Pre-Operative and Post-Operative Care of the Surgical Patient

Course overview

Care of surgical patients in the pre-operative and post-operative phases of a procedure is an important responsibility of a Certified Nursing Assistant that requires close collaboration with all members of the surgical team. Preparing a patient for surgery requires focus on pre-operative tasks as well as patient education and psychological preparation and support. Pre-operative care of patients helps to ensure successful outcomes in the post-operative phase of recovery and healing. The surgical treatment team must always bear in mind that the surgical patient has been through very stressful experience and that serious complications are possible. By preparing the patient and reinforcing post-operative treatment the surgical health team can encourage patient compliance during all phases of recovery. The post-operative exercises and preventive measures to avoid post-operative complications to speed the recovery process are discussed.