Pre-Assessment Clinic (PAC)

Details: Last Updated: Friday, 29 April 2016 08:50

What is the Pre-Assessment Clinic (PAC)? It is a clinic which conducts an assessment to ensure you are in optimum health for your planned surgery or procedure (and anaesthetic, if appropriate). As undergoing surgery can be stressful, staff aim to provide a friendly, relaxed atmosphere where patients can be prepared physically, psychologically and socially for their forthcoming operation and also their discharge. The patient is educated in their pre-operative, peri-operative and post-operative care plans.

Services

The PAC is a nurse-led clinic with clinician supervision. Staff review your current health status through a comprehensive medical and surgical, and anaesthetic, examination where required. Staff carry out the appropriate pre-operative investigations for your upcoming surgery or procedure. These include temperature, blood pressure, pulse, respiration rate, oxygen saturation, weight, height, ECG*, chest x-ray, urine analysis, screening for MRSA** and breathing tests. A nurse will take note of your previous medical and surgical history; and a physical examination will be carried out by a doctor on your consultant's team. If required, a review will be conducted by a consultant anaesthetist.

*ECG = (also known as EKG or electrocardiogram).

**MRSA = (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).

Team

The PAC nursing team provides education on health promotion, exercise, smoking cessation, weight management, and diabetes. This leads to improved delivery of and access to elective surgical care and quality of care given to patients allowing for patients to be admitted on the morning of their surgery.

The PAC staff is comprised of a Clinical Nurse Manager (CNM2), and nursing staff with administrative support.

Location

First floor, Sheares Street Block of the main hospital.

Opening Hours

Monday - Thursday: 8 am - 5 pm

Friday: 8 am - 1 pm

Contact

Telephone: 021-493 5668