Patient teaching in ambulatory surgery

Patient teaching is one of the primary roles of the perioperative professional nurse working in ambulatory surgery. The trend towards more outpatient surgery with an increasing reliance on recovery at home assumes the patient and the family will provide care previously received in the hospital. Patient concerns center around receiving appropriate facts concerning preoperative preparation and postdischarge care. Ambulatory surgery programs use a variety of formats (1:1, group meetings, tours, telephone, or automated assessment) to decrease anxiety preoperatively, to assess patient and family learning needs, and to individualize information to ensure a smooth perioperative process. Patient satisfaction with the information and service provided is a desired outcome.