Lisa Brownell wasn’t about to take her coat off for anyone.

The nine-year-old Hudson Falls girl had come to the Day Surgery Center at Glens Falls Hospital to have tubes put in her ears, and she saw the cozy environs of her bright winter parka as the last defense between her and what she was convinced would be one of the more frightening experiences of her young life.

Enter Beth Murphy, a registered nurse at the Day Surgery Center and the mother of two young children. In a matter of minutes, Beth’s warmth had helped Lisa shed her coat...and share a smile.

Key to building the relationship was Primary Care Nursing. Beth’s assurance to Lisa that she would be Lisa’s personal nurse throughout her visit to the Center.

Primary Care Nursing has been a way of life at the Day Surgery Center at Glens Falls Hospital since its opening in 1993.

Each patient, regardless of age, is assigned a Primary Nurse who remains with the patient from the Admitting Room through the surgical procedure. This innovative program enables the nurse to develop a rapport with the patient and gain an understanding of his or her individual concerns and interests. Most importantly, Primary Care Nursing helps build an essential bond of trust between the nurse, the patient and the patient’s family.

"You get a chance to talk with the patient and their family, and that experience gives you a little insight into where they’re coming from and what their needs are," says Beth Murphy.

Adds 25-year nursing veteran Sue Travis, R.N.: "We have to help with the patient’s emotional and spiritual states before they can plan on healing physically. Primary Nursing allows us to do that."

A recent survey of Day Surgery Center patients found that 96% rate the Center’s services as "good" or "very good." The high level of patient interaction available through Primary Care Nursing also enables the Center to attract and retain high-quality nurses.

"The nursing staff is excellent," says Heidi Brownell, whose three children have all been treated at the Center. "They’re very friendly, very caring...there’s a genuine care there, for each and every patient."