Exam 2 module 3 part 6 Flashcards
Ch 36: Caring for the Surgical Patient
What does perioperative nursing involve?
Care of clients before, during, and after surgery and other invasive procedures.
What was perioperative nursing historically called?
Operating room nursing.
What are the current responsibilities of perioperative nurses?
Provide and manage care, teach, and study the care of perioperative patients.
What is the AORN?
Association of periOperative Registered Nurses.
What is a significant component of preventing complications in perioperative nursing?
Hand hygiene.
What are the consequences of preventable perioperative errors?
Surgery-related deaths, unfavorable financial impact on healthcare institutions, physical and emotional harm to patients.
What is one of the three domains under which AORN organizes its perioperative patient outcomes?
Perioperative safety.
What specific safety outcomes does AORN focus on?
Prevention of injury and freedom from infection.
What do the 2021 National Patient Safety Goals by The Joint Commission include?
Preventing infection, improving accuracy of patient identification, using medication safely, performing a time-out before procedures.
What is the aim of the National Quality Partners (NQP) Leadership Consortium?
Achieving better care, improved health for people and communities, making quality care more affordable.
What are some current national priorities and goals established by the NQP?
Improving medication safety, promoting high-quality home-based healthcare, preventing maternal mortality.
What is the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)?
An independent, not-for-profit organization working to reduce morbidity and death in American healthcare.
What was one goal of the IHI’s 100,000 Lives Campaign?
Reduce surgical complications, specifically surgical infections.
When should hand hygiene be performed?
Immediately before and after each patient contact
* After removing gloves
* Any time you may have come in contact with blood or potentially infectious substances
* Before and after eating
* After using the restroom
These practices are essential to prevent the spread of infection.
True or False: Wearing gloves substitutes for hand hygiene.
False
Gloves must be removed, and hand hygiene should still be performed.
What should be removed before performing hand hygiene?
Rings, watches, and bracelets
Wearing rings has been associated with an increase in skin microorganism count.
What is the recommended length for fingernails?
Short and clean
Fingernails should not extend beyond the fingertips.
How often should chipped nail polish be replaced?
At least every 4 days
Regular replacement helps maintain proper hygiene.
What is the recommendation regarding artificial nails?
Do not wear artificial nails
Fungal growth often occurs under artificial nails.
What should be checked on hands before performing hand hygiene?
Lesions or breaks in skin integrity
Ensuring skin integrity is crucial for effective hand hygiene.
What are ‘Never Events’?
‘Never Events’ are serious and costly errors resulting in severe consequences for the patient, and are mostly preventable.
Medicare no longer reimburses institutions for care related to such complications.
Why are ‘Never Events’ significant in healthcare?
‘Never Events’ are significant because they are believed to be reasonably preventable and should never happen in a hospital.
These events lead to severe consequences for patients and increased healthcare costs.
What organization does not reimburse for care related to ‘Never Events’?
Medicare
This policy is in place to encourage hospitals to prevent these events.
List three examples of ‘Never Events’ relevant to perioperative care.
- Surgery on the wrong body part
- Wrong surgery on a patient
- Foreign body left in a patient after surgery
Other examples include surgery on the wrong patient and DVT or PE after total knee or hip replacement.
What is the preoperative phase?
The preoperative phase begins with the client’s decision to have surgery and ends when they enter the operating room.
The duration and patient teaching during this phase depend on the type of surgery and the patient’s overall health status.
What factors influence the length of the preoperative period?
The type of surgery and the patient’s overall health status.
These factors determine the extent of patient teaching and preparation.
True or False: Surgical site infections after certain elective procedures are considered ‘Never Events’.
True
Specifically referenced in the context of bariatric surgery for obesity.
Fill in the blank: The preoperative period ends when the patient _______.
enters the operating room.
Who extends the definition of ‘Never Events’ to include all infections?
AORN, The Joint Commission, National Priorities Partnership, and IHI.
These organizations focus on improving patient safety and quality of care.
What does CDC target in relation to ‘Never Events’?
