Pre-operative assessment.

摘要

I work as an ophthalmic specialist nurse, and assessing patients before ophthalmic surgery forms a significant part of my role. I was interested to read the learning zone article to ensure that my knowledge and practice are up to date.The article acted as a reminder of the main aims of pre-operative assessment: to reduce patient anxiety, increase the potential for a successful recovery, and reduce cancellation of and delays in surgery. While I was aware of the importance of assessment in ensuring patients are physically fit to proceed with surgery, I had not considered the effect of cancellations on the day of surgery on patients and the hospital. During assessment, it is advantageous to provide patients with information about their surgery and give them the opportunity to ask questions.