GI Unit Leadership: Shaping a High-Performing Endoscopy Unit (Virtual) | February 2026-11_Straub

11_Straub_RealTime Recovery

Pdf Summary

The presentation "Crisis Averted: The Art of Real-Time Service Recovery" by Kelly L. Straub, BSN, RN, emphasizes effective strategies for managing challenging patient situations in Endoscopy to maintain patient safety, trust, and procedural efficiency. Given the tight scheduling and prep-dependent nature of endoscopic procedures, patient no-shows, late cancellations, improper bowel prep, and NPO (nil per os) violations can disrupt workflow, increase costs, and affect physician performance.<br /><br />Core principles of real-time service recovery include remaining calm, focusing on patient safety, offering practical solutions, and preserving patient dignity. For no-shows, staff should promptly contact patients with a tone of concern rather than blame, offer quick rescheduling, and reinforce prep importance. Late cancellations, often driven by emotional or logistical barriers, require empathetic communication, reassurance, and securing commitments for future appointments.<br /><br />When patients violate NPO guidelines by eating beforehand, the emphasis shifts to explaining anesthesia risks without blame, prioritizing safety, and offering timely re-prep and rescheduling. Improper bowel prep affects procedure visibility and may lead to repeat exams and insurance issues; recovery calls for normalizing the challenge, assessing barriers (taste, timing, comprehension), customizing education, and using teach-back methods.<br /><br />Effective communication phrases like “I’m glad you told me — we can fix this” help maintain patient trust. A real-time service recovery workflow involves pausing emotional reactions, assessing safety, providing brief education, immediately offering solutions, and documenting all steps. Roles across the team—nurses, schedulers, physicians, and leadership—collaborate to address challenges.<br /><br />Success is measured by fewer no-shows, improved prep quality, higher patient satisfaction, and better survey scores. Key takeaways stress that empathy enhances compliance, safety messaging builds trust, and every crisis is a chance to retain patients. Regular team discussions promote ongoing improvement in handling difficult patient interactions.

Keywords

Real-Time Service Recovery

Endoscopy Patient Management

Patient Safety

No-Shows and Late Cancellations

NPO Violations

Bowel Preparation Compliance

Empathetic Communication

Patient Trust and Satisfaction

Healthcare Team Collaboration

Procedure Efficiency