The Effectiveness of preoperative teachings in preventing postoperative complications among patients with elective abdominal surgery

Abstract

The nurse plays an important role in providing support and information during preoperative phase to prevent postoperative complications. Preoperative instruction is important in the patient's surgical preparations. It has of demonstration method in giving preoperative health teachings to prevent postoperative complications. The researchers selected patients admitted at Davao Medical Center using purposive sampling technique. Ten patients were given the preoperative health teaching using demonstration method (Group A) and other ten patients were given the preoperative health teachings using the hospital's existing method (Group B). To determine the effectiveness of the two groups in preventing postoperative complications, a module is given and formulated. The status of the patients 48 hours after the operation was assessed through their vital signs using the formulated checklist. The researcher s utilized the frequency counts and distribution and chi-square as their statistical treatment. Findings revealed the following: 1. The group who received the preoperative health teachings using the existing method and the group who received the demonstration method did not develop any postoperative complications. However, it was observed that patients who received the preoperative health teachings had a better performance in doing the postoperative complications compared to the group who received the existing method. 2. The normality or abnormality of the status of the patients in terms of the vital signs (body temperature, pulse rates, respiratory rates, blood pressure, and urinary output) 48 hours after operations when grouped according to the type of preoperative health exercise.