Pre-operative visits by ITU nurses: recommendations for practice

Pre-operative visiting by theatre nurses is now policy in many hospitals, following an explosion of research studies outlining the benefits to the patient. However, the author could find very little available literature on pre-operative visiting by intensive therapy unit (ITU) nurses, to patients electively admitted to ITU following surgery. The purpose of this project is to explore the need for patient information, outline the aims of an ITU nurse's pre-operative visit, and discuss the timing of the proposed visit, the information to give the patient, the inclusion of the patient's family and the provision of printed literature. Finally, recommendations are made for implementing a pre-operative visiting service by ITU nurses.