The Nurse: Perioperative Care and Management

This chapter discusses the perioperative nursing assistance with particular focus in the orthogeriatric setting. At first, it explores the assessment of preoperative risks, patient preparation, and the ERAS (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery) and Fast Track Surgery protocols. It emphasizes the role of nurses in guiding patients through the preoperative process and collaborating with other healthcare professionals to ensure optimal outcomes. The nurse is primarily responsible for the direct care of the patient in the surgical pathway: he regulates care throughout the person’s experience in the entire hospital and post-hospital pathway, at the time of preparation for surgery, during surgery and in the immediate aftermath. The nurse supports, accompanies and relates with the person and his or her family members. The nurse to develop multidisciplinary, functional, and personalized care plans collaborate with other health care professionals. Specific objectives of care plans include maximum functional recovery of the patient and his or her autonomy. It plays an important role in post-operative patient management to control pain, care and prevention of delirium, proper nutrition and supplementation, and proper use of aids such as walkers.