[Is a preanesthetic interview by a team including nurses effective, safe, and efficient?]

To analyze the effectiveness, safety, and performance of anesthetist-led preanesthetic interviews in which specifically trained nurses exercise defined roles under supervision.

This descriptive study analyzed preanesthetic interviews performed by a team of anesthesiologists and nurses in surgically treated patients over a 1-year period. We assessed the impact of those interviews on the rate of procedures canceled due to errors in presurgical assessment. Study variables were the percentage of procedures canceled due to failure of presurgical assessment and the difference in the cancellation rate according to whether the interviews were undertaken by anesthesiologists or nurses, number of preanesthetic assessments made by nurses; number of consultations made by nurses to anesthesiologists, number of patients referred for a second interview with an anesthesiologist after assessment by a nurse, rate of substitution by nurses of anesthesiologists, and time dedicated daily by anesthesiologists responding to nurses' consultations. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

A total of 7343 preoperative assessments were performed. Of those, 28.6% were undertaken by nurses. Surgery was canceled because of errors in presurgical assessment in 78 cases (1.06%), corresponding to 1.0% of the preoperative evaluations performed by anesthesiologists and 0.7% of those performed by nurses. In 317 (18.2%) nurse-led preoperative assessments the anesthesiologist was consulted, and in another 121 cases (6.9%) a second preanesthetic interview was required. The rate of substitution of anesthesiologists by nursing staff was 26.5% and the time anesthesiologists dedicated daily to consultation during nurse-led assessments was 17.7 minutes.

The involvement of nurses in preanesthesia assessments of surgical patients is a clinically safe and effective initiative.