Nursing role toward patients undergoing abdominal laparoscopic surgery; A suggested training program

Teaching programs for nursing staff constitutes an important part. These programs are urgently designed to assist staff nurses in developing and enhancing their skills needed to provide high standards of care to their patients. In the present study, the researcher tried to investigate and identify needs for developing and implementing a training program designed towards improving the knowledge and performance of nurses working in the surgical departments of Assiut University Hospital. The study aimed to assess the role of nurses in caring for patient's undergoing Abdominal Laparoscopic Surgery and to suggest a training program for nurses caring for patients undergoing Abdominal Laparoscopic Surgery in the surgical department. The assessment needs for developing program was determined by test questionnaire sheet and observation checklist. The study included all male and female nurses [N=63] working in the general surgical departments. They were most of them holders of the diploma of nursing and very small number holders bachelor of nursing. The program was evaluated applying the same tools used in the assessment phase, then immediately after the program implementation. The main results obtained were as follows. The nurses' knowledge and performance related to caring of patients undergoing Abdominal Laparoscopic Surgery in surgical department was quite poor. The educational program showed improvement in nurses knowledge and performance regarding the nursing care of patients undergoing Abdominal Laparoscopic Surgery The results of comparison between the pre-test and post-test showed statistically significant differences. The present study concluded that nurses in general surgical department have unsatisfactory level of knowledge and performance. Attending training or orientation programs about caring for patients undergoing Abdominal Laparoscopic Surgery is absolutely lacking for nurses serving in the general surgical department. During their nursing practice, they usually lose their knowledge and skills related to caring patients after coming form PACU as they are not well trained and are not assigned for such activity. Moreover, they lack background knowledge and any experience as regards pre and post operative caring of patient undergoing Abdominal Laparoscopic Surgery in spite of its crucial importance for managing patients in the general surgical department. However, they can gain the necessary knowledge and technical skills that will enable them to perform better after the exposure to a well planned and organized training program. The present study recommended that educational department should be established within Assiut University Hospital to prepare and improve the nursing staff level of knowledge and performance