From the beginning, all the nurses were involved in every detail of the facility setup. It was a flexible environment that allowed and encouraged change when necessary. The Growth of a Subspecialty Ambulatory surgery nursing has seen phenomenal growth since the 1980s and has revolutionized the model of patient care for surgery. This concept was described as early as 3000 BC in writings from Egyptian scrolls. Strict patient criteria must be adhered to for patient selection, surgery performed, discharge readiness, and ability to care for self at home.
Healthcare reform demands more cost-efficient care, pushing surgery into the outpatient arena.
The Federal government and third-party insurance payers are showing financial incentives by offering higher reimbursements for surgery performed in ambulatory care settings. The surgical facility where I work has enlarged to keep up with the growth and demand for outpatient surgery. In 10 years, our caseload has grown from 1,000 to 10,000 cases a year. Of course, staffing has grown along with patient volume. The advance of fast-track anesthesia and minimally invasive surgery have brought a large portion of surgeries performed to the outpatient setting.