The Development of a Surveillance Guideline for Deteriorating Patients during Waiting at the Surgical Outpatient Department, Buddhachinaraj Phitsanulok Hospital

Abstract

This action research aimed to develop and examine the effect of a surveillance guideline for deteriorating patients while waiting at the Surgical Outpatient Department, Buddhachinaraj, Phitsanulok Hospital. Samples were 15 professional nurses, technical nurses, nurse aides, and 400 patients who attended the Surgical Outpatient Department, Buddhachinaraj, Phitsanulok Hospital, from March to June 2020. Research instruments were the surveillance guideline for deteriorating patients while waiting for examination at the Surgical Outpatient Department, the patient data record form, the evaluation form for performing of nurses, followed the surveillance guidelines, and a questionnaire on the satisfaction of nurses with the surveillance guideline. Quantitative data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and t-test. Qualitative data were analyzed by using the content analysis method. The study results showed that the surveillance guideline for deteriorating patients during waiting at the Surgical Outpatient Department comprised 1) early detection, 2) continuous monitoring, 3) score responses. The effectiveness of the guideline showed that waiting times for examination were significantly less than those before using this guideline (p<0.001). In addition, nurses could perform following the guideline for about 97.78%. They are also satisfied with the guideline at a high level.