Telephone follow-up for day surgery patients: patient perceptions and nurses' experiences

This article is an analysis of qualitative data collected from telephone interviews by a nurse researcher with patients recovering from day surgery. The nurse researcher used a standard protocol to telephone 238 recovering day surgery patients. While answering their questions and providing advice, the researcher found that patients held many biases and misconceptions about pain and pain management. Many of these misconceptions were not apparent preoperatively nor at discharge because patients are anxious, still recovering from the surgical experience, and not always able to absorb information or anticipate future issues. This article discusses those misconceptions and the necessity that follow-up occurs over a time period, as the patient's need for advice and support changes throughout the recovery process.