Surgical Services at the main hospital campus is equipped and available to provide 24 hours a day, seven days a week surgical care.

The Perioperative Services Department consists of the following areas:

•           Surgery Preparation

•           Operating Rooms (17 O.R.’s and 2 Procedure Rooms)

•           Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU-12 prep and 35 post anesthesia bays)

•           Sterile Processing Department (SPD)

•           Radiology

•           Endoscopy

In our delivery of care we aim for quality healthcare that is: patient centered, safe, timely, efficient, equitable, and effective. The department is engaged in quality, performance improvement and research to provide care that has the patient and family in mind. 

Perioperative Services’ mission is facilitated through a culture of safety. The focus of care is on the patient, family, and the environment. The department strives for an environment that enables the provision for safe patient care, excellence in performance, improvement in our process, and positive health outcomes. 

Children’s National surgery center performs nearly 17,000 procedures each year on infants, children and adolescents, including kidney transplants, scoliosis, hernia repairs, and procedures to treat disorders and abnormalities of the esophagus and trachea. Other special services include corneal implants and cataract surgeries, and we specialize in cochlear implant for the ear. Children’s surgeons perform laser surgery and employ many types of minimally invasive techniques such as laparoscopy and thoracoscopy.  

Children’s National has a world-class team of pediatric surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, and support staff who have developed a variety of programs designed with children in mind. One of our newest additions is the DaVinci robot and MRI suite.

• Evaluate and manage patient's airway postoperatively including breakthrough laryngospasms; apply knowledge of the physiological changes to the airway postoperatively as a consequence of anesthesia and surgery .

• Perform manual intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV).

• Be aware of the risk factors that contribute to the condition and make decisions when caring for patients and families.

• Monitor cardiopulmonary function, airway patency, and oxygen saturation.

• Provide prompt care to minimize the incidence of emergence delirium; maintain safety environment while patient experiencing emergence delirium.

• Evaluate and treat post-operative pain in a timely manner with appropriate intervention.

• Manage epidural administration of local anesthetics and opioids.

• Manage patients with central neuraxial and peripheral nerve blocks.

• Monitor complications associated with administration of analgesics and act promptly to minimize adverse incidents.

• Contribute to Magnet re-designation as evidenced by independent involvement or leadership in: committees, task force and/or community outreach.

• Communication reflects development of plan of care and ability to advocate to meet patients’ needs; make suggestions for resolution of system issues.

• Role model procedures for escalation of issues and utilize chain of command.

• Demonstrate proper use of identified hand off processes; follow up on inconsistent practice related to handoff.

• Take the lead in implementing change and support management decisions.

• Role model behavior reflecting empathy, concern and a desire to help others.

• Independently maintain regulatory requirements e.g. license, BLS.

• Initiate professional activities to enhance nursing practice.

• Engage in active review of peers giving constructive feedback through timely participation in evaluations.

• Role model adherence to national safety standards and service excellence standards; champion advancement of education and certification.

• Orchestrate involvement of the healthcare team and role model professional behavior and teamwork with co-workers.

• Serve as a resource as needed and know when to escalate to next level

• Analyze assessment data gathered from patient and family to ensure completion of database and plan of care within identified timeframes.

• Role model excellent clinical skills with complex patients; care will reflect analysis of patient status and appropriate interventions.

• Direct prioritization and organization for complex patient with rapidly changing needs.

• Documentation will exemplify adherence to the highest standards of practice.

• Anticipate and proactively plan for educational needs verify with patient and family throughout the hospital/outpatient stay and prior to discharge.

• Role Model care in all encounters with patient and family as evidenced by feedback from parents and an increase in patient satisfaction scores.

• Speak up when team members appear to exhibit unsafe behavior or performance

• Continuously validate and verify information needed for decision making or documentation

• Stop in the face of uncertainty and takes time to resolve the situation

• Demonstrate accurate, clear and timely verbal and written communication

• Actively promote safety for patients, families, visitors and co-workers

• Attend carefully to important details - practicing Stop, Think, Act and Review in order to self-check behavior and performance

• Initiate ways to improve operations through quality improvement and implement related solutions.

• Identify self-learning needs and take initiative to meet those needs.

• Serve as a resource for current, new information or changes in specialty area.

• Partner in the mission and upholds the core principles of the organization

• Committed to diversity and recognizes value of cultural ethnic differences

• Demonstrate personal and professional integrity

• Maintain confidentiality at all times

• Anticipate and responds to customer needs; follows up until needs are met

• Demonstrate collaborative and respectful behavior

• Partner with all team members to achieve goals

• Receptive to others’ ideas and opinions

• Contribute to a positive work environment

• Demonstrate flexibility and willingness to change

• Identify opportunities to improve clinical and administrative processes

• Make appropriate decisions, using sound judgment

• Use resources efficiently

• Search for less costly ways of doing things