Perioperative Nursing

Perioperative nursing is a nursing specialty that works with patients who are having operative or other invasive procedures. Perioperative nurses work closely with surgeons, nurse anesthetists, surgical technologists, and nurse practitioners. They perform preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative care primarily in operating theatres, stress test evaluations, cardiac monitoring, vascular monitoring, and health assessments. AORN (associatio of perioperative registered nurses) is a professional associatio that empowers the OR nurse with education, standards of practice and peer networking.

Begins with decision to have surgery, lasts until patient is transferred to operating room or procedural bed.

Extends from admission to surgical department to transfer to recovery room.

Lasts from admission to recovery room to complete recovery from surgery and last follow-up physician visit.

Administration of drugs by inhalation or intravenous route. Knocks you out. Has three phases: 1. Induction: from administration of anesthesia to ready for incision 2. Maintenance: from incision to near completion of procedure. 3. Emergence: starts when patient emerges from anesthesia and is ready to leave OR.

Anesthetic agent injected near a nerve or nerve pathway or around operative site; inhibiting transmissio of stimuli to CNS from that area. Types: 1. Nerve blocks 2. Spinal anesthesia 3. Caudal and epidural anesthesia (usually done in lumbar area).

Used for short-term, minimally invasive procedures such as endoscopy.

3 parts: 1. Desciption of procedure and alternate therapies and underlying disease process and its natural course. 2. Name and qualificatios of person performing procedure. 3. Explanation of risks and how often they occur. Explanation that the patient has the right to refuse treatment or withdraw consent. Explanation of expected outcome, recovery, rehabilitation plan, and course.

Loss of circulating fluid.

Excessive blood loss that my result in shock; nursing interventios are the same as for shock (listed below).

Inflammation of vein associated with thrombus formation, occuring from venous statis.

Clot or foreign substance that travels to another area.

Inflammatio of alveoli from infection or foreign material.

Incomplete expansio or collapse of alveoli.

Pre-operative: Begins with decision to have surgery, lasts until patient is transferred to operating room or procedural bed. Intra-operative: Extends from admission to surgical department to transfer to recovery room. Post-operative: Lasts from admission to recovery room to complete recovery from surgery and last follow-up physician visit.