PERIOPERATIVE NURSING

* Perioperative nursing includes those activities performed by the nurse in the preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative phases of surgery.

* Surgery refers to surgical operation or procedure, especially one involving the removal or replacement of a diseased organ or tissue. It is a planned alteration that encompasses three phases collectively called the perioperative period.

* Perioperative nurses are registered nurses who work in hospital surgical departments and ambulatory surgery units; they work closely with the surgical patients, significant others, and other health care professionals throughout the perioperative period.

Perioperative and perianesthesia nursing addresses the nursing roles relevant to the three phases of the surgical experience: preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative.

     1. Preoperative phase - begins when the decision to proceed with surgical intervention is made

         and ends with the transfer of the patient onto the operating room table.
     2. Intraoperative phase - begins when the patient is transferred onto the operating room table and

         ends when he or she is admitted to the postanesthesia care unit (PACU).
     3. Postoperative phase - begins with the admission of the patient to the PACU and ends with a

         follow-up evaluation in the clinical setting or at home.