Patients receiving hip or knee replacements in Central Zone NSH (Halifax Infirmary or Dartmouth General Hospital) have the option to attend an education session a few weeks before their operation. The educations sessions are given by nurses who work at the Orthopedic Assessment OAC) at Bayers Lake Community Outpatient Centre (Halifax), Queen Square Building (Dartmouth) or online.
The slide we are asking you to review will be a part of the slide show given at the preoperative education session. We are aiming to improve patients' knowledge about who to contact when they have concerns about common issues after surgery. We want patients to know that they can call the OAC nurse with their questions Monday to Friday between 7:30 and 3:00 and also provide the alternatives for help when the OAC clinic is closed.
Our hope is that by increasing the patients' awareness of who to call for help we can provide the right care in the right place and potentially avoid the need for a trip to the emergency department for common problems that could be treated at the OAC.
This slide will be left up on the screen during the break midway through the education session. The instructor will encourage patients to save the numbers to their phones. The slide will also be incorporated into the slide show that is playing in the patient waiting room of the OACs .