The Nurse's Role in Providing Information to Surgical Patients and Family Members in Turkey: A Descriptive Study

Abstract

In 2008, we conducted a nonexperimental, cross-sectional, descriptive study in the surgical services department of a hospital in Istanbul, Turkey, with the aim of determining how much information was required by perioperative patients and their family members, the extent to which this information was provided, and the role that nurses play in this process. We included a total of 394 outpatients and inpatients and their family members (ie, 197 patients, 197 family members) and 30 nurses in the study. We collected the research data by using one questionnaire for patients, a second for family members of patients, and a third for nurses. We discovered that the patients and their family members wanted to be given more information about the surgical process than they had received. Patients wanted more information about the intraoperative period, whereas their family members wanted more information about the postoperative period. We also found that nurses were aware that they did not play an effective role in providing information to patients and their family members because of a lack of knowledge about what information they were responsible for providing and insufficient staffing. We concluded that nurses should know what education they are responsible for providing, put more effort into understanding patient and family member information needs, and plan a better means of providing information to meet those needs.

Effect of implementation of continuous care model on mothers' anxiety of the children discharged from the pediatric surgical unit

“…Even though the researcher emphasizes on phone call follow-up and the lack of a generalized care program in the articles, parents experience loneliness and lack of support when their child is being discharged. [24] Serious problems, especially delayed diagnosis of post-surgery effects are accompanied with lack of follow-up care after surgery. In other studies, mothers’ need for support and care after the child's discharge was noted that necessitates the implementation of a continuous program.…”

Nursing diagnoses in adults and elderlies in the preoperative period: a comparative study

“…However, none specifically addressed preoperative nursing diagnoses. In the first one, the necessary information to patients and relatives in the perioperative period were approached (8) . In the second, the preoperative verification was treated as a benefit for patient safety (9) .…”

Empowering education of arthroplasty patients' significant others in three Southern European countries

“…Firstly, the experiences of significant others during their patient's surgery have been scarcely examined, mainly including the depressive symptoms (Lenz & Perkins, ), anxiety (which may be exacerbated if they are not provided with adequate knowledge) (Muldoon, Cheng, Vish, Dejong, & Adams, ) and their need for help in making transitions (i.e., role changes, relationships, abilities). Secondly, studies on educational expectations of significant others are dated (Astedt‐Kurki, Paunonen, & Lehti, ; Rantanen, Kaunonen, Astedt‐Kurki, & Tarkka, ) and do not concern this particular population (Astedt‐Kurki et al., ; Theobald, ; Rantanen et al., ; Majasaari, Sarajärvi, Koskinen, Autere, & Paavilainen, ; Sayin & Aksoy, ). Therefore, these studies cannot be used to define current needs for nursing practices on the education of significant others of persons undergoing arthroplasty.…”

“…Secondly, studies on educational expectations of significant others are dated (Astedt-Kurki, Paunonen, & Lehti, 1997; Rantanen, Kaunonen, Astedt-Kurki, & Tarkka, 2004) and do not concern this particular population (Astedt-Kurki et al, 1997;Theobald, 1997;Rantanen et al, 2004;Majasaari, Sarajärvi, Koskinen, Autere, & Paavilainen, 2005;Sayin & Aksoy, 2012). Therefore, these studies cannot be used to define current needs for nursing practices on the education of significant others of persons undergoing arthroplasty.…”