Authors

Marta García Cuadrado1, Susana Sánchez Alonso1, Cristina Olmedo Gómez1, Eva Bravo Cepeda1,María Federico Alonso1

Position

1Enfermera. Hospital Fremap de Majadahonda (Madrid)

Contact address

Marta García Cuadrado. C/ Isaac Albéniz, 89-1º C. 28222 Majadahonda (Madrid).

Contact email: mgarciacuadrado@hotmail.com

Abstract

Objective: to evaluate the effectiveness of a preoperative visit by the Surgery Unit nurses upon the levels of anxiety presented by a patient during the perioperative period.
Method: a randomized clinical trial was conducted, which included 32 patients who were about to undergo a surgical procedure (spinal fusion / vertebral fracture). The patients were split into an experimental group, who received an informative and educational intervention by the nurses, and a control group, who received the usual information by the anesthesia care team only. The anxiety levels were measured in both groups before and after receiving both types of information, using the State Trait Anxiety Inventory Questionnaire (STAI) as measurement tool.
Results: it was observed that the STAI test data in the first measurement (before the nursing intervention) did not show statistically significant results (p= 0.340). In the measurement after the nursing intervention, there was a reduction in the mean anxiety level measured in the experimental group, while there was an increase in the control group, reaching a 20.25 point difference between both groups, which represents statistically significant differences (p= 0.040).
Conclusions: an increase in the information and training for patients will lead to a reduction in anxiety, and therefore, there will be an increase in the level of satisfaction, comfort and quality; for this reason, this Nursing intervention is considered an action of improvement in the quality of patient care.

Keywords:

Preoperative anxiety; nursing interventionSTAI (State Trai Anxiety Inventory)

Versión en Español

Título:

Intervención enfermera prequirúrgica para el manejo de la ansiedad