Introduction
Preoperative education entails the training of pre-surgical patients on what to expect before, during and after surgery. The education is believed by many medical practitioners to decrease the length of stay (LOS) in a health facility by providing the patients with substantial information on strategies to adopt to endure and go through psychological problem: categorically anxiety, encountered due to surgical operation as rapidly as possible.
According to Lepczyk, Raleigh and Rowley (1990), preoperative education is ineffective, nonexistent or even fragmented due to interference by preoperative environment, which is normally busy (p. 23). The doubts of these stand, is on whether this claim is based on evidence that is collected and analyzed statically. The claim argue that preoperative education is normally in competition with some other crucial priorities for instance physician visits, treatment of patients, history taking which more often than not precede it. The admission process, which usually fast, does not give the patient adequate time for psychological and physical preparation to face actual surgery process. Furthermore, Fugate (1998, p.8) and Melnyk and Fineout-Overholt (2005, p.2) argue that in the protocol order of necessity, preoperative education is always left to be the last thing and hence posing a serious challenge for the patient’s quick recovery of the psychological turmoil incurred during surgical procedures.
Problem Justification
Evaluating the effects of preoperative education on anxiety of surgical patients and incorporating nursing resolution for existing loopholes, if any, is essential so as to clear the arguments such as one advocated for by Lepczyk et al (1990). Preoperative education comes in handy in amicably reducing the patient’s anxiety on the planned surgical operation and hence encouraging the patients to participate proactively both in rapid rehabilitation and recovery process (Mitchell, 1994, p.45). Numerous studies have been undertaken with the objective of recognition of techniques of identification and consequently reducing preoperative anxiety in pre surgical patients (Asilioghu & Celik, 2004, p.68: Melamed, 1975, p.95). The studies focus on total alleviation of the patient’s surgical anxiety with reference to the kind of surgical operation, the nature of the anxiety or some combination of the two.
Purpose and Objective of the Project
The purpose of the proposed project is to determine the effects of preoperative education on anxiety of surgical patients. It is hypothesized that patients going through preoperative educational as the first thing after surgical interventions are identified as the only way to correct the patient’s medical problem has been recommended, have higher capacity to recover from anxiety faster than those who either do not or post undergo surgical education on anxiety. Since the clarification of the hypothesis will be evidence-based, the project should be purely experimental. Realistic and measurable parameters, which can be expressed in statistical measures, are desirable. Controlled groups, special treatment groups, and intervention groups will be drawn from different populations characterized by subjects going through different nature of surgical operations. The controlled group will be subjected to preoperative education for a reasonable time before actual surgical operation. The non-controlled group is subjected to a process like the one described in paragraph two. Time in days will be measured for different groups to recover completely from surgical anxiety. Comparative analysis of the data so obtained will be done to establish various differences and relationships.
References
Asilioghu, K., & Celik, S. (2004). The effect of prerogative education on anxiety of open cardiac surgery patients. Education and Debate, 53(1), pp. 65-70.
Fugate, M. (1998).The Effects of Preoperative Education on the Reduction of Pre-anesthesia Anxiety. University of Tennessee Honors Thesis Projects. Web.
Lepczyk, M., Raleigh, E., & Rowley, C. (1990).Timing of preoperative patient teaching. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 15(30), pp. 81-105.
Melamed, B. (1975). Reduction of anxiety in children facing hospitalization and surgery by use of filmed modeling. Journal on Consult Clinic Psychology, 43(5), pp. 51-121.
Melnyk, B., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2005). Evidence-based practice in nursing & healthcare: A guide to best practice. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Mitchell, M. (1994).Pre-operative and post-operative psychological nursing care. Surgical Nurse Journal, 7(2), pp.22-25.