1 introduction this activity looks at how pre-operative preparation can enhance post-operative...

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Introduction

This activity looks at how pre-operative preparation can enhance post-operative recovery. You will identify potential causes of anxiety in patients undergoing surgery and will learn about the role of the multidisciplinary healthcare team in the management of this.

In this activity, you will:

learn about the importance of pre-operative preparation

identify possible reasons for patient anxiety prior to surgery and ways in which this may present

explain the role of the health professional in helping patients minimise their anxiety

Slide x of y© King’s College London 2011

Pre-operative preparation

Patient anxiety

The majority of patients undergoing surgery are anxious (Mitchell 2007). This can result in physical and psychological problems such as increased anaesthetic requirements, increased pain post-operatively, delayed wound healing and increased infection risks, all of which can influence patient mood and delay recovery (Stirling 2006).

We will look at a case in point on the next slide.



Manifestation of anxiety

Anxiety is an individual emotion and ways in which it shows vary between individuals. For example, some people may experience physiological reactions to anxiety such as loss of appetite or tremors, while others may experience psychological responses such as agitation or fearful anticipation.

Prior to implementing actions aimed at reducing and managing a patient’s anxiety, it is important that you recognise that not all patients will verbalise their fears.



Providing psychological support for patients pre-operatively will help facilitate and enhance their post-operative recovery.




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Providing information

To reduce pre-operative anxiety effectively, providing information about post-operative expectations and possible complications is as important as information about the surgery itself. This information allows patients to consider coping strategies to help them to improve their post-operative recovery.

Patients differ in the amount of information they wish to be given. For example, some individuals may find too much explicit information makes them more anxious, not less (Castero et al 2006). It is, therefore, important to determine the patient’s needs when providing information.

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Information: written and verbal

As anxiety interferes with comprehension and memory, information should be provided in both verbal and non-verbal forms (Fyfe 1999). Providing patient information leaflets can help individuals understand what to expect from the surgery and allow them to identify specific concerns to discuss with the health professionals.

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Summary

You have now reached the end of this activity. Here is a summary of the key points:

Undergoing surgery is anxiety-provoking for the majority of patients.

Healthcare professionals play an important role in providing psychological support and encouraging the patient to develop coping strategies to minimise this anxiety.

An essential component of pre-operative preparation is the provision of appropriate information.



References

Cherry, P and Duxbury, A, 2009. Practical Radiotherapy: Physics and

equipment. 2nd edition. Wiley-Blackwell.

Graham, D, Cloke, P, Vosper, M., 2007. Radiological physics, 6th edition. Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, London.



Guided learning

These slides provides a set of additional learning resources and activities for Pre-diagnosis assessment and support.These activities and resources will help consolidate and extend your understanding and enable you to complete thetotal number of required guided learning hours. Please speak to your supervisor or line manager if you have any questions.

Pre-operative preparationDuration: 1 hour 30 minutesAccess and read this article Garretson, S., ‘Benefits of preoperative information programmes’, Nursing Standard, 18(47),2004, pp. 33–37:

1. Identify any pre-operative patient information programmes in your clinical area.

2. Reflect upon their value and consider possible barriers to success.

3. Develop a patient information leaflet for use in your area of practice and evaluate its effectiveness with your patients. Remember to gain approval and patient consent.



Guided learning cont.

Preparing the patient for surgeryDuration: 1 hour

Access and read this article: Gustafsson, U. O., et al, ‘Pre-operative carbohydrate loading may be used in type 2 diabetes patients’, 2008.

1. How many patients were involved in the study?

2. What was the outcome of the research?

3. Can this be implemented or is it currently implemented in your clinical area? Are there any limitations to the research that would make implementation difficult?

4. Explore your role in the implementation of such a programme.



1 introduction this activity looks at how pre-operative preparation can enhance post-operative...

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