Surgical Readiness to Inform Nursing Leadership and Perioperative Management: A Concept Analysis

This concept analysis aimed to clarify and integrate the multidimensional concept of surgical readiness across nursing, medicine and anaesthesiology, and to identify its defining attributes, antecedents, consequences and empirical referents to guide nursing practice and research.

A concept analysis was conducted using Walker and Avant's (2019) eight-step method, integrating literature from nursing, medicine and anaesthesiology to develop an integrated interpretation of surgical readiness.

A structured literature search was conducted using PubMed, Wiley Online Library and ScienceDirect to identify English-language literature published between 2000 and 2025 that addressed the concept of surgical readiness. Twenty-five full-text articles met the inclusion criteria and were analysed. The literature was examined using Walker and Avant's concept analysis method to identify the uses, defining attributes, antecedents, consequences and empirical referents of surgical readiness. Findings were synthesized across disciplinary perspectives to develop an integrative conceptual definition relevant to nursing practice.

The literature revealed considerable inconsistency in how surgical readiness was conceptualized and measured across disciplines, underscoring the need for an integrated conceptual framework. Five defining attributes emerged: holistic preparedness, physiological optimization, psychological confidence, collaborative participation and systemic efficiency. Antecedents included comprehensive assessment, patient education, physiological optimization and team coordination. Consequences included potential associations with patient safety, psychological well-being, procedural efficiency, interprofessional collaboration and quality improvement. Empirical referents were identified at patient (physiological stability, anxiety level), professional (communication, documentation) and system levels (availability of surgical resources, safety checklists). The integrated definition conceptualizes surgical readiness as a dynamic, multidimensional state characterized by the alignment of patient, professional and system-level preparedness, encompassing physical optimization, psychological confidence, collaborative participation and coordinated organizational support for perioperative care.

This concept analysis provides a clearer and more comprehensive understanding of surgical readiness by integrating patient-, professional- and system-level dimensions. The clarified concept may support nurses and interdisciplinary teams in developing more comprehensive approaches to preoperative assessment, patient preparation, care coordination and perioperative safety.

No patient or public contribution.