b.A 35-year-old woman is scheduled to
undergo surgery to remove a colon tumor.
She underwent radiation therapy 6 weeks
before the surgery date. She has a family
history of colon cancer.
Reflect on how individual differences in
patients influence their need for nursing and
nursing’s perioperative priorities.
2.Make a list of common postoperative complica-
tions. Describe how you would monitor the
patient for these complications and what nurs-
ing measures you would take to prevent them.
Be sure to include cardiovascular complications,
shock, hemorrhage, thrombophlebitis, respira-
tory complications, pneumonia, atelectasis, and
wound complications. Think of personal and
system variables that might influence your
effectiveness.REFLECTIVE PRACTICE USING CRITICAL
THINKING SKILLS
Use the following expanded scenario from
Chapter 30 in your textbook to answer the
questions below.
Scenario:Molly Greenbaum is a 38-year-old
woman diagnosed with recurring vaginal cysts.
Her physician recommends a vaginal hysterec-
tomy to be performed on an outpatient basis.
She arrives at the hospital at 6:30 a.m. and is
scheduled for surgery later in the day. The
patient, with tears in her eyes and wringing
her hands, says, “I really didn’t sleep very
much last night. I kept thinking about the sur-
gery.” She tells you she has been unable to
sleep or eat properly since receiving the news,2 weeks ago, that she needed a hysterectomy.
She asks the nurse, “What if I don’t feel like a
woman anymore? What will this do to my sex
life? Is this operation really necessary?”
1.How might the nurse use blended nursing skills
to implement the perioperative plan of care
in a manner that respects Ms. Greenbaum’s
human dignity and addresses her fears and
concerns about the surgical experience?2.What would be a successful outcome for this
patient?3.What intellectual, technical, interpersonal,
and/or ethical/legal competencies are most
likely to bring about the desired outcome?4.What resources might be helpful for
Ms. Greenbaum?CHAPTER 30 PERIOPERATIVE NURSING 185
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