Final answer:
To advocate effectively, the nurse should ensure the patient is informed about the procedure's specifics, benefits, risks, and alternatives, and participate in a detailed pre-operative checklist with the healthcare team, discussing all critical aspects of the care to be provided.
Step-by-step explanation:
The best way for the nurse to advocate for the client who is unsure about proceeding with an elective surgical procedure is to ensure that the client is informed about all aspects of the surgery. This includes the benefits, risks, potential outcomes, and alternatives to the surgery. Healthcare professionals, including the surgeon, nurse, and anesthesia professional, should collaborate to provide the client with a comprehensive understanding of what the procedure entails, the recovery process, and postoperative care. The nurse should also review aloud with the team any key concerns related to the patient's care during the pre-operative checklist, which includes confirming the name of the procedure, needle and sponge counts, specimen labeling, and equipment issues.
Before induction of anesthesia, the nurse and anesthesia professional should also confirm the patient's identity, the surgical site, and the procedure. The team should discuss the anticipated critical events such as the operative duration and potential blood loss. Furthermore, the team should confirm that prophylactic antibiotics have been administered when required and that essential imaging results are displayed. By providing this meticulous level of detail and confirming all information with the team, the nurse can empower the client to make an informed decision regarding their healthcare.