Interview with Giselle Kies, Student OR Nurse, HagaZiekenhuis

As one of the largest hospitals in the Netherlands, HagaZiekenhuis plays a crucial role in delivering high-quality surgical care across both elective and emergency settings, with 15 operating rooms (ORs) covering 12 surgical service lines and supporting one of the country's busiest emergency departments.

To meet the demands of this high-volume, high-acuity environment, Haga maintains 24-hour OR team coverage at its Den Haag location, providing out-of-hours care across specialties including general, trauma, pediatric, and cardiothoracic surgery.

To better support its teams in this high-pressure environment, Haga partnered with Incision to implement Assist, the ConfidentOR™ Solution that helps perioperative teams prepare for surgical cases, align with surgeon preferences, and meet patient needs.

The implementation process was fast and efficient: in just three months, the first four major service lines were fully digitized. The rollout was exceptionally well received by staff—surveys showed high satisfaction not only with the platform itself but also with the implementation experience. Teams reported easier orientation for new and traveling staff, faster access to critical information, and significantly improved confidence in key perioperative tasks—with 92% saying they would recommend Assist to a colleague at another hospital.

Today, one year later, Assist is used across all 12 surgical specialties at Haga, with over 600 protocols published and more than 110 active users each month. Read the full case study here.

Among these users is Giselle Kies, a student OR Nurse at HagaZiekenhuis. Still early in her training, she quickly discovered the importance of having access to the right information at the right time.

“I use the platform every shift to look up materials, check surgeon preferences, and review the steps of each procedure. In the OR, I often hear, ‘Didn’t you check Incision?’ — which really shows how essential the platform has become in our daily workflows.”

Giselle entered the OR with no prior healthcare experience. Like many trainees, she rotates across specialties and regularly supports procedures that are entirely new to her. Having access to detailed, up-to-date protocols and workflow information has had a clear impact on her confidence and preparedness.

“I’d definitely recommend Assist — not just for OR nurses, but also for anesthesia trainees, technologists, and surgical residents. Making our workflows more efficient really helps ease the pressure... and it's incredibly helpful when everyone knows exactly what each team member is doing!"

One feature she especially values is the ability to take notes within the platform, capturing surgeon-specific preferences or key reminders to use as a personal reference.

“It’s like having a memory aid. I make notes per surgeon so I remember how they like things done. It really helps me prepare and feel more secure going into a procedure.”

Giselle also sees a shift in team culture—where feeling supported and well-prepared is becoming the norm. For trainees, travelers, and experienced staff alike, Assist creates a shared point of reference that fosters consistency and collaboration.

“It’s great for orientation. When people are new or switching shifts and specialties, it saves so much time. You don’t have to ask around—you can just check what you need to know.”

Despite being early in her OR career, Giselle already sees how digital tools like Assist are transforming the way surgical teams prepare, perform, and share information daily. At Haga, it’s not just about adopting new technology—it’s about equipping every team member to deliver safer, more confident, and consistently best-practice surgical care, even when the pressure is at its highest.

Would you like to know how Incision Assist can support your hospital and team? Get in touch with Eva Andriessen via eva.a@incision.care.