Supporting Patients Undergoing Surgery A Patients Experience

28 May, Anne Watson (not her real name), who has malignant melanoma, was in hospitals to undergo limb perfusion therapy. Her account of her hospital stay shows that the nursing care she received was substandard

Abstract
Having any surgical intervention will cause anxiety, both pre-operatively and post-operatively. Patients need information about what to expect and what support they will receive. Nurses providing pre- and post-operative care need to familiarise themselves with the procedure their patients are undergoing, so they are able to discuss it with them. This article describes the care of a patient with malignant melanoma who underwent limb perfusion to treat extensive recurrence in a lower limb. Isolated limb perfusion therapy is a complex and invasive procedure with potential physical and psychological consequences. The article provides a brief outline of the procedure and illustrates how, through a patient’s eyes, nurses may fail to meet the needs of patients who undergo an interventional procedure of this kind.

Citation: Nelson E, Watson A (2019) Supporting patients undergoing surgery– a patient’s experience. Nursing Times [online only].

Authors: Elizabeth Nelson (sister of Anne Watson and a nurse); Anne Watson (not her real name).
This article has been double-blind peer reviewed

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