Surgery and PeriOperative
St George Hospital provides a multidisciplinary team of experts to guide, support and care for patients through both the elective and emergency surgical journeys.
Resources
Getting Ready for Surgery
- Hospital in the Home (HiTH) Pre-Operative Surgical Care
- "Fit for Surgery" (surgical preparation video)
- Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (videos)
- Quit smoking before surgery
- Patients' Guide to Anaesthesia
- What is an anaesthetic?
- Eating and drinking before surgery
Pain Relief Following Surgery
- Adjuvant Pain Medicines
- Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA)
- Pain relieving medication
- Epidural Pain Relief - Patient Discharge Advice
What to Expect After Surgery
- Hospital in the Home (HiTH) Post Operative Surgical Care
- What to expect after Spinal surgery
- Neck Collar: Application & Care, Sitting Position
- Neck Collar: Application & Care, Lying Position with Head-Hold
- Neck Collar: Application & Care, Lying Position without Head-Hold
- Physiotherapy after Surgery
- Safety advice following anesthesia
Walking After Surgery:
- Walking after surgery - English
- Walking after surgery - Arabic
- Walking after surgery - Bengali
- Walking after surgery - Chinese Simplified
- Walking after surgery - Chinese Traditional
- Walking after surgery - Greek
- Walking after surgery - Italian
- Walking after surgery - Macedonian
- Walking after surgery - Nepali
- Walking after surgery - Russian
- Walking after surgery - Spanish
-33.9676303, 151.1334852
Pain Management Unit
We aim to provide comprehensive, evidence-based strategies for the management of all types of chronic (persistent) pain. This includes assessments and individual plans using a multidisciplinary approach by medical specialists, registrars, nurses, psychologists and physiotherapists. Our services include:
- ACTIVATE intensive pain management program for 4 weeks
- ENERGISE moderate intensity management program for 4 weeks
- Weekly exercise and mindfulness classes.
Different treatments are available. Interventions include medication assessment and adjustment, education and counselling, physiotherapy, psychological management. Our team includes:
Nursing staff who help look after wounds, check your blood pressure, measure your height and weight, and provide education. Clinical Nurse Consultants may also be at your appointment.
Administration staff who will help you organise your appointments, inform you about what will happen and answer any questions you may have.
Doctors who will assess, treat and help you manage your medical condition.
Physiotherapists who help treat injuries and work with you to develop an exercise plan.
Dieticians provide information and advice about nutrition and what to eat to help improve your health.
St George Hospital
Gray St
Kogarah 2217
Building location 17 (Banksia House) on the SGH Map.
-33.9676303, 151.1334852
Monday to Friday
8.00am - 4.00pm
To be eligible, patients must:
- be adult (16 years or over)
- be semi-ambulant. Clinic has no stretcher access
- have an ongoing persistant pain (greater than 3 to 6 months).
Clinics:
- Pain assessment/multidisciplinary assessment
- Medical/Nursing
- Physiotherapy
- Psychology
- Self management techniques
- Group programs
Multidisciplinary Assessment Clinics: You are seen initially by a pain specialist and if appropriate then by a pain physiotherapist and pain clinical psychologist. This ensures all aspects of their pain & circumstances are examined to inform treatment and recommendations.
Medical Management Clinics: Pain Management, Medication management, medical interventions, procedures and follow up are provided by our highly experienced pain specialists and a Pain Registrar.
Individual Psychological or Physiotherapy Assessment and Treatment: One-on-one sessions for those who require individual assistance.
Chronic Pain Information Sessions: The aim of these 2 hour sessions is to give you a basic understanding of chronic pain and some strategies and hints to manage chronic pain. The sessions are held in the Pain Management Unit, and are available to you and (family/carer/s).
Can I choose the day and time I attend the department for my appointment?
We have doctor clinics, allied health clinics and nursing clinics at set times. We try to find an appointment time that allows you to attend.
Will I always see the same doctor at each visit?
The St George Hospital is a teaching hospital so you will be seen by a specialist doctor or a specialist doctor in training. You will stay under the care of the specialist doctor but you may see the doctor in training for your appointments.
Who can I bring with me to my appointment?
There is limited seating so please bring along only one support person (for example, a family member, friend or carer) with you.
A referral is required from your GP or specialist doctor. The referral can be sent via email (SESLHD-STGPain@health.nsw.gov.au) to the clinic and needs to include:
- Patient details, including contact details/DOB/email address
- Reason for referral
- Patient history
- Current medication
- Any previous treatments
We will then send you an email or letter in the post with the details of process prior to making an appointment. Once the requirements are fulfilled we will then contact your for your appointment date, time and location. If an appointment cannot be made we will send you a letter confirming that you are on the outpatient waiting list for the next available appointment. Please let us know if your address and/or phone number changes. The waiting list is currently 4-6 weeks (subject to change, waiting times can vary throughout the year).
If you need to change or cancel your appointment or you require further information, please telephone 02 9113 2141.
Waiting times for an appointment are different for each specialty and depends on the seriousness of your medical condition. The department is busy and there may be delays when you arrive for your appointment. Most people are seen within 1 hour. We ask that you arrive at your allocated appointment time to prevent having to wait longer.
Appointment Reminders
If we have your mobile phone number in our system you will receive a text message reminding you of your appointment date and time 3 days before your appointment.
- Current Medicare card or Veterans Affairs card.
- Any Health Care card, Pensioner Concession card or Commonwealth Seniors Health Care card.
- Insurer details (eg workers compensation, public liability or third party).
- Your private health fund membership card if you are currently insured with a private health fund.
- Recent X-rays or medical images and their reports, if applicable.
