Nursing the Surgical Patient

by Rosie Pudner (Editor)

Overview

The new edition of this highly successful text brings it fully up to date with recent developments in surgical nursing, and includes a new chapter on perioperative stress and anxiety . The need for surgical nurses to remain at the cutting edge in relation to their knowledge and skills has never been greater, as the demands of higher patient throughput and reduced hospital stays take their toll.

Nursing the Surgical Patient is written for, and by, nurses. It adopts a patient-centred approach to the care of people requiring a wide variety of surgical procedures. Compiled by experienced practitioners and educators in the field, it covers relevant anatomy and physiology, investigations, brief information on relevant medical conditions leading to surgery, an outline of the surgical procedures and the nursing care the patient will require.

The key nursing care issues are described and explored, with case studies and care plans to bring theory to life. Comprehensive and research-based, yet accessible and engaging, Nursing the Surgical Patients a vital companion to nurses caring for surgical patients in either the primary or secondary care setting.

This title is directed primarily towards health care professionals outside of the United States.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780702044120
Publisher:	Elsevier Health Sciences UK
Publication date:	03/22/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	624
File size:	8 MB

About the Author

Professor Ian Peate’s ability to produce scholarly publications and conduct high quality research, together with his ability to undertake and influence practice internationally, are renowned. The route of scholarly activity evident in his publications list has its genesis in the art and science of nursing with an emphasis on improving health and promoting social justice. Caring for people has become a prominent theme within his endeavors, embarked upon in response to a number of criticisms from within and without the nursing profession lamenting the perceived lack of caring in nursing curricula. This approach to explicitly stating or outlining the prominence of care and what this entails demonstrates his commitment to the provision of high quality care with a sound evidence base underpinning care delivery.
Ian currently edits The British Journal of Nursing an appointment which, he says, allows him to contribute to establishing the tone and editorial direction of the journal with the overall aim of impacting on care delivery, and the education and preparation of nursing students.
Ian has recently received the CBE for services to publishing and has just been awarded a Fellowship of the Royal College of Nursing.