Certain antimicrobial-resistant bacterial infections.
This is part of efforts to prevent infections that could lead to ‘Never Events’.
What is Perioperative Nursing?
A specialized area of nursing with specific, established standards of care
Focuses on integrating care standards into the nursing process for each patient.
What do caring nurses ensure regarding patients before surgery?
That a person is cognitively and psychologically prepared for surgery
This preparation is essential for patient safety and understanding.
What does it mean for a nurse to advocate for patients in a perioperative setting?
Stopping the line and placing a HOLD on surgery when an error or risk is identified
This action demonstrates accountability and commitment to patient safety.
What phrase can a nurse use to express concern about a surgical procedure?
I have a concern
Other phrases include: ‘We need to stop and verify’ or ‘I cannot send the patient until the surgeon reviews the procedure.’
True or False: Preventing errors and ‘never events’ is solely the responsibility of the surgeon.
False
It is everyone’s responsibility in the surgical team.
What does 200% accountability in perioperative care refer to?
Taking full responsibility for one’s actions and ensuring patient safety by advocating for necessary changes
This includes speaking up about concerns.
Fill in the blank: A caring nurse strives to integrate _______ into the nursing process.
[established standards of care]
What is the focus of nursing care during the preoperative phase?
Identifying existing health concerns, planning for intraoperative and postoperative needs, and providing preoperative teaching.
In what settings is preoperative nursing care delivered?
Variety of settings, including outpatient settings like endoscopy suites, physicians’ offices, and ambulatory surgery centers.
What percentage of surgeries in the United States are performed in outpatient settings?
More than two-thirds.
How are surgeries classified?
By body system, purpose, level of urgency, and acuity.
What is the significance of body system classification in surgery?
It helps determine the postoperative risk of infection.
Which body systems have a higher risk for infection during surgery?
Gastrointestinal (GI), respiratory, and genitourinary tracts.
What is ablative surgery?
Removal of a diseased body part.
Provide an example of ablative surgery.
Cholecystectomy (removal of a diseased gallbladder).
What is diagnostic (exploratory) surgery?
Surgery done to confirm or rule out a diagnosis.
Give examples of diagnostic (exploratory) surgery.
Biopsy and invasive tests, such as cardiac catheterization.
What is palliative surgery?
Performed to relieve discomfort or disease symptoms without producing a cure.
Provide an example of palliative surgery.
Nerve root destruction for chronic pain.
What is reconstructive surgery?
Surgery performed to restore function.
Give an example of reconstructive surgery.
Rotator cuff repair.
What is cosmetic surgery?
Surgery done to improve appearance.
Provide an example of cosmetic surgery.
Face-lift.
What is transplant surgery?
Replaces a malfunctioning body part, tissue, or organ.
What types of procedures are included in transplant surgery?
Joint replacements and organ replacement procedures.
What is procurement surgery?
Related to transplant surgery, involving harvesting an organ or tissue from someone brain dead for transplantation.
What is the definition of emergency surgery?
Requires transport to the operating suite as soon as possible to preserve the patient’s life or function
Common causes include internal hemorrhage, rupture of an organ, and trauma.
What is the time frame for urgent surgery?
Scheduled within 24 to 48 hours
Aimed at alleviating symptoms, repairing a body part, or restoring function.
What characterizes elective surgery?
Performed when surgery is recommended but not time sensitive
Allows the client to delay surgery to gather information or consider options.
Provide examples of elective surgery.
- Repair of a torn ligament
- Removal of rectal polyps
What does the adage ‘the only minor surgery is someone else’s surgery’ imply?
Reflects the anxiety that often accompanies surgery
Suggests that all surgery carries some level of risk.
How is surgery categorized by degree of risk?
Defined as major or minor based on seriousness or risk associated with the procedure
The degree of risk varies with the client’s condition and the type of surgery.
What is major surgery?
Associated with a high degree of risk
Involves significant blood loss, complicated procedures, or vital organs.
Give examples of major surgery.
