Effect of Pre –Operative Nursing Visit on Perioperative Anxiety in Surgical Patients.

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: Admission to hospital and the prospect of surgery is accepted as extremely anxiety –provoking resulting in behavioral and cognitive sequel which can have far reaching effects on recovery. The prospect of having surgery generates anxiety whether the surgery is a major or minor procedure. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of pre –operative nursing visit on perioperative anxiety in patients operated on for ENT problems. Methods: In a randomized controlled study conducted between May 2006 and January 2007, patients undergoing ENT surgery in Imam Khomeini hospital in Tabriz were randomly assigned to an experimental (n=46) or control group (n=46). The experimental group received routine care and preoperative nursing visit, while the control group received routine care only. A structured questionnaire including an anxiety scale, vital sign, and behavioral symptoms of anxiety was used to assess the results. Results: The results that patients in the experimental group reported lower pre –operative anxiety scores, lower heart rate and blood pressure and lower levels of serum Cortisol than patients in the control group. Discussion: It is concluded that a pre –operative nursing visit may have significant clinical benefits and improve the care of patients having an elective ENT surgery. The intervention used in this study could serve as a guide for nurses to improve the anxiety care of these patients.