How to Establish and Operate a Hospital Blood Conservation Program

This publication is designed to assist any acute care facility in establishing a hospital based bloodless medicine or blood conservation program. Written by a nurse with many years experience establishing and operating such programs in hospital settings from small community to large University Teaching Institutions, this Simple "How To" Manual provides step by step instructions and direction from concept to implementation. Written from the perspective of the position of program coordinator it includes the principles upon which hospital policies are based, touches on clinical aspects of care of the anemic patient, advance directives and patient's rights. Staff education on the clinical and ethical aspects of such a program are covered as well as sensitive areas impacted by HIPAA laws. The manual includes sample policies that can be adapted for use in any institution.