title: Nurses' use of evidence in pre-operative fasting.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ensuring that a patient fasts before an operation is perhaps one of the most fundamental pre-operative responsibilities that nurses might perform on a daily basis. However, in this article it will be suggested that, despite the undisputed body of evidence spanning more than two decades that demonstrates appropriate fasting times, nurses still commonly fast patients for too long.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  By reviewing the literature on pre-operative fasting and reflecting on the evidence base for nursing practice, this article aims to offer explanations of why nurses act contrary to evidence which suggests that their practice is outdated.
authors.affiliation: Royal Marsden Hospital, London. antoniadean@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dean
authors.forename: Tonks
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fawcett
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005215:Fasting; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000451:nursing* / Q000592:standards*; D013997:Time Factors