Final answer:
If a patient expresses uncertainty about their surgery, the nurse must ensure the patient is informed about the procedure, risks, and recovery. This is part of the surgical safety checklist and ethical practice to ensure informed consent. The nurse plays a vital role in reviewing the patient's understanding with the medical team before the operation begins.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a patient indicates uncertainty about what is involved in their surgery, it is important to address this issue immediately to ensure informed consent. As a nurse, you would pause the process and make sure to provide the patient with a detailed explanation of the procedure. This involves discussing the steps of the surgery, the risks, the expected outcomes, and the recovery process. Ensuring the patient fully understands is part of the preoperative protocol and is crucial for patient safety and ethical medical practice.
During the sign in phase, before the induction of anesthesia, the nurse and anesthesia professional confirm that the patient understands what the surgery involves. During the time out phase, the nurse ensures there is clarity about the procedure among the team. If at any point it becomes evident that the patient requires more information, the surgical team must take the time to ensure that the patient is fully informed and comfortable proceeding. Besides providing information, the nurse also plays a role in confirming the patient's identity, surgical site, and procedure with the medical team, ensuring that the operation proceeds as planned.
The surgical safety checklist is an essential tool here, which includes steps for introducing team members by name and role, the surgeon reviewing critical aspects of surgery, the anesthesia staff discussing patient-specific concerns, and the nursing staff confirming sterility and equipment availability. Therefore, it's the responsibility of the nurse to ensure the patient's questions are answered before proceeding with surgery.