Stranger in a foreign land

Undergoing surgery can be a very daunting process for patients, especially if the surgery is major. As perioperative nurses or anesthesia providers, it is easy to become comfortable with the environment and forget that, for patients, it can be similar to being in a foreign country where everything, including the language, is scary and intimidating. I learned to be more sensitive to my patients when I found myself in an unfamiliar situation and saw some similarities to what my patients were experiencing.