Pre-Operative

1. The nursing responsibilities in the pre-operative phase of surgery are to do a patient screening, this includes any blood and lab work, history of surgery, any allergies to medications, history of chronic illness, nutrition level including any dietary regimens the patient should be on before and after surgery, as well as assessing all medications the patient is on and if there are any contraindications to surgery. To prepare the patient mentally physically and spiritually and also to conduct a patient teaching to ensure the patient has all the information that they have the right to know. The nurse also acts as a witness to the signing of the informed consent.

2. The nurse must assess the needs of the patient pre-operatively this can include the need for information, education, the need for comfort, the need for spiritual guidance. The patient may need to use the bathroom; the patient may feel ill or need some calming techniques shown to them.

3. The nurse has the responsibility of ensuring the patient is ready for surgery. The nurses’ duties usually include placing the patient on NPO status, starting an IV line, prepping the intestinal tract and skin and administering the preoperative medicines. The nurse is usually following orders from the surgeon or guidelines of the facility they work in. The nurse also had the responsibility of ensuring that the patient feels as though they have all the information that they have rights to and that they have been well educated on the surgery. The nurse also can mentally and spiritually as well as emotionally prepare the patient for undergoing surgery.

4. The nurse administers patient teaching in regards to many things, patients usually have fears when it comes to the effects of surgery and anesthesia they may at times have questions about how the surgery will affect their home lives negatively.