Various procedures are performed in the gastroenterology unit for diagnosis, early detection, and treatment including invasive procedures for which prior preparation at home is essential. For a majority of outpatients, the examinations themselves are a cause for confusion, fear, embarrassment, and modest increases in anxiety. Patient education mediating the stress experience by reducing patient's perceived anxiety have become an integral part of the pre-procedure preparation. Using convenience sampling, the study team conducted three surveys of patients who underwent various procedures in the gastroenterology unit. A questionnaire was used to evaluate patient satisfaction regarding the guidance provided in the unit prior to each of the procedures. In general, the results of the primary questionnaire (prior to the intervention) showed that approximately 70% of the patients were very satisfied from the guidance, yet they felt that there was room for improvement. As a result of the survey's findings, a number of quality improvement activities were initiated aimed at training the unit's nursing staff to provide unified and structured guidance The findings of the surveys reflect the fact that investing in staff development, providing tools which are uniform and structured, and changing work methods contribute to improved patient satisfaction from the guidance received.

Section Description

We are pleased to present the abstracts from sgna's 36th annual course, SGNA: your gateway to opportunity. The diversity of these topics certainly reflects the richness and breadth of our specialty. in keeping with the tradition of the annual course, we hope the following abstracts will encourage discussions for improving nursing practice and patient care outcomes.