- Coronary artery bypass graft
- Nephrectomy (removal of a kidney)
- Colon resection
What is minor surgery?
Involves little risk and usually has few complications
Often performed on an outpatient basis.
Provide examples of minor surgery.
- Breast biopsy
- Inguinal hernia repair
What are the main factors that affect surgical risk?
Patient’s age, general health, personal habits.
Which age groups are at the greatest risk during surgical procedures?
Very young and very old.
What are some risk factors for infants during surgery?
- Limited ability to regulate temperature
- Immature immune, cardiovascular, liver, and renal systems
- Increased risk for infection
- Increased risk for excess fluid volume and deficient fluid volume
- Minor blood loss may represent a substantial portion of total blood
- Difficulty calming due to inability to understand the situation.
What are common concerns for toddlers undergoing surgery?
Anxiety about separation from parents or caregivers, fear of the dark.
What fears do preschoolers commonly have regarding surgery?
Fear of damage to body parts, fear of pain, fear of needles.
What concerns might teens have related to surgery?
Fear of disfigurement resulting from scars.
What are common anxieties for young adults facing surgery?
Anxiety about the cost associated with hospitalization or surgery.
Why are older adults at increased risk during surgical procedures?
Less physiological reserve, often have comorbid conditions, physiological changes of aging.
List some physiological changes in older adults that predispose them to surgical risk.
- Decreased kidney function
- Diminished immune function
- Decreased bone and lean body mass
- Increased peripheral vascular resistance
- Decreased cardiac output
- Decreased cough reflex
- Increased time required for wound healing.
What characterizes a clean wound?
Uninfected; minimal inflammation; little risk of infection
Clean wounds are typically associated with surgical procedures that do not involve the GI, respiratory, or genitourinary tract.
Which surgical procedures are considered clean surgeries?
- Face-lift
- Cataract surgery
- Joint replacement
- Breast biopsy
- Tonsillectomy
These procedures are performed in a controlled environment with minimal risk of infection.
True or False: Clean wounds have a high risk of infection.
False
Clean wounds are specifically defined by their low risk of infection.
Fill in the blank: A clean wound is _______.
[uninfected; minimal inflammation; little risk of infection]
What are clean-contaminated wounds?
Not infected, but carry increased risk for infection
These include surgical incisions that enter the GI, respiratory, or genitourinary tract.
What are contaminated wounds?
Not infected, but carry high risk for infection
Examples include surgery to repair trauma to open wounds, such as compound fractures, and surgery in which a major break in surgical asepsis occurred.
What defines infected wounds?
Evidence of infection, such as purulent drainage, necrotic tissue, or bacterial counts above 100,000 organisms per gram of tissue
This includes a postoperative surgical incision of any type that has evidence of infection.
What may patients with altered cognition be unable to do regarding surgical procedures?
Understand preoperative instructions or give informed consent for surgical procedures
Patients with altered cognition may also require medications that interact with anesthetics and analgesics.
What is a potential effect of surgery and anesthesia on patients with preexisting dementia?
Aggravate preexisting dementia, confusion, and disorientation
What do acute infections increase the risk of in surgical patients?
Various postoperative complications
Especially postoperative pneumonia in patients with upper respiratory tract infections receiving general anesthesia.
What chronic condition affects the heart’s ability to function efficiently?
Cardiovascular diseases (e.g., hypertension, congestive heart failure, MI)
What can limit the surgical risk associated with chronic cardiovascular disorders?
Well-controlled disorders with BP medications or cardiotonic medications
Chronic respiratory disorders increase the risk of what postoperative complication?
Respiratory infection
Conditions such as emphysema, asthma, or bronchitis may be exacerbated by general anesthesia.
What do coagulation disorders increase the risk of during surgery?
Hemorrhage and hypovolemic shock
What risk is associated with a hypercoagulation state?
Stroke, embolism, or intravascular clotting
How does diabetes mellitus affect surgical outcomes?
Delays wound healing and increases the risk of infection and cardiovascular disorders