[Quality of perioperative nursing care: viewpoint of the patient with back surgery]

The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the views of back-operated patients on good perioperative nursing care. The study forms part of a major research project. The data consists of theme interviews with 30 (= N) back-operated patients. The data were analysed by using the method of content analysis. As a general rule all back-operated patients were satisfied with the nursing care they had received. At the preoperative phase, the patients show a very obvious need for information, but the structure and amount of desired information varied. At the intraoperative phase the most important thing is that a friendly, competent staff explain to the patient what is going on and why. At the postoperative phase patients wanted someone at their bedside all the time monitoring the patient's condition. Because this study represents a basic research of nursing care, the results provide a useful basis for the further research.