[Nurses in specialistic surgery: centrality of a role].
According international trend patients over 70 submitted surgery in our Thoracic Surgery Unit are increasing. Therefore these patients are at higher risk of complications in the post-operative period owing to advanced age and comorbidities; most important among them BPCO and cardiovascular diseases. In our study most frequent and best evaluable complication was pneumonia. However postoperative pneumonia percentage decreased since 2000, when a nurse dedicated for thoracic patients only was instituted. Since then in our unit assistance model consisted of two thoracic surgeons supported by a nurse in charge to General Surgery Paramedic Unit. Innovation did not request adjunctive costs and contributed to a significant increase in professional level of nursing standard.
Dorella
Melissa
M
Organico chirurgia, P.O. Castelfranco Veneto, TV.
Colaut
Flavio
F
Pozzobon
Maurizia
M
Marconato
Benedetta
B
Toniolo
Lamberto
L
D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D013527:Perioperative Nursing; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000451:nursing*; D011996:Records