

 

You will have seen the patient at his most intimate moments of vulnerablity... And hopefully been sucessful in keeping him alive.

 

You will remember them forever.. And , especially in transplant patients, will be able to recall their history almost completely when they come back for a re-do, or slide back into failure. If that is a "relationship", you will have it.

 

If you are looking for a more family practice touchy feely relationship.. Weeeeellllll, I don't think that's gonna happen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, that was very helpful. I guess I was just wondering if the PA was more of a "peripheral" provider in surgery (well, not really "peripheral", but I guess like how a nurse might work with a patient for 2 days, be off, then come back and be assigned to a different set of patients), or if the surgical PA could be involved in the patient's case from beginning to end.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If the PA is employed by the CT or transplant team, then he is part of the team which will be taking care of the patient from intake to discharge.. Of course, like any team, every member has hours off, and his encounters with the patient will be "shifted". Even the surgeons will have down time, each covering the others' patients. All in all, though, the " teams" are small enough that everyone knows EVERONE and everything about milestones, setbacks, etc...

You will find being a part of such a team a wonderful feeling, and deeply satisfying.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Welcome to the Physician Assistant Forum! This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn More