Preop/Post Op
The nurse may serve as a witness to the client's signature on this after the physician has explained the procedure, risks, benefits, & complications, before sedation is given and before surgery is performed.
What is an informed consent?
These are responsibilities of the intraoperative nurse.
What are counting, monitoring the patient, monitoring the sterile environment, and documentation.
During this portion of the pre-operative phase the patient completes pre-operative laboratory, EKG, and diagnostic testing.
What is pre-admission testing?
This is a genetic linked reaction to anesthesia medications with early signs and symptoms being elevated heart rate, usually above 150.
What is malignant hyperthermia?
This tool is used by patients to help prevent the development of atelectasis and pneumonia.
What is the incentive spirometer?
A patient who is having abdominal surgery should always receive teaching on this post op activity in the pre-op stage.
What is coughing/deep breathing and splinting.
In this step, the patient's identification, surgical site marking, signed consent and procedure being performed are all verified for the final time.
What is a time out for safety?
This complication following surgery can manifest with tachycardia, hypotension and in abdominal surgeries; a rigid boardlike abdomen
What is hemorrhage/shock
These criteria are what patients must achieve to leave the PACU (Post Anesthesia Care Unit).
A patient must have stable vital signs, supporting their own airway, consciousness. Ideally pain level controlled- this does not mean no pain
These instructions should be included in the discharge of a patient from PACU or the hospital following surgery.
What is follow up care, dressing/drain care, s/s of complications and who to call, medications/prescriptions, restrictions (ADLs, driving), use of medical equipment
This type of surgery is done to confirm or rule out a diagnosis. Examples include a biopsy and fine needle aspiration.
What is diagnostic (exploratory) surgery
These are early and late signs of malignant hyperthermia.
What is tachycardia, and elevated C02.
Muscle spasms/rigidity, elevated temperature,
These types of medications can interfere with metabolism of anesthetics, increase the effects of anesthesia, increase potential for excessive bleeding, and cause HTN
What are herbal, supplement, and alternative medications?
This member of the surgical team is responsible for intubating the patient and providing anesthesia during surgery.
What is the anesthesiologist or CRNA?
This is the nurse's primary responsibility for the care of a patient undergoing surgery.
What is Safety (via developing an individualized plan of nursing care for the patient)?
This is when a surgical incision busts open and when organs protrude from the surgical site
What is dehiscence and evisceration?
These are actions by the surgical nurse that would contaminate a sterile field.
Reaching across the sterile field, turning away from sterile field, placing items in sterile field that aren't sterile, leaving sterile field unattended, etc?
This type of anesthesia is applied directly to the skin and mucous membranes, producing loss of pain sensation at the desired site and can be used if the patient has recently eaten a meal.
What is topical anesthesia, a local anesthetic?
Produces rapid unconsciousness and loss of sensation.
What is general anesthesia?
This is a test done on all women of childbearing age.
What is a pregnancy test?
This population experiences decreased thirst, decreased water in body, decreased kidney/liver/cardiac function, more likely to have chronic illness, decreased sensory function and are more difficult to extubate.
What is the elderly population or geriatric population?
Once a patient is finished in the intraoperative phase, they will transition to this specialty unit.
What is the PACU? Post anesthesia care unit.
These are nursing responsibilities for the preoperative setting.
What are verifies surgical site, reviews medical history, establish IV, preoperative medications, comfort of patient, begins education, baseline assessment, prepares skin?
In this type of anesthesia the goal is for the patient to maintain airway, to control pain and anxiety. The patient will be rousable but should not have memory of the procedure.
What is moderate sedation?
Early ambulation helps reduce these three potential problems after surgery.
What is atelectasis/pneumonia, deep vein thrombosis and constipation?