It is a specialized area of nursing practice focused on the care of patients
before, during, and after surgery. It involves ensuring patient safety, maintaining asepsis,
monitoring physiological status, and providing emotional support throughout the surgical
experience.
Perioperative Nursing
This begins when the patient decides to undergo surgery and ends when the patient is transferred to the operating room. It includes assessment, patient education, obtaining informed consent, and physical and psychological preparation.
Pre-operative phase
This phase starts when the patient enters the operating room and ends when the patient is transferred to the recovery room (PACU). Nursing responsibilities include maintaining a sterile field, monitoring vital signs, assisting the surgical team, and ensuring patient safety.
Intra-operative phase
This phase begins when the patient is admitted to the recovery area and continues until full recovery or discharge. Nursing care focuses on airway management, pain control, prevention of complications, wound care, and patient education
Post-operative phase
This refers to the relief or absence of pain without causing loss of consciousness. It can be achieved through medications such as non-opioids, opioids, or regional nerve blocks. Analgesia is commonly used during minor procedures and in post-operative pain management.
Analgesia
This is a medically induced, temporary loss of sensation, which may or may not include loss
of consciousness. It allows surgical procedures to be performed without pain or distress. Types include general anesthesia, regional anesthesia (e.g., spinal or epidural), and local anesthesia
Anesthesia
This is a chemical substance applied to living tissue (such as skin or mucous membranes)
to reduce or destroy microorganisms. It is used before surgical procedures to prevent infection. Examples include alcohol and povidone-iodine solutions.
antiseptic
This is the state of being free from disease-causing microorganisms. It involves practices and procedures designed to prevent contamination and infection during medical and surgical procedures
Asepsis
This is the voluntary agreement of a patient to undergo a medical or surgical procedure after receiving complete information about its purpose, risks, benefits, and alternatives. It is both a legal and ethical requirement before surgery.
consent
This is the process of eliminating many or most pathogenic microorganisms on inanimate objects, but not necessarily bacterial spores. It is commonly used for cleaning equipment and environmental surfaces in healthcare settings
Disinfection
This is the physiological or surgical process of stopping bleeding. It may occur naturally
through clot formation or be achieved surgically through suturing, ligation, cauterization, or application of pressure.
Hemostasis
This is also known as clean technique, refers to practices that reduce the number and spread of microorganisms. Examples include proper hand hygiene, wearing gloves, and cleaning patient care equipment
Medical asepsis
These are normal microorganisms that live and multiply on the skin and within the body. They are usually harmless and difficult to remove completely, but they can cause infection if introduced into sterile areas of the body.
Resident bacteria
These are temporary microorganisms acquired through contact with contaminated surfaces or people. Unlike resident bacteria, they are easily removed through proper handwashing and hygiene
Transient bacteria
This refers to the complete absence of all forms of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and spores. Sterility is essential in surgical instruments and sterile fields to prevent infection.
Sterile
This is the process of completely destroying all forms of microbial life, including resistant bacterial spores. Methods include steam under pressure (autoclaving), dry heat, gas sterilization, and chemical sterilants.
Sterilization
This is a medical specialty that involves the manual and instrumental treatment of diseases, injuries, or deformities through operative procedures such as incision, excision, repair, or reconstruction of tissues
Surgery
This also called sterile technique, refers to procedures used to eliminate all
microorganisms from an area. It includes sterile gowning and gloving, maintaining a sterile field, and preventing contamination during invasive procedures.
Surgical asepsis
This is the professional integrity and ethical responsibility of healthcare workers to strictly follow sterile technique and immediately report any break in sterility. It ensures patient safety even when no one else observes the error.
Surgical conscience
This refers to an area or object that has been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected to minimize the presence of microorganisms to the lowest possible level before surgery, though it may not be completely sterile
Surgically clean
This consists of healthcare professionals who work together to perform surgery safely and effectively. It typically includes the surgeon, assistant surgeon, anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist, circulating nurse, and scrub nurse or surgical technologist
surgical team
