Final answer:
To explain a surgical procedure and obtain surgical consent, a healthcare provider must inform the patient about all aspects of the surgery. This includes discussing risks and benefits, confirming patient identity, surgical site, and procedure during pre-operative checks, and reviewing operative plans and equipment with the surgical team.
Step-by-step explanation:
The pre-operative process includes several steps. Initially, during the 'Sign in' phase, team members, including at least the nurse and an anesthesia professional, orally confirm the patient's identity, the surgical site and procedure, and ensure the presence of surgical consent. The team also confirms that the patient does not have any known allergy, has a functioning pulse oximeter, and that airway and aspiration risks have been evaluated with appropriate mitigation strategies in place.
Subsequently, the 'Time out' occurs, generally before the skin incision, involving the entire team reviewing aloud key concerns. At this point, the surgeon would discuss critical steps, operative duration, and anticipated blood loss, while anesthesia professionals would address concerns specific to the patient. Nursing staff then review equipment sterility and availability, among other issues. As part of this process, it's crucial that prophylactic antibiotics have been provided adequately before the incision is made.
Finally, the 'Nurse reviews' check is performed, ensuring correct procedure naming, counts of needles, sponges, and instruments, proper labeling of any specimens, and addressing equipment issues. All these steps help safeguard patient safety and uphold the standards of informed consent.