The 5 East Unit is a 24-bed inpatient surgical unit located on the 5th floor in the South Tower of UF Health Shands Hospital.
The unit includes 24 medical / surgical private rooms with two rooms having isolation capability and two rooms for the morbidly obese patients. Monitoring capabilities include continuous telemetry monitoring and pulse oximetry monitoring. Patient bed assignments are based upon patient safety concerns – i.e. placing confused patients and patients at risk for falls near the nurse’s station. Care is provided 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Average bed occupancy is 92%.
Description of Patient Populations
The 5 East unit/role specific job descriptions identify the patient populations/common diagnoses served, equipment utilized, skills required to perform treatments/procedures, clinical parameters monitored, safety precautions initiated, and emergency events encountered. Patients are admitted to 5 East following operative procedures for cancers and other diseases of the abdomen, pelvis, and breast. The services of 5 East have a strong statewide referral base accepting patients as hospital-to-hospital transfers as well as admitting patients from the Emergency Department for acute illnesses. Common admitting diagnoses include breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, pancreatitis, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, gall bladder disease and morbid obesity,
Nursing care is focused on the assessment, diagnosis, planning, treatment and evaluation of preoperative, postoperative, and nonsurgical patients from admission to discharge with emphasis on gastrointestinal and nutritional assessment, airway management, patient/family education and support, post-operative care, and initiation of the rehabilitation process. Nursing activities consist of: pain management including epidural and patient controlled analgesia; wound management including Vacuum Assisted Closure Systems, JPs, Duvalls; respiratory management including pulse oximetry, oxygen therapy and chest tubes; cardiac management including remote telemetry; nutritional management including TPN, NG-tube/G-tube/J-tube feedings; assessment and management of abdominal/GI drainage systems including G-tubes, J-tubes, ostomies, pancreatic drains, NGs; medication management, safety precautions and patient/family education. Average length of stay is 3.94 days.
Health Care Team
A general surgeon who is a professor in the Department of Surgery serves as the Medical Director for 5 East. The General Surgery and Surgical Oncology services consist of attending physicians, fellows, chief residents, residents, interns, physician assistants, ARNPs and medical students. Multidisciplinary, comprehensive care of patients and families on 5 East are provided by medicine, nursing, social work services, case management, pastoral care, food and nutritional services, pharmacy, rehab services, and other health care providers as indicated by the patients’ health status and identified needs.
The nursing management structure consists of a Nurse Manager and Clinical Leader. Additional unit support is provided by the Unit Assistant. Unit staff includes registered nurses, LPN, patient care assistants and a unit clerk. Additional unit requirements for registered nurses includes completion of the telemetry course, a positive attitude toward family-centered care, and the ability, willingness and interest to work with the age-appropriate patients including adolescent, adult and geriatric.