Talking with Family in the Waiting Room – How I Do It
- Explain that the surgery is completed, seems obvious, but starts the conversation on the right foot.
- Tell them initially whether it went well or whether there were challenges – I say something like it went very smooth, or it was more challenging than what it typical, and then explain why.
- Explain what was done – take your time in this part
- This is a very important part! Relate whether the patient was stable or not during the surgery – in a typical surgery I usually say something like “He/she was completely stable throughout, blood pressure, heart rate, oxygenation, and minimal bleeding”. The family usually is relieved after hearing this part of the report.
- For the bigger surgical cases – I relate that the first hurdle is surgery, and the second hurdle is the first night, so still need to watch closely the BP, HR, oxygenation, and bleeding, etc.
- Where to go next, back to waiting room, or up to ICU.
Good luck, you will do great!