Supporting self-care of patients following general abdominal surgery

To determine whether the information people receive following general abdominal surgery is sufficient for them to be able to care for themselves at home in the community.

Health promotion is a consideration for individuals in all phases of health and illness but little is known about how best to promote health during hospitalization and in the transition from hospital to home in the community.

A self-report questionnaire was used at the point of discharge and a telephone interview was conducted following discharge to determine the adequacy of discharge information received.

Patients who received information on pain and wound management, activity, nutrition and complications generally felt that it was sufficient at the point of discharge and still felt informed up to three weeks following discharge. Up to 50% of patients did not receive information or received inaccurate information. The majority of the patients who were given information about pain and wound management did not experience any concerns following discharge. However, many of the patients who did not receive information on pain and wound management experienced concerns that required them to make a non-routine visit to a health care facility after discharge.

The findings emphasize the importance of nurses providing specific and accurate verbal and printed discharge information to all patients who have undergone abdominal surgery.

Patients who receive accurate and relevant discharge information are less likely to access health care agencies following discharge. Practicing nurses need to ascertain patients' information needs and nurse educators need to ensure that discharge teaching and self-care are emphasized in undergraduate nursing curricula.