- Activities to keep you entertained while waiting (for example, a book, music player with headphones, crosswords). There is also a television and magazines available in the waiting area.
- If you have any particular medical needs we suggest you come prepared (for example, bring your medicines, if you are diabetic please bring food).
- To avoid missing your appointment we suggest you collect refreshments from the cafes located in the foyer of the hospital before checking in. If you need to leave the waiting area for any reason please inform staff at the reception desk.
ACI Pain Website : This website contains information and downloads for people in pain including pain management strategies and videos, information, handy hints and useful links. There is also a pain series for young people.
We are a teaching hospital and you may be asked to be involved in research or for a student to be present at your appointment. You have a right to say no. If you do so, this will not impact in any way on the services we will provide.
Please let us know if you need an interpreter. You can contact us by telephoning the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) 131 450. Tell the operator what language you speak and then ask the interpreter to set up a telephone conversation between you, an interpreter and the healthcare professional you want to speak with
Nursing and Midwifery
Director of Nursing and Midwifery Services
The Director of Nursing and Midwifery Services is a member of the executive leadership team and is responsible for the strategic and operational management, planning and development needs of the Division of Nursing & Midwifery Services from a financial, organisational, physical and human resource perspective.
Deputy Director of Nursing and Midwifery
The Deputy Director of Nursing and Midwifery Services is a member of the executive leadership team and is responsible for the onsite co-ordination and day to day operations of the Nursing and Midwifery Service. The position provides leadership and service development in areas relating to access and patient flow, after hours management, clinical support and risk management.
Comment Vicki Manning-Director of Nursing & Midwifery Services-SGH
At all levels of Nursing and Midwifery our vision underpins how we at St George conduct our business to fulfil our goal of excellent patient and family centred care.
As a leader of nurses and midwives I think it is critical that we defend and build a nursing culture that is unique to our facility and workforce - but it requires vigilance, constant focus and effort. It has to be a shared way of doing something with passion. By upholding our core values in everything we do. In the way we interact with each other, in the way we treat patients, visitors even down to how we email, behave in meetings, it’s in everything. The SGH Nursing & Midwifery vision, will define, shape and support what the agreed shared values and behavioural norms should be and is something we need to in print into our teams to ensure this legacy exists beyond our time here at St George".
The Nursing & Midwifery Executive promote programs which aim to support and develop our nurses and midwives into strong leaders, inspire innovation and allow staff to do what they do best, provide care to patients.
- St George Nursing and Midwifery Vision
- Productive Ward-Renovated House
- St George Wellbeing Program
- ST George Future NUMs and MUM program
- St George Next Step Nurse Managers Program
St George Nursing & Midwifery Vision
It was agreed by the Nursing & Midwifery leadership team, that a vision would provide
- meaning and purpose to plan the future with imagination and wisdom
- It would be an inspirational statement which was consistent with the purpose and values of our business at all levels of Nursing & Midwifery
- It would inspire us to do our best consistently and in any circumstance. In other words it would reinforce to us as nurses and midwives why we work here
Of course there are many other behaviours that we as nurses and midwives enact – but this is the core set of behaviours prioritised by us - that if followed every day, in all that we do, will ensure that we are doing our best.
Each of them develop and contribute to our workplace culture. They will impact on every aspect of how things get done at work: how we make decisions, how we problem solve, how we create and innovate, how we work together, and how we succeed as a profession and as a hospital.
Productive Ward
The Productive Ward focuses on improving ward systems, processes and environments to help clinical staff spend more time on patient care, thereby improving both safety and efficiency.
Following several successful years of implementation, St George reviewed the modules of the productive ward series to ensure we were maintaining relevance and meaningfulness for the site.
The clinical staff have undertaken work on improving medication safety, staff wellbeing and assessment and observations
The clinical staff enjoy the freedom the initiative gives them to make decisions and positively influence the changes required in their environments.
Staff Health & Wellbeing project
As a part of the Work Health Safety Committee the St George Hospital Staff Health & Wellbeing program was launched in November 2017.
With the intention to better invest in our staff and to improve their health and wellbeing the committee members decided to develop a hospital wide Wellbeing Program. With the creation of the wellbeing logo the philosophy of the program is To care for others well, WE must be well.
The program will include a number of classes and activities aimed at promoting and enhancing wellbeing both physically and mentally for staff. The objective is to improve the health and wellbeing of our workforce with the intention of making work a safe and enjoyable place to be. As a result improving staff morale, culture and fundamentally patient care and satisfaction.
Future NUM/MUMs program
The Future NUM/MUMs Program is a NUM/MUM management training program for the development of our future leaders.
Staff who are interested in pursuing a career in leadership and management are supported through a structured program that includes education days, supernumerary days with the Nursing Executive as well as allocation of a mentor NUM/MUM who the staff member shadow’s. Following this part of the program, the Future NUM/MUMs are allocated periods of leave relief opportunities across the facility for the year.
The intention is they learn the essential skills and functions of ward/unit management from key nursing and midwifery management personnel and service providers across the organisation. The annual tailored program has proven successful for previous applicants who are now in permanent management positions or long term relief secondments across the campus.
St George Next Step Nurse Managers Program
The St George Hospital Nursing and Midwifery Service have a strong history of successfully taking clinical staff with the passion and motivation for leading and managing teams and developing them into exceptional Nurse and Midwifery Unit Managers.
In 2018 we are developing our current NUMs/MUMs group into Nurse and Midwifery Managers with the opportunity to undergo training in a structured and supported program that includes education days, supernumerary days with the Nursing Executive as well as allocation of a mentor Nurse Manager. The aim of the program is to develop already experienced managers with higher level skills to relieve in management positions
