Order of Providing Preoperative Patient Care

Order of Providing Preoperative Patient Care
0. Provide teaching regarding coughing and splinting (provid-
ing support to the incision). (See Guidelines for Nursing
Care 30-2 for specific technique.)
11. Provide teaching regarding incentive spirometer. (See
Chapter 39, Guidelines for Nursing Care 39-1.)
12. Provide teaching regarding leg exercises (as appropriate).
13. Assist the patient in putting on antiembolism stockings and
demonstrate how the pneumatic compression device oper-
ates. (Refer to Chapter 33 for specific information.)
14. Provide teaching regarding turning in the bed.
a. Instruct the patient to use a pillow or bath blanket to
splint where the incision will be. Ask the patient to
raise his or her left knee and reach across to grasp the
right side rail of the bed when he/she is turning toward
his or her right side. If patient is turning to his or her
left side, he or she will bend the right knee and grasp
the left side rail.
b. When turning the patient onto his or her right side, ask
the patient to push with bent left leg and pull on the
right side rail. Explain to patient that the nurse will
place a pillow behind his/her back to provide support,
and that the call bell will be placed within easy reach.
c. Explain to the patient that position change is
recommended every 2 hours.
15. Provide teaching about pain management.
a. Discuss past experiences with pain and interventions
that the patient has used to reduce pain.
b. Discuss the availability of analgesic medication postop-
eratively.
c. Discuss the use of patient controlled analgesia (PCA), as
appropriate. (Refer to Chapter 35.)
d. Explore the use of other alternative and nonpharmaco-
logic methods to reduce pain such as position change,
massage, relaxation/diversion, guided imagery, and
meditation.
16. Review equipment that may be used.
a. Show the patient various equipment such as IV pumps,
electronic blood pressure cuff, tubes, and surgical drains.
17. Provide skin preparation.
a. Ask the patient to bathe or shower with the antiseptic
solution. Remind the patient to clean the surgical site