Post -operative nursing care

Post –operative nursing care
Post –operative nursing care initiates instantly after the surgical procedure. Assessment,
diagnosis, planning, intervention, and evaluation are the sequence of the nursing process used
in the nursing care of post-operative patients. Post –operative nursing care requirement is
based on the patient’s age, disease condition, associated complication and kind of surgery.
Surgery is a high risk invasive medical procedure in which interdisciplinary care is essential
for the speedy recovery of the patient. The patient needs additional care in the immediate
post-operative care. The nurse has to assess the airway patency, vital signs and the
consciousness of the patient in the initial few hours of the post-operative period. This
assessment helps to do the detailed analysis of the post-operative nursing care which
involves, High nursing priority nursing care immediately after the surgery is post –operative
assessment. The recovery process in the immediate post-operative period has to closely
monitor and reported. The nurses have to make a post-operative care plan for the Patient
undergoing surgery. The potential post-operative complication is discussed. Pharmacological
therapy also plays a vital role in the post-operative care of the patient. Patient education on
post-operative care, diet, exercise, medication, and follow-up has to be provided to the patient
and her family.
Post-operative assessment is the high priority of nursing care immediately after the surgery.
Post –operative pain assessment provides needed information and also helps the nurse to plan
post-operative nursing care. Pain management in the post-operative period improves the
patient’s comfort and provides psychological support. In the case scenario, Mrs., Carey had
undergone a Cholesystectomy, she is on the exudrain, on the surgical site and her surgical
wound was on the right sub-costal region stapled and a clean dressing was made over that.
The post-operative nursing assessment has to be done to rule out the patient’s present

condition and to analyze the potential problems. In the case of Mrs. Carey, she had undergone
major abdominal surgery (Hoogervorst-Schilp, 2016).The nurse has to prioritize the
assessment plan for Mrs. Carey which helps the nurse to analyze the immediate
complications (Sharma, 2016). High priority nursing assessment in the case of Mrs. Carey is
the pain assessment. As Carey was anxious about the surgery in the pre-operative period and
she was worried about the post-operative pain management, the nurse has to assess the pain
during the immediate post-operative period.
The Nurse has to make an assessment plan with a set of questions with rationales to get a
better outcome. The nurse has to ask the patient about the location of the pain because of the
location of the pain the best indicator of the cause for the pain. The patient has to be asked for
the intensity of the pain using pain scale. As the intensity of the pain helps the nurse to plan
the pain management care and it is also a tool that indicates the clinical problem in the
surgical site. The nurse has to ask whether the pain is radiating or it is localized in the
surgical site, which helps the nurse to rule out the exact cause for the pain. The nurse has to
ask the patient, whether she is allergic to any pain killer. Because it helps the nurse to plan for
pharmacological pain management therapy (Thomsen, 2015).The nurse has to ask about the
position that reduces pain and increases comfort because the nurse can implement non-
pharmacological pain management interventions. Pain assessment is the essential nursing
care in the post –operative period as pain is the best indicator of the patient’s medical
condition.
High priority problem in the nursing care of Mrs. Carey is the maintenance of patent airway
and breathing (Meissen, 2018).The patient had undergone four hours of surgery under the
general anesthesia. Immediate post-operative nursing care in the recovery room is the
maintenance of patent airway breathing (Ljungqvist,2018).The nurse has monitor vital signs,

assess signs and symptoms of internal and external bleeding, administer oxygen therapy,
Monitor Spo2 continuously and check for signs of peripheral cyanosis. The Vital signs are
monitored every half hour. Assessed for the sign and symptom of the internal and external
bleeding. Oxygen therapy was administered as per doctor’s order
(Adekhera,2016).Continuous Spo2 monitoring was done and checked for the signs of
peripheral cyanosis. Patient’s breathing is normal and she has no sign of airway obstruction.
Second priority care for the patient is pain management. Mrs.Carey was moaning and
complaining of the pain immediately after the surgery and the pain assessment shows that the
pain is 8/10. The nursing interventions include monitoring, pharmacological and non-
pharmacological pain management and diversion therapy. Patient’s pain has to be monitored
every two hours. The nurse has to administer analgesics as per the doctor’s order. Non-
pharmacological pain management techniques like positioning, providing extra pillows,
reassurance and diversion therapy has to be provided to the patient. The Nursing care plan
was implemented (Gordon, 2017). The patient’s pain was continuously monitored using the
pain scale. An analgesic was administered as per doctor’s order. Non-pharmacological pain
management techniques like positioning, providing extra pillows, reassurance and diversion
therapy was provided. Evaluation of nursing care reveals that the pain over the surgical site
was reduced and the patient says that she is comfortable (Shoqirat, 2019).
Third priority nursing care for the patient is the fluid and electrolyte imbalance. Mrs. Carey
had undergone a Cholesystectomy surgery. Stress and fear after the surgery causes increased
heart rate, increased blood pressure, vasoconstriction which may lead to fluid imbalance.
Nursing care of the patient in the immediate post-operative period includes fluid
management. The patient is in the recovery room, she is on nil per oral. So there is the
potential complication of fluid and electrolyte imbalance. The nurse has to monitor the signs