Nursing Process Change Paper -- pre-operative management

The pre-operative stage is an important phase in patient’s surgery process. This is the time where the patients is experiencing a lot of anxiety issues and have questions regarding the impending procedure. To help ensure good patient outcomes, it is imperative to provide complete preoperative instructions and discharge instructions (Allison & George, 2014). It is the nurses’ duty to safe guard and protects the patient’s welfare during the surgical experience. Effective preoperative preparation is known to enhance postoperative pain management and recovery. Health professionals need to be cognizant of the contextual factors that influence patients’ preoperative experiences and give context appropriate care (Aziato & Adejumo, 2014). This essays attempts to address the elements of pre-operative management and issues that could potentially cause surgery delays or cancelation at the Veterans Affairs Southern Nevada Healthcare System (VASNHS) Surgical Spec ialty Outpatient department. Moreover, it also depicts the need for a new pre-operative management system. Assessment New consults for the Surgical Specialty Outpatient department comes from the primary care provider. During the initial visit the surgeon evaluates the patient and discusses the plan of care. If patient requires surgery, the surgeon orders pre-operative tests such as blood work, urine test, electrocardiogram (EKG) and chest X-rays. After completing the â€Å"buck slip,† a hand written operating room (OR) request form, the surgeon hands it to the primary care nurse of that particular Surgical Specialty clinic. The nurse then turns in a copy of the buck slip to the operating room scheduler and another copy to the nurse pre-operative unit. There are instances... ... 26, 2014. Mitchell, M. (2013). Anaesthesia type, gender and anxiety. Journal Of Perioperative Practice, 23(3), 41-46. Retrieved from http://ozone.nsc.edu:8080/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rzh&AN=2012030991&site=ehost-live on on April 27, 2014. Pritchard, M. (2012). Pre-operative assessment of elective surgical patients. Nursing Standard, 26(30), 51-56. Retrieved from http://ozone.nsc.edu:8080/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rzh&AN=2011513584&site=ehost-live on April 26, 2014. Shapiro, F. E., Punwani, N., & Urman, R. D. (2013). Putting the Patient Into Patient Safety Checklists. AORN Journal, 98(4), 413-418. doi:10.1016/j.aorn.2013.08.003. Retrieved from http://ozone.nsc.edu:8080/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rzh&AN=2012318462&site=ehost-live on April 26, 2014.