Preoperative Teaching and Hysterectomy Outcomes

Abstract

This study used a theoretical model to determine whether an efficacy-enhancing teaching protocol was effective in improving immediate postoperative behaviors and selected short- and long-term health outcomes in women who underwent abdominal hysterectomies. The model used was the self-efficacy theory of Albert Bandura, PhD. One hundred eight patients in a 486-bed teaching hospital in the Midwest who underwent hysterectomies participated. The participation rate was 85%, and the attrition rate was 17% during the six-month study. The major finding was that participants in the efficacy-enhancing teaching group ambulated significantly longer than participants in the usual care group. This is an important finding because the most prevalent postoperative complications after hysterectomy are atelectasis, pneumonia, paralytic ileus, and deep vein thrombosis, and postoperative ambulation has been shown to decrease or prevent all of these complications. This finding could affect the overall health status of women undergoing hysterectomies.

Preoperative patient teaching: the practice and perceptions among surgical ward nurses

“…Ultimately, the postoperative recovery of patients can be promoted and thus reducing the cost owing to prolonged hospitalisation (Shuldham , Oetker‐Black et al . , Chaudhri et al . ).…”

Sexual Outcomes and Satisfaction with Hysterectomy: Influence of Patient Education

“…Several previous studies have documented the positive influence of preoperative education on hysterectomy outcomes. Structured preoperative educational interventions for women undergoing hysterectomy have been found to promote better self‐care behaviors [8], encourage postoperative ambulation [9], and reduce postoperative anxiety and pain [10]. Although educational interventions do not appear to affect the actual incidence of side‐effects, they may prepare patients to more effectively cope with adverse outcomes [9].…”

Surgical technical evidence review for gynecologic surgery conducted for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Safety Program for Improving Surgical Care and Recovery

“…The second RCT compared patients undergoing abdominal hysterectomy who received either usual care protocol or an efficacyenhancing teaching protocol preoperatively. 6 Participants in the intervention group ambulated longer than participants in the usual care group (330 vs 156 seconds, P ¼ .043). However, there were no significant differences between the groups in preoperative self-efficacy scale score, State Anxiety Inventory score, pain scores on the visual analog scale, vital capacity, preventable complications (atelectasis, pneumonia, paralytic ileus, and deep vein thrombosis), length of stay, and health status questionnaire scores at 6 months postoperatively.…”