Perianesthesia Nurses' Perspectives Managing Frailty: A Qualitative Study.

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Surgery
• Nursing Research
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Frailty is a significant predictor of adverse outcomes in surgical patients.
• Early identification of frailty is essential for effective perioperative management.
• Current frailty screening practices in surgical settings are not well understood from a nursing perspective.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore perianesthesia nurses' perceptions and experiences with frailty screening for surgical patients.
• To identify barriers encountered by nurses in implementing and utilizing frailty assessments.
• To understand nurses' views on optimizing frailty assessment and management in surgical care.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative descriptive study utilizing semistructured interviews.
• Interviews conducted with 26 perianesthesia nurses across 17 states.
• Participants were members of the American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses with experience in older adult care.

Main Results:

• Three primary themes emerged: challenges in frailty identification, the impact of frailty on patients, and strategies for optimizing assessment and management.
• Nurses reported a lack of specific education on frailty assessment tools and techniques.
• Difficulties were noted in objectively communicating patient frailty status and needs to other healthcare providers.

Conclusions:

• Nurses require targeted education to effectively perform and interpret frailty assessments.
• Integrating frailty assessment into preoperative nursing documentation can enhance care planning.
• Improved frailty assessment and communication are vital for optimizing surgical patient outcomes and safety.