Bradley Hills Animal Hospital » Health Info for Your Dog
Hospital Staff
The hospital staff is another important factor in your pet's hospitalized experience for surgery. Although this factor is frequently overlooked or it is not considered, it is very important. Because hospital team members will be in direct contact with your beloved pet, it is important for you to know the hospital standards for behavior and animal handling for the staff. At our hospital, we have very high standards selecting people who truly care, are compassionate, and are willing to dedicate themselves to do what it takes to serve our clients and patients.
In addition, it is important to know the number of staff members who will oversee the intraoperative monitors and who will perform the postoperative care for your pet. Again, there is a very wide variation from hospital to hospital. So, it is important to understand what to compare from hospital to hospital.
How many people should be on each surgical team that performs each surgery?
This is an important question that is rarely asked. Since this can range from only having the surgeon performing the surgery in the room to the surgeon and 1-2 nurses monitoring your pet, it is important you have a reference of what is possible. It is easy to understand that the more trained nurses who are watching the monitors during surgery and assisting, the more controlled the surgery will be.
We believe it is important to make the surgery as safe as we can for your pet. That's why each surgery team consists of two nurses and one surgeon. This allows us to feel certain that your pet will be as safe as possible.
What should I look for in the nurses who care for my pet?
Although there is a long list of potential qualities to look for in any nurse that will care for your pet, we will discuss some of the most important qualities. We must first consider several facts. First, our pet can't speak; as a result, he or she can't convey any needs or desires, such as pain or fear, to our surgical nurse. Knowing this, it is critical that our surgical nurse has compassion, empathy, is focused on our pet, and listens to our concerns (since we are the voice for our pet). When these traits are present, our pet will feel as safe as possible will get good care.
What do we look for that will tell us if our pet's nurse has compassion, empathy, focuses on our pet, and listens to our concerns?
There are some behaviors that are likely to predict these qualities. Here are some important questions to ask yourself about the nurse:
- Is the nurse positive and upbeat?
- Does the nurse handle my pet with care?
- Does the nurse listen to me when I speak?
- Is the nurse genuinely concerned about the welfare of my pet?
- If the nurse can't answer my question, does he or she find out the answer?
Some of these questions are easier to answer than others. If you don't have an answer intellectually, you may have to go by your intuition or what your gut sense is. Remember, it may never be perfect, exactly the way you would like it, but these are just some of the things to notice and to consider when selecting the hospital to care for your baby.