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Patty Walker, RN, BSN, is director of pain management at Texas Orthopedic Hospital in Houston. The medical center is the brainchild of several physicians who wanted to devote their practice to caring for patients with joint, spine and shoulder injuries as well as those needing hip and knee replacement surgery.

The hospital has 45 inpatient beds, which are usually at capacity, and also treats patients on an outpatient basis.

“It’s extremely gratifying to work in an environment where you can make an impact on the daily life of a patient,” Walker said. “We have patients who come into our pain management clinic scoring their pain as a seven, but rate it as a zero after undergoing treatment.”

Walker, who has a background in trauma care, says that working in a specialty hospital allows her to spend more quality time caring for her patients.

“Our patients often comment that our staff is more understanding and compassionate about their pain,” Walker said. “We get to know our pain patients very well since we often work with them over a two-week or two-year period.”

The staff’s personalized approach to care is reflected in their patient satisfaction surveys. Patients at specialty hospitals such as Texas Orthopedic praise the time and follow-up care they are given by nurses.

“It means a lot to patients when we are able to identify them by name and ask about their specific condition,” Walker said. “They know they aren’t just a number here, and they have greater confidence in us and in the system.”

Janet Kaiser, RN, became intrigued with the idea of working in a specialty hospital five years ago. She heard that a cardiac specialty hospital was set to open in Wichita, Kan., and she quickly applied to become part of their team.

Today, Kaiser is celebrating her fifth year at Kansas Heart Hospital where she works as the manager of the ICU.

“Five years ago, specialty hospitals were a new concept and I was excited at the prospect of building something new,” she said.

No regrets

Kaiser has no regrets about leaving her job at a Midwest hospital to transfer to Kansas Heart. She enjoys being part of an all-RN staff and the close-knit atmosphere of working in a 54-bed hospital.

Despite its size, Kansas Heart conducts more than 700 open-heart surgeries a year, a statistic comparable to many 500-bed medical centers.

“We have a nursing ratio of one nurse to every two patients and only a 2 percent to 3 percent turnover rate among nurses at our facility,” Kaiser said. “Since all we provide is cardiac care, we can focus on meeting the individual needs of our patients.”

Kim Harris, RN, transferred to Kansas Heart Hospital seeking a slower pace and the opportunity to offer patients the best care experience possible.

“In my previous job, I was providing care for approximately three cardiac intensive patients each shift,” she said. “I never felt as if I could give them all the individual care they needed.”

At Kansas Heart, Harris has found her niche. She enjoys the close, supportive camaraderie of her nursing colleagues and the ability to have her concerns or questions on patient care heard by administrators.

“Middle management at our hospital consists of two people,” Harris said. “It’s much easier to facilitate change in this kind of environment. I believe that our managers listen to us and are more accessible than administrators in a large hospital.”

Contact Linda Childers at eastbaypr@aol.com.