Table of Contents

	Contributors	ix
	Preface	xi
	Glossary	xiii
	Acknowledgements	xxiii
Section I	The basis of surgical care	1
1	Preoperative assessment	3
	Introduction
	What is preoperative assessment?
	Aim of preoperative assessment
	Nurse-led preoperative assessment
	Informed consent
	Social assessment
	Patient information
	Record keeping
	Conclusion
Appendix	Preoperative Assessment Questionnaire
2	Perioperative care	17
	Introduction
	Perioperative period
	Elective or emergency surgery
	The principles of intraoperative care
	Immediate postoperative care
	Conclusion
3	Day surgery	35
	Introduction
	Advantages of day surgery
	Disadvantages of day surgery
	Day surgery nursing
	Anaesthesia in day surgery
	Recovery in day surgery
	Discharge of the patient from the day surgery unit
	Conclusion
4	Wound healing in the surgical patient	45
	Introduction
	The structure and function of the skin
	Mechanisms of wound closure
	The process of wound healing
	Factors affecting the healing process
	Methods of skin closure
	Use of wound drains
	Principles of care for a patient with a surgical wound
	Discharge advice
	Conclusion
5	Nutrition and the surgical patient	71
	Introduction
	Nutritional requirements
	Nutritional changes during starvation
	Metabolic and nutritional changes after surgery
	The evidence for nutritional support in the surgical patient
	Planning and delivering nutritional care to the surgical patient
	Monitoring nutritional support
	The multidisciplinary team
6	Altered body image and the surgical patient	85
	Introduction
	What is meant by body image?
	Perceptions of altered body image
	Reactions to altered body image
	Conclusion
7	Concepts of pain and the surgical patient	97
	Introduction
	Classification of pain
	Pain theories: a brief history
	General principles in the management of acute pain
	Pain assessment
	Methods of administering postoperative analgesia
	Pharmacology in acute pain management
	The role of the nurse and the acute pain team
8	Discharge planning following surgery	117
	Introduction
	Defining and describing multidisciplinary discharge planning
	Discharge planning within the context of past and present Government policy
	Patient assessment
	Development of a discharge plan
	The provision of services
	Evaluation of discharge planning
	Models of discharge planning
	Two case studies
	Conclusion
Section II	Nursing care for specific surgical procedures	129
9	Patients requiring neurosurgery	131
	Introduction
	Overview of the anatomy and physiology of the nervous system
	Specialist investigations
	Neurosurgery
	Preoperative assessment of the patient undergoing cerebral surgery
	Planning care for the neurosurgical patient
	The principles of postoperative care of a patient following a craniotomy
	Conclusion
10	Patients requiring ophthalmic surgery	157
	Introduction
	Structure of the eye
	Assessment of the eye
	Preoperative assessment
	Pre- and postoperative care of patients undergoing intraocular surgery
	Pre- and postoperative care of patients undergoing extraocular surgery
	Discharge planning
	Conclusion
11	Patients requiring surgery to the ear, nose and throat	189
	Introduction
	The ear
	The nose
	The throat
	Head and neck
	Conclusion
12	Patients requiring thyroid surgery	221
	Introduction
	Anatomy and physiology
	Disorders of the thyroid gland
	Conservative management of hyperthyroidism
	Specific investigations of a patient with thyroid dysfunction
	Nursing assessment of a patient requiring thyroid surgery
	Assessment of the patient's voice and trachea
	Specific preoperative preparation
	Surgical interventions
	Specific postoperative nursing care
	Potential problems following thyroid surgery
	Discharge planning and patient education
	Conclusion
13	Care of the patient requiring cardiac interventions and surgery	233
	Introduction
	Anatomy and physiology of the heart
	Basic pathophysiology of the heart
	Assessment and investigations
	Therapeutic catheterization
	Cardiac treatments
	Cardiac surgery
	Heart transplantation
	Conclusion
14	Care of the patient requiring thoracic surgery	265
	Introduction
	An overview of the respiratory system and the mechanics of breathing
	Blood gas concentration
	Respiratory assessment
	Common disorders requiring surgical intervention
	Specific investigations required prior to surgery
	Preoperative care
	Thoracic surgical procedures
	Postoperative care
	Specific health education/patient teaching and preparation for discharge
	Conclusion
15	Patients requiring gastrointestinal/colorectal surgery	289
	Introduction
	Overview of the anatomy and physiology of the digestive system
	Investigations
	Upper gastrointestinal disorders
	Lower gastrointestinal disorders
16	Patients requiring surgery on the renal and urinary tract	327
	Introduction
	Anatomy and physiology of the urinary tract
	Renal and urological investigations
	Nursing assessment of individual requiring surgery for a urological condition
	Surgical interventions on the kidney
	Surgical management of bladder cancer
	Conclusion
17	Patients requiring surgery on the male reproductive system	349
	Introduction
	Anatomy and physiology of the male reproductive system
	Surgery on the prostate gland
	Carcinoma of the prostate gland
	Penile conditions and surgery
	Scrotal conditions and surgery
	Nursing care for penile and scrotal surgery
	Surgery on the male urethra
	Conclusion
18	Patients requiring gynaecological surgery	369
	Introduction
	Anatomy and physiology of the reproductive system
	Specific investigations for patients requiring gynaecological surgery
	Assessment of patient requiring gynaecological surgery
	Minor gynaecological surgery
	Laparoscopic surgery
	Laparoscopic treatment for polycystic ovarian disease
	Nursing care for minor gynaecological and laparoscopic surgery
	Myomectomy
	Hysterectomy
	Nursing care for major gynaecological surgery
	Endometrial ablation
	Levonorgestrel intrauterine system
	Vaginal repair surgery/colporrhaphy
	Continence surgery
	Nursing care for patients requiring vaginal repair and continence surgery
	Laparoscopic treatment of ectopic pregnancy
	Vulvectomy
	Total pelvic exenteration
	Sexual healing
	Conclusion
19	Patients requiring breast surgery	409
	Introduction
	Anatomy and physiology
	Assessment and investigations
	Breast surgery
	Breast cancer
	Nursing care of a patient undergoing surgery for breast cancer
	Conclusion
20	Care of patients requiring vascular surgery	429
	Introduction
	Physiology of circulation
	Arterial occlusive disease
	The patient with chronic ischaemia
	Nursing assessment of patients with peripheral vascular disease
	Management of the patient with chronic limb ischaemia
	Acute leg ischaemia
	Management of the patient requiring lower limb amputation
	Management of the patient with an abdominal aortic aneurysm
	Management of the patient requiring carotid endarterectomy
	Management of the patient with varicose veins
21	Patients requiring orthopaedic surgery	467
	Introduction
	The musculoskeletal system
	Common orthopaedic disorders
	Nursing assessment of the orthopaedic patient
	Orthopaedic investigations and tests
	Lower limb orthopaedic surgery
	Upper limb orthopaedic surgery
	Orthopaedic surgery of the spine
	Fractures
	General discharge planning and advice
	Conclusion
22	Patients requiring plastic surgery	497
	Introduction
	Types of wound closure
	Skin grafts
	Flaps
	Use of leeches in reconstructive surgery
	Use of tissue expanders in reconstructive surgery
	Discharge planning
	Conclusion
	Index	521

Editorial Reviews

"This book offers an excellent examination of the nursing aspect of caring for surgery patients. In a readable and informative style, it refers to different nursing models, glossaries and examples of care plans for specific nursing procedures." Sara Garland, Nursing Standard, Vol 15, No 12, December 2000

From the Publisher