b.
Time of Instruction. The best time to teach patients is relatively close to
the time of surgery, which is usually the afternoon or evening before the surgery.
(1)
If instruction is given several days in advance, the patient may forget.
(2)
If instruction is given just before surgery, the patient may be too
apprehensive to listen or too heavily sedated to comprehend.
(3)
If the patient is undergoing minor surgery (one-day or same-day
surgery), the patient may receive preoperative instructions several hours before
surgery.
1-6.
NURSING IMPLICATIONS FOR PREPARING A PATIENT FOR SURGERY
a.
Patient's Chart. The preoperative patient's chart must be complete before
the patient leaves the nursing unit. It will contain all the information that may be needed
by the physicians and nurses in the operating room or later in the recovery room. The
chart should be prepared by using DD Form 1924, Surgical Checklist (see Figure 1-6).
DD Form 1924 is attached to the front of the patient's chart for easy access by all
involved hospital staff. It contains the following information:
(1)
Patient's identification.
(2)
Checklist for pertinent health records.
(3)
Block for recording the most current set of vital signs taken prior to
(4)
Block to indicate allergies.
(5)
Block to document all preoperative nursing measures.
(6)
Block to document comments. Any special comment that indicates
something very special about this particular patient will go in this block (hard of hearing,
removal of a prosthesis, etc.).
(7)
Block for signature of release when all actions are completed.
b.
Procedures Used to Prepare the Patient's Chart. You will use DD Form
1924, Surgical Checklist, as a checklist to assemble the patient's chart and to document
compliance as each step is completed.
(1)
DD Form 1924. Enter the patient's identifying information in the
patient's identification block. This information may be entered by using the
addressograph plate or by hand. If you enter the information by hand, enter the
patient's ward, room, and bed in the appropriate block.
MD0915
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