Česky
One-day care centre
Ms Germeková, how would you describe the Day Care Unit from a head nurse’s perspective?
Our ward runs like a well-oiled machine. It is a dynamic, modern and highly efficient workplace where great emphasis is placed on precise organisation, safety and patient comfort. For me personally, it is a place where cutting-edge medicine is combined with a human touch, and where we strive to ensure that patients’ stays in hospital are as short and as stress-free as possible. Our day-case care is not just about the functioning of a single department, but about the coordination of all departments working together – from sterilisation, anaesthesiology and operating theatres to the outpatient clinic, the inpatient ward and the subsequent early rehabilitation ward.
What makes working in the day-case department different from other inpatient wards?
The main difference is the huge turnover of patients. Whilst in a traditional inpatient ward you have time to get to know a patient over the course of several days, here a patient is admitted, given pre-operative instructions, operated on, rehabilitated and discharged home within just a few minutes. The nurse must, in an extremely short space of time, provide the patient and their family with as much information as possible regarding surgical wound care and post-operative rehabilitation, as the main phase of recovery takes place at home.
What is a typical working day like for the head nurse and the entire nursing team?
It is very dynamic. For nurses, the day begins early in the morning, not only with admitting patients who are due for scheduled procedures, but also with discharging and changing the dressings of patients who have stayed overnight on the ward and are being discharged following a check-up by a physician. This is followed by a fast-paced cycle: preparation for the operating theatre, the procedures themselves, post-operative care, monitoring vital signs, administering painkillers and encouraging early mobilisation, or getting out of bed. By the afternoon, we’re already discharging the first patients home. My day as a head nurse is mainly about management. In the morning, I check staffing levels and the surgery schedule, and then I deal with administration, the logistics of supplies, the quality of care, and coordination with the physicians admitting patients for surgery, the surgeons, anaesthetists and the operating theatres. Put simply, my role is to ensure that the girls and lads in the team have everything they need to work smoothly, that the whole operation runs without a hitch, and that everyone is happy.
What challenges does your team face most often, and what helps you to overcome them?
The biggest challenge in our department is undoubtedly time pressure and unexpected changes to the operating schedule. It can happen that a hidden contraindication is discovered in a patient at the last minute, or that the operation itself runs over time, and we then have to be able to react immediately, flexibly and, above all, without panicking. At such times, excellent communication and absolute trust within the team definitely help us. When you know you can rely 100 per cent on the colleague standing next to you, you can cope with even the most demanding day. And, of course, a healthy sense of humour helps us too.
“A nurse must be not only professional, but also empathetic”
What do the nurses themselves and other members of staff appreciate most about working in your department?
A major benefit and attraction here is the work schedule itself. As day care usually operates on a fixed schedule from Monday to Friday, our nurses tend to have weekends and public holidays off, as well as a fixed summer holiday. For people with families and children, this is a huge advantage when it comes to balancing their personal and professional lives. Moreover, the staff in our department really appreciate the fact that they can see the immediate results of their work. Patients come to us with a health problem and leave in the afternoon or evening, satisfied, to go home.
As a team manager, what are you most proud of in your work and in your department?
My team, and the wonderful, friendly and safe atmosphere we’ve managed to build together in the department. The work here is incredibly demanding, but when I see in the morning that the girls and lads come to work with a smile, help one another and pull together, that’s the greatest reward for me and confirmation that my managerial work is meaningful. And, of course, I’m immensely proud of the thousands of satisfied patients who leave us feeling relieved and then write us lovely thank-you notes. For all of us, that’s the best proof that we’re doing our job well.
Iva Germeková
Head nurse, Day Care Department, Rehabilitation Hospital Beroun
She has worked in the healthcare sector for over 35 years, predominantly in acute and intensive care. She gained experience in the ICU and RES units at Na Homolce Hospital, as well as in post-acute intensive care at Hospital Hořovice. She has been working in Beroun since 2023 and is the manager of the Day Care Department since 2025. She has specialist training in ARIP. She actively fosters team spirit and organises a variety of social and team-building events for her colleagues. In her spare time, she enjoys sport, the outdoors, reading and spending time with her dogs.