Preoperative Assessment

Course Overview

A raft of potential complications can occur when a patient undergoes surgery. Detailed preoperative assessments and identification of high-risk surgical patients can reduce the risk of adverse events occurring and improve patient outcomes.

Topics

• What are nurse-led pre-op assessments?
• How can we identify high-risk patients before surgery?
• What are preoperative best-practices for patients with a high BMI, older adults and patients with multiple comorbidities?

Need

There are inherent risks for any patient undergoing a surgical procedure, such as an unplanned return to theatre, escalation to a critical care environment, disability and even death. Preventing poor outcomes and costly surgical complications is the priority throughout the perioperative phase. Knowing how to perform and report the results of a structured and detailed preoperative assessment, especially of high-risk patients, is essential to reduce the potential of harm through adverse events.

Purpose

The purpose of this Course is to update and expand your knowledge relating to preoperative assessments, especially in high-risk patients.

Learning Outcomes

• Provide nurse-led care to patients during the preoperative period that is underpinned by best available evidence and improves the preparedness of patients for surgery.
• Be better able to recognise high-risk individuals during a holistic preoperative assessment to reduce risks associated with surgical interventions.
• Effectively communicate preoperative assessment findings to the appropriate health professionals to ensure patients receive continuity of care.

Target Audience

This Course is relevant to registered nurses working in medical/surgical environments who are caring for patients undergoing surgical interventions, especially older adults, patients with a high BMI and those with multiple comorbidities.

Disclosure

No conflict of interest exists for anyone in the position to control content for this activity. Wherever possible, generic or non-proprietary names of medications or products have been used.

Educator

Suzanne Querruel

Suzi Querruel has been working in the perioperative field for the past decade. Her passion lies in perianaesthesia nursing, and she has been seeking to advance the field over the past few years. She is a tutor and lecturer for Western Sydney University [WSU] in the Bachelor of Nursing program and WSU The College in their Academic Pathways Programs. She is the unit coordinator at WSU The College for the subjects 'health communication' and 'skills in health science'. She was previously anaesthetic coordinator at Westmead Private Hospital and also has held sessional nurse educator positions at the Australian College of Nursing, Wesley Health Management, and the University of Technology, Sydney, Sydney University, and the University of Tasmania. She has been a nurse educator for Ausmed Education for the past three years and has collaborated on the program development for the perianaesthesia, perioperative, day surgery, and surgical nursing seminars. She has held the position of national vice president and NSW/ACT president of the Australian Society of Post Anaesthesia & Anaesthesia Nurses [ASPAAN] for two years and has recently seen the transition of ASPAAN to the Australian College of PeriAnaesthesia Nurses [ACPAN]. Suzi holds a bachelor of nursing, graduate diploma in nursing (anaesthetics & PACU), masters of nursing education), certificate IV in workplace training & assessment, and a neuro-linguistic programming [NLP] practitioner certificate.