VHAN Care Navigator’s Empathy Bolsters Post-Op Patient’s Emotional Well-being
While most surgeries and medical procedures come off without a hitch, there are times when things don’t go as expected, and the ramifications—from medical to financial to psychological—can be serious. In the case of elective surgery, an unsuccessful outcome can be especially disappointing to a patient.
Following her gastric bypass procedure at another area hospital, a Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) employee immediately began to experience serious complications. In additional to the physical challenges, she became depressed, even feeling a sense of embarrassment and shame over having chosen to undergo the procedure.
As an employee, her primary care providers were in the VUMC system, and her name appeared on VHAN Care Navigator Katie Crider’s list of patient follow-up calls.
“She’d had the surgery earlier in the spring,” Crider says. “Gastric bypass surgery usually works with no problem, but some people have bad complications or don’t really bounce back, and she was that patient. She couldn’t eat without vomiting, there was a spiral of symptoms and she couldn’t get back to health.”
Since her surgeon was affiliated with another hospital, the patient was surprised and even a bit suspicious of Crider’s call, thinking it might be spam, but Crider was able to allay her fears.
“People are sometimes leery to talk, so that first call was about building trust,” Crider says. “I did gain her trust and build a rapport. I guided her on nutrition choices and helped her get past her regrets.”
For a patient struggling with her emotions, Crider’s call came at the right time, and the relationship that developed between them was something special for both parties.
“At that time, I was going through disbelief and regret because I’d had this gastric bypass surgery,” the patient says. “Katie was able to tell me that these feelings will pass, and she continued to reach out to me. I got very comfortable talking to her. I felt I was going through something that nobody understood, and she helped me mentally.”
VHAN care navigators like Crider act as patient advocates, going beyond clinical care to support patients’ emotional well-being.
“The beauty of this job is that it provides us with the time to get to know our patients and walk them through these journeys,” Crider says. “Sitting down with this patient and having a conversation, and exploring her feelings of sadness and disappointment about the surgery not going as she thought it would, shows that we’re genuinely there for them and not just rushing to the next patient.”
“Katie and I talked about my health, our families and about trips,” the patient says. “We got comfortable sharing things, and she made me a lot more at ease. She even knows I’m a grandma. Ms. Katie is awesome!”
To refer a patient to the VHAN Care Management program, VHAN members can fill out this form or call (615) 936-2828.