Outpatient Surgery Magazine: Six patient-pleasing ideas you can implement today

By Mike Morsch

1. An easier and organized discharge

Children's Mercy Kansas City sends its younger patients home with a drawstring backpack shaped like the face of a bear and with the hospital's logo printed on it. Not only is it a convenient way to transport paperwork and belongings, but also it gets the hospital's name out there in the community.

Inside each Bear Bag is a two-pocket folder that includes the discharge papers, prescriptions, date and time of follow-up appointments, and a survey card that encourages patients (or their parents) to take a short online survey with a chance to win an iPad Mini. The RN discharging the patient can also place an emesis basin, dressing supplies, snacks and a stuffed animal in the bag.

A Children's Mercy nurse sparked the idea. She remembered how difficult it was to leave a hospital with the discharge instructions and medications while trying to carry her child to the car. Always looking for ways to improve the patient experience, nurses at the hospital developed "The Bear Bag" project.

"We decided a bag that would keep everything in place would be so wonderful for our parents and families," says Gentry Ehlert, BSN, RN, CNOR, assistant director of nursing and the operating room at Children's Mercy. "And a bag that was reusable for children after their visit would help improve our marketing."

Read the full article via Outpatient Surgery Magazine.

Learn more about the Department of Surgery at Children's Mercy.