Preoperative care unit. An alternative to the holding room

Health care reimbursement practices are contributing to a decreased length of hospital stay. Subsequently, the time frame for surgical preparation has been reduced, and the hospital admission process has been considerably accelerated. The patient admitted the same day of surgery can experience a hurried sequence of events. Within hours the patient is interviewed by admitting department personnel, assessed by medical-surgical unit nursing staff, evaluated by "holding room" nurses, assessed by anesthesia staff, and introduced to the operating room personnel. This rushed environment may lend to a negative surgical experience and increased surgery-related stress. In contrast, establishing a preoperative care unit can increase surgical preparation time alotted to the patient by minimizing the number of personnel involved in the admitting process and decreasing physical transfer of the patient.