Incorporating Age‐Specific Plans of Care to Achieve Optimal Perioperative Outcomes

Abstract

When developing a nursing plan of care, a perioperative nurse identifies nursing diagnoses during the preoperative patient assessment. The ability to identify age-specific outcomes (ie, infant/child, adolescent, adult, elderly adult) in addition to those that are universally applicable is a major responsibility of the perioperative RN. Having an individualized plan of care is one of the best ways to determine whether desired patient outcomes have been successfully attained. Nursing care plans address intraoperative and postoperative risks and allow for a smooth transfer of care throughout the perioperative experience. A good nursing care plan also includes education for the patient and his or her caregiver. Within an overall plan of care, the use of methods such as a concept or mind map can visually demonstrate the relationships between systems, nursing diagnoses, nursing interventions, and desirable outcomes.

Adolescents’ perioperative experiences in relation to inpatient and outpatient elective surgery – a qualitative study

“…Indeed, adolescents who talk with other peers undergoing the same surgical problem, state that it helps them to cope. This may allow adolescents to get peer support and help them manage their recovery challenges [34].…”

“…In other studies, adolescents spoke about the difficulty of performing daily living activities, such as eating, drinking, and changing clothing [19]. During the perioperative period nurses should include the adolescent in all discussions of the procedure and rehabilitation process [34]. Adolescents reported the desire to maintain their autonomy, to be listened to, and to have the opportunity to participate in decisions about pre-and post-operative care [5,6,16,35].…”

“…Adolescents reported the desire to maintain their autonomy, to be listened to, and to have the opportunity to participate in decisions about pre-and post-operative care [5,6,16,35]. In this sense, adolescents could benefit with educational interventions, and from nurses formally involving them in the preparation for discharge and recovery process [34].…”