Nurse led Patient Education Programme for patients undergoing a lung resection for primary lung cancer

There has been an increase in the number of patients undergoing lung resection for primary or suspected primary lung cancer in the UK due to improved staging techniques, dedicated thoracic surgeons and other initiatives such as preoperative pulmonary rehabilitation. This has had an impact on local healthcare resources requiring new ways of delivering thoracic surgical services. When considering service changes, patient reported outcomes are pivotal in terms of ensuring that the experience of care is enhanced and may include elements such as involving patients in their care, reducing the length of inpatient stay and reducing postoperative complications. The implementation of a thoracic surgical Patient Education Programme (PEP) has the potential to address these measures and improve the psychological and physical wellbeing of patients who require a lung resection. It may also assist in their care as an inpatient and to enhance recovery after surgery both in the short and